Cheerleading Tryout Tips: How to Stand Out and Make the Team Standing out at a cheer tryout isn’t about doing the hardest skill in the room. It’s about scoring well on what the judges are actually told to look for. Many college programs publish those criteria in their tryout packets, and some publish their scoring. […]
Best Cheerleading Bags for Competition Day 2026 (+ Packing List)
Disclosure: Some links in this guide are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, CheerleadersLife earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. We haven’t tested these bags. Sizes, features and prices come from each brand’s or retailer’s product page. On competition day you’re carrying a uniform, shoes, a bow, hair and makeup supplies, […]
Home Cheer Mat Buying Guide 2026: Specs, Space and Safety
Disclosure: Some links in this guide are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, CheerleadersLife earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. We haven’t tested these mats. Specifications come from the makers’ product pages. A home mat is useful for stretching, conditioning, jumps and drilling basics between practices. It isn’t a substitute for […]
Best Cheerleading Shoes 2026: How to Choose and Models Compared
Disclosure: Some links in this guide are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, CheerleadersLife earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. We haven’t tested these shoes. The specs and prices below come from each brand’s or retailer’s product page. Your cheer shoes are the one piece of equipment you wear for every […]
How to Do a Standing Back Tuck: Skill Order, Drills and Safety
A standing back tuck is a backward flip from a standstill: no run, no round-off and no hands on the floor. It shows up on a lot of tryout requirement lists, and it’s one of the skills athletes most often try to rush. This guide covers where the standing tuck sits in the skill order, […]
How to Improve Cheerleading Jump Height: Technique and Drills
Jumps are scored in competition and watched closely at tryouts. Height matters, but so do flexibility, technique, landings and timing with your team. This guide covers what judges look at, how to build jump power safely, technique for the main cheer jumps, and a conditioning drill published by Varsity that you can use with your […]
How to Do a Back Handspring: Steps, Drills and Safety Tips
The back handspring is the skill most cheer tumbling builds on. It’s the first handspring skill in the all-star levels, and it’s the base for running passes and, later, tucks. This guide breaks a standing back handspring into its parts, lists the drills coaches commonly use, and covers how to learn it safely. Use it […]
Cheer Competition Weekend Checklist: Housing, Packing and Game-Day Plan
Your Cheer Competition Weekend Plan A smooth competition weekend starts weeks before you take the mat. This guide is a planning timeline and packing checklist for competition weekends: booking housing under the event’s rules, getting your gear competition-legal, and running competition day. For flying with cheer gear and TSA rules, see our travel advice for […]
During Cheer Season: How to Stay Healthy, Fueled and Organized
How to Stay Healthy and Organized During Cheer Season Once the season starts, the weeks fill up fast: practices, games, competitions, conditioning and school. This guide covers the in-season routine that keeps you performing well: planning your week, fueling around practice, managing the physical load and handling school. For long-term habits like sleep and stress, […]
Scorpion Stretches for Cheerleaders: Flexibility and Safe Progressions
The scorpion is one of the best-known flyer body positions. The flyer stands on one leg and pulls the other foot up behind them, toward or above the head, with the back arched. It looks like pure flexibility, but a good scorpion also takes shoulder mobility, hip flexor length, upper-back extension and balance. This guide […]