Flipn4OHS

That is probably not the case BUBBA. When you have one squad cheering for both football and basketball...it gets really hard once basketball season rolls around. We have the same problem. We are split into 4 different groups for basketball games and 3 groups cheer at each game. And if you want you can cheer at them all, but the whole reason for this is because we have 21 girls on our squad and there just isn't room on the court for that many girls. It is really crowded with 16. Plus, our team plays OVER 50 games this season, they average about 2 or 3 games a week, and we cheer for both girls and boys varsity. That is as many as 9 games a week...plus practices for competition. With the division we are in we find ourselves traveling up to Knoxville for several games which is nearly 2 hours away. So some nights we don't get home till nearly midnight and to get that we have to leave almost RIGHT after school. And these traveling games are usually NOT on Friday nights either. So it doesn't have anything to do with not being dedicated or being lazy...for our squad atleast.

It's not too hard if you do it right. The flyer just has to remember to REBOUD out of the hanspring into the bases arms then pull her hips under her for the reload/squish. Also make sure the bases don't pop straight up orthe flyer will not be able to get her hips under her and the stunt will fall off the back before you even get to the elevator. The back spot can assist in this by grabbing the flyer's waist and making the stunt J-up to the squish instead of going straight up and down.

I'd say an ideal # is somewhere between 16-21...16 at the least...21 at the most. We have 21, but I think it'd be better with about 18. It kinda depends on the location of the school. In a place like Memphis that has a ton of gyms and breeds cheerleaders it is easy to find 21 girls in one school with a high skill level. Smaller cities it is better to have fewer #s b/c it is harder to find that many girls at the same skill level. It is kinda a disadvantage come competition time when you are competing in the large division with all those memphis teams.

Well, all I am saying is..isn't it more fun to play when you know there are people there watching? I mean, true..if the fans aren't there the game is played, but I hear athletes complaining all the time about "why don't we have a bigger crowd?" So, obviously, these athletes like to "perform", too.

Well Maryville, if you were ever really involved in cheerleading I don't think you would consider it an art. I mean I see where you are coming from..and maybe the same is true with band, but I have been cheering for 7 years, and it IS a sport not an ART. Routines ARE performances...but I mean hey what do you call basketball games and football games? What's the point in playing them if there isn't a CROWD there to perform for? It'd just be practice! I know that is 2 totally different types of perforamces...but every sport if you think about it "performs" for a crowd or audience. Why do guys dunk in basketball? You don't get anymore points for that than a lay-up...it's about performing for the crowd and pleasing the crowd!

Yall all make good points. I mean it isn't that our squad couldn't do the stunt. We stunt very well and could probably do a flipping basket, the thing is I feel more comfortable with the guys there. Sometimes on our squad the bases tend to freak out when we try something a little more difficult and sorta forget to CATCH. And that would not be pretty on the gym floor out of a flipping basket. lol. And it isn't like these are random people coming in. Most everyone who has anything to do with our squad including students who just come to competitions to support us know these guys. They have worked closely with the girls on our squad since most of us were little. And they have come to pep rallies and games to help out with things too so our principal also knows them. The main reason I asked was b/c I saw a guy get thrown out of a bball game the other day for tumbling, which I thought was crazy. BUT we were in Georgia and their rules are a little bit different. I guess the best idea would be to talk to my coach about it. Thanks for yalls help.

I agree 2points. I saw the Westview cheerleaders at State this year and last year. They are something else...they are awesome and have a lot of talent. In my opinion, as talented as the Houston High squad is, the Westview girls gave Houston a run for there money at State this year and last. The energy level of Westview is a little higher than that of Houston, which is why Westview woulda been my pick for State champs, but both squads are amazing! And I loved the shirt the Westview coach was wearing at state, the front said "Sports don't build character.." and the back said "they reveal it" lol

Well, bergil24, I wouldn't say it is more important...but for me I LOVE COMPETING!! I like cheering at games, too, it is exciting and fun to be able to promote spirit and get the crowd pumped up. Especially if your team is a winning team. But there is a big adrenaline rush that comes with competing, much like any other athlete gets when they step on the basketball court, or football field, or wrestling mat, etc. It is a thrill to step on that floor and look out and see thousands of people waiting to see what you got, to be able to show off your skills and put on a show, and nothing beats the feeling you get walking off the floor knowing you hit a nearly flawless routine or the anxious feeling you get while you wait for the announcement of the winners. It is nerve-wracking and overwhelming...but I LOVE that feeling!!

I have looked at the TSSAA regulations and found nothing that says that "flipping basket tosses" are illegal to perform at games. I am aware that in competition they are illegal, but the only thing I found in the general cheerleading regulations for football and basketball games about stunting was that pyramids can be no more than 2 people high. If flipping baskets are legal...here is another question.. if some guys from a cheerleading gym that coach me were to come to a basketball game and during a timeout or in between a quarter or something throw me in a basket is that okay? Or is there a rule against that, since they are not on the cheerleading squad. That might sound like a stupid question, but I really have no idea. Our student section just really gets into our tumbling and stunting between quarters and timeouts, and I thought it'd be cool if they came and we could put up some really cool baskets to get everyone excited. Let me know if you know anything PLEASE!!!

Personally, though, I consider band more of an ART than a sport, though. Not that it doesn't take talent and effort and physical ability-because it does. And I'd probably be NO good at it. But I think it is too pretty to be considered a sport and I think that most people in high school bands would probably agree with me that band is more of an ART.

Because no one has requested a board for band, apparently. This cheerleading board hasn't been here for long, and you have to have special permission to even look at it! So I am sure someone or a buncha people requested for coacht to create a board for cheerleading.

Yes that is definitely a good point bergil24. And I believe that is MY definition of a sport as well. Although I am gonna have to agree with BUBBA that your opinion did change drastically! But I'm glad it did, b/c it really bothers me when cheerleaders don't get the respect they deserve. I will admit that a lot of school squads don't take cheerleading as seriously as some, but times are definitely changing. And there are plenty of school squads that put as much effort into cheerleading as other athletes put into there sports. Not to mention the allstar squads who are in the gym as much as 14 hours a week, busting their butts to be the best. Sport or no sport...it takes talent, effort, and determination...and not everyone can do it..that deserves some respect.

Thanks additctedtosports. I haven't been on here in a while and I have a few comments on some of the last few posts. One-Bergil24, you say only the gymnastics and stunting part can be considered a sport. Well take a look around that is MOST of cheerleading-stunting and tumbling. Most of the cheers have stunts and tumbling incorped into them. And comptetion routines are constant tumbling and stunting with some dance and motions thrown in there. Two-Papatj...true in cheerleading there is no scoreboard, but at competitions there is a SCORESHEET. And you must be able to hit certain stunts or tumbling to get the max. amount of points for that category. You also get points deducted for busted tumbling or stunts that drop. And in the end the squad with the highest final score wins. Oh and btw...I DO know the difference between a TD and tackle...I probably know just as much about football as you do. Three-Illini, a social event? Are you kidding me? We aren't even allowed to talk during games except when we are calling cheers or going to stunt or something. And we get in trouble if we do. Practice is even worse, b/c if we talk about things other than cheerleading or cut up we get our butts chewed. And maryville rebels-I have never heard of the cheerleaders getting rings if the fball team wins state. I mean it's not like that at our school...if our team won state I wouldn't want a ring..b/c I am not on the football team I didn't do anything but cheer them on. In that case if the cheerleaders got one so should the parents and fans. The only way our squad would get rings is if WE won state or nationals.

Ooltewah High cheerleaders are always tumbling and stunting during time-outs and between quarters at basketball. They get a lot of support from the student section...and tonight they even had the other teams fans cheering for them!

I agree coachlogan...doubles are very hard...im working on mine and we have a couple other girls who are, but we don't have anyone who can throw one without a spot. We have a few singles though!

Ooltewah has 21 girls on their Varsity squad and over half have standing tucks. Next year a standing tuck will be a requirement to make the Varsity squad. Soddy Daisy also always has squad standing tucks.

Just cause our practices aren't longer than two hours doesn't mean they aren't hard. We run...but not for two hours...that is crazy.

Man, I'm surprised no one from Ooltewah has been on this thread yet. Ooltewah has a great student section..they have always been really big and spirited for football, and last year we started getting a bigger crowd during basketball. They are going to be very loud and rowdy this season lead by the "Old School Ballas".

Well then in that case..I totally agree that cheerleading is about looking good..as in the routine looking good and eye-catching. That's what cheerleading is about. But I don't think that takes it out of the category of being a sport. And in some competitions it isn't even all about who's routine looks the best...it's about who pulls off the hardest stunts and tumbling..even if they aren't clean and pretty, but in most cases the squad that wins is the one with the most difficult AND clean routine. And, trust, making a routine look good is NOT easy. That is why we spend our 2 hour practices going through our 2 1/2 minute routine over and over and over.

No problem...glad to help. I will let you know if I come up with anything else..that is kinda a talent I have. I can just sit there and make up stunts. haha

Wow that is awesome! I think that when you are doing something you love it is easier to become successful because it isn't just work..it's your passion. Thanks again!!

Trnbrant- Thanks for the encouragment I have thought about being a sponsor for a school squad, but I know that they don't get paid nearly enough for all the work they put into it. Plus I don't want to be a teacher. haha. I know it sounds kinda silly that I think I can make 200k a year..but believe me, I know that it is gonna take a lot of work to do that. But I have thought about this more than you probably think. I have talked with my coach, too. And he told me that as long as I have been cheering and as much as i know about it, with ambition and hard work I could easily run my own gym one day making as much or close to what he makes. And it really is my dream to run my own gym...that is what I would LOVE to do more than anything. I plan to go to college at the Univ. of Alabama and major in Athletic Training with a minor in business management..which I think will put me on the right track with what I want to do. I have been working at a cheerleading gym called United Cheerleading. I worked there last year and all summer teaching tumbling and cheerleading..I had to quit when school started though because I didn't have time with school and my cheerleading schedule..but I will probably continue to work there in the spring and summers.

Hmm..let's see. You should try some transition stunts. Here's one...ground-up stretch, double-take, 360, back up to umm..cupie. I mean you can replace the stretch and cupie with anything you want. It's not really about getting some kind of new trick other than libs and scorpians...it's all about adding transitions and visuals to make the basic things more difficult and showy.

First off..with any sport I would rather be right there watching it than watching it on TV with the exception of football. Baseball on tv and basketball on tv bore the heck out of me, if I am there though I can usually enjoy them. I don't really care for soccer or hockey, though, nothing against the sports-they just don't really interest me. But I'm gonna get back on topic...I totally agree with everything you said eagle. That was a great post, and I couldn't have said it better myself. Cheerleading is NOT all about looks...we don't practice routines to look good, like eagle said we practice so no one gets hurt and to perfect our routine and win competitions. And the comment about make-up..I don't wear it. The only time I wear make-up is at competitions, b/c if you don't wear make-up the judges can't see your faces because they are so far away..i agree that it does not matter in football or other sports if your face is seen, but that is a part of cheerleading. But I don't wear make-up to school, practice, or even games. When I am cheering I am not trying to "look good"..that is probably the last thing on my mind. I am trying to stick my stunts and land my tumbling..and if you have ever seen me after a practice or game or competition..you would know that I am not trying to look good. If you think cheerleading is all about looks..PLEASE come to one of my allstar practices and just watch..because you will see how much hard work and athleticism it takes, and that looks are not a concern at all.

GO OOLTEWAH!!! I love Owls Basketball!! YAH-HOO!!!