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We have all been there. You have spent weeks working on the new tumbling skill, and you’re finally able to throw it. The first day you hit it, you are landing it on a dime. You don’t step, you don’t stumble: your skill is perfect. For the next several weeks it’s the same thing – you show off the skill of practice, and your coach puts it in your routine. Then suddenly, for no reason that you can figure out, you cannot land it for anything. Every time you throw your new skill, you put your hands down or your knees bend as you land and you have to step to recover.

Mental blocks are common in tumbling

Cheerleaders at all tumbling skill levels deal with mental blocks. That is one of the issues with tumbling. It is as much about your mental ability to handle a skill as it is your physical one. When Simone Biles felt like she could not control her landings, she had a decision to make. She had to decide what was best for her team: should she try to compete even though she was unsure of herself and beginning to make mistakes, or should she let someone else compete so that they can maximize their score. This was a difficult decision, and one that cheerleaders often have to manage. When suddenly you or your teammate can’t throw and land that still consistently, they are putting your team score in jeopardy. More importantly, they are putting their own safety in danger. Tumbling is dangerous, it takes a lot of practice and skill to consistently execute high-level tumbling. However, there is a great risk of injury if it goes wrong. If you are having a bad day and forget part of your dance, there’s a deduction and you move on. If you have a bad day and lose your spot on a double full, you can tear your ACL (or worse). This is what Simone Biles was managing, and this is what we as cheerleaders must do consistently as well.

Even elite athletes have mental blocks

When we see professional athletes, we assume that they have skills and abilities beyond those of mere mortals. This is not the case. Simone Biles may be the best gymnast of her generation, but she is still a human. When we watch people fail, we must realize their humanity and understand that we ourselves have similar deficiencies. When we can accept other people’s shortcomings with grace and dignity, that allows us to display sportsmanship and become better athletes. Being aware of the commonality of mental blocks can help us interact kindly with our teammates as well. There will be a day where someone just can’t stick their landing. There will be days where you step on a skill you have thrown for a decade. Accepting these mistakes as a part of the natural process will help you to build relationships with your teammates and find grace for yourself.

Working through mental blocks is a team effort

Putting additional pressure on yourself or a teammate when they are working through a mental block can do serious damage to the healing process. The best thing you can do is provide mental and emotional support for someone struggling with their skills. Sometimes just a hug and a pat on the back does more to help struggling athletes than a year of counseling. Try to be a supportive member of your squad, and be empathetic to anyone (including yourself) that is struggling with a mental block.

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Why did the Olympics recognize cheerleading?

The Olympics have been changing the sports that participate in them since their inception. There’s been a constant movement of new and different events, reflecting the popular sports of the day and age. A sport like the biathlon, where competitors cross country ski and then shoot rifles, may seem unfamiliar to many of us. Particularly when compared to something like cheerleading. However, in places where snow is more common and hunting is an important way of life, this real-world activity directly reflects that cultural and geographic differences of the nations that participate in it.

The Olympics are constantly evolving. Take a look at gymnastics. Once upon a time, gymnastics were performed on hardwood floors by almost exclusively males. Now when we think of gymnastics we think largely of the female competitors although there certainly are many male competitors still in the Olympics. They are now on a spring floor, and most of their other equipment has been modernized. The changes to gymnastics over the last 50 years have been dramatic.

One of the new sports for this year’s Olympics is skateboarding. Skateboarding has been on a journey very similar to that of competitive cheerleading. It really became a sport on its own in the 1970s. Competitive cheerleading began to be recognized in the United States in the 1980s, so it’s not a surprise that cheerleading is about a decade behind skateboarding. The Olympic committee has added sports like these because they are popular, practiced in multiple nations around the world, and have regularly performed competitions with standardized rules. The International Cheer Union, or ICU, is the global governing body of cheerleading. With 116 member nations participating, they are at the helm of the effort to have cheerleading formally recognized as an Olympic sport.

The Olympics are constantly trying to add new sports to gain more interest from younger people. That’s why skateboarding was added, and that is certainly what cheerleading is getting added as well. The Olympics can sometimes have low viewership, and its ultimate value is sports entertainment. This can be difficult to understand, as we think of it as being an opportunity for international competition. But there are already plenty of those. What the Olympics has is a certain cache: competing in the Olympics gives you a status that is not shared by simply competing in other sorts of national or international competitions. There are world championships in most sports every single year. However, we rarely hear about the winners unless you happen to be involved in that sport. But Olympic athletes can compete on the international stage with billions of eyeballs watching them, and stellar performances can make them household names.

It is important to realize that simply being recognized as a sport by the International Olympic Committee does not in itself mean that cheerleading will ever actually participate in the Olympics. Cheerleading has been exhibiting as a sport at the Olympics for several years now. The process for adding a new sport to the Olympics is slow and onerous. However, the consistency of the world cheerleading championship has really helped to vault cheerleading beyond something which is simply a United States sport and into one which is competed at on a high level across the world.

The ultimate goal for cheerleading is to become more than simply a competitive sport in the United States and neighboring nations. Instead, it will be a truly international contest similar to the Olympics with a world championship every year and hundreds of nations competing. This is the vision, and being recognized by the International Olympic Committee is one of the major steps in achieving that goal.

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Cheerleading is a recognized Olympic sport

Cheerleading has just been recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as an Olympic sport. So what does this really mean, and why did the Olympics finally recognize cheerleading at this time? These are important questions and worth taking a deeper look into. Let’s start with the process of how sports are recognized by the Olympic committee.

A brief explanation of the process

The organizing body of international cheer is called The International Cheerleading Union (ICU), and they have been working for almost two decades to get cheerleading recognized by the IOC as a sport. In fact, the implementation of the Cheerleading World Championship about 15 years ago was the beginning of the process to make cheerleading more than just a sport played in a single nation, and instead make it a worldwide phenomenon. As a result, there are now around 170 countries which have cheerleading as a sport, and over 70 nations are represented at the most recent Cheerleading World Championship. The international appeal of cheerleading coupled with its growth during the same time period allowed it to be recognized as an exhibition sport, a fundamental part of the process of being formally recognized by the IOC.

What is the ICU?

The International Cheer Union is the governing body for cheerleading around the world, and the governing body of the Cheerleading World Championship. It is made up of 116 different national cheer federations: the IOC recognized it as the governing body for cheerleading in 2016. When it was initially founded in 2004 the ICU was designed to standardize and promote cheerleading safety and competition standards, key elements to being officially recognized as a sport by the IOC. The president of the ICU is Jeff Webb, the same man who founded Varsity Brands and the Universal Cheerleading Association (UCA).

Will cheerleading be in the 2024 Olympics?

So when will cheerleading start to compete at the Olympics? This is a very good question and one to which there is no definite answer. It’s not going to happen this year, as cheerleading was only recently recognized as a sport, while the Tokyo Olympics have already started. Because Olympic preparations normally begin at least four years in advance, it seems unlikely that cheerleading would participate as a recognized sport in the 2024 Olympics. In a recent interview Jeff Webb, founder and president of the ICU suggested that the 2028 Olympics, in Los Angeles, California, is where cheer is most likely to debut as an Olympic sport.

Why is this important for international cheerleading?

Having the Olympics potentially host games for cheerleading is very exciting. Recognition by the Olympic committee is very important, but the reasons are not immediately obvious to American participants in the sport. In the United States, where cheerleading is well established, it will not actually make that much of a difference in the next four to eight years. Only when cheerleading starts competing in the Olympics will we really see a big uptick and participation. However, internationally this is a very important development. In many nations, sports are funded and controlled by the government. And those governments often will not support sports which are not recognized as athletic contests by the international Olympic Committee. In many countries, athletes are trained under government facilities, by government coaches. It costs nothing to them individually to participate in the sport: all costs are covered by the government. By having cheerleading recognized as a sport, government bodies can now fund cheerleading in countries outside of the U.S. That is the most important development from this recognition by the IOC: now there will be money available for cheerleading from independent nations. As a result, many international cheer programs which have been held back by a lack of funding can now get full recognition by their home nations. This will expand cheerleading even more, making it more competitive with greater participation worldwide.

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Welcome to our brand new blog here at CheerleadingMix.com! We will share more about our cheer music offering and talk about all things #squadlife with you in this space. Your feedback is always welcome, so feel free to leave comments, share these posts with your team and coaches, and let us know what you think!

Quality Premade Mixes Have Arrived

CheerleadingMix.com is the most innovative new offering in the cheerleading music world, brought to you by the producers you know and love. We deliver epic, hard-hitting mixes that give your team the edge they need to hit stunning and captivating routines. Your team deserves a production quality track — from high school pep rallies to elite competitions —  that will provide them with the confidence they need to perform their best!

We’re excited you’re here! Be sure to follow along with us on social media and check out more blogs coming soon. We are brewing up some fantastic ideas to share and hope you’ll spread the word about this space. We’re here to offer our expertise in all things cheerleading, music, and team spirit!

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Pep Rally Prep

As we get ready for another year of spirit and cheer mixing, it is time to start thinking about making some of the best pep rallies in school history. While the idea of putting on a pep rally can be intimidating for a cheer coach, there are a few things you can do to make it fun and easy! Here are 6 things to consider as you prepare for fall sports:

Work with Organizers!

The pep rally has a lot of moving parts. The band and sports teams have to attend, as well as the students. Work with teachers and school administrators to find a date, time, and location that works for everyone. Getting a consensus from these groups will not only make the first pep rally go smoothly, but will also help build relationships for future pep rallies!

Pick a Theme!

School spirit is an important part of school culture, but spirit alone will not make a great pep rally. Really amazing pep rallies have a theme to tie together all the activities and performances.

Ask the coaches and captains of the sports you are supporting about their themes and slogans for the year. Tying those into the pep rally will really make the event sparkle.

Build Your Routine!

A strong cheer routine should be a main part of your pep rally planning. While band dances and cheers are great, consider putting on a short 2-3 minute performance to cheer music that will show the students at your school what you can do! Contacting local cheerleading gyms or bringing in choreographers will put a professional sheen on your exhibition.

Pick Great Music!

Of course, no pep rally would be complete without great music. Ask members of the other sports what songs they use to pump themselves up on game day, and include those as part of your pep rally. Finding an epic cheer mix for your performance is really important as well – no one wants to dance to bad music! Companies like New Level Music or CheerleadingMix.com can provide high quality cheer music quickly and add the professional polish to your performance.

Polish Your Performance!

You’ve got your routine and your music, it is time to make it pop! An amazing performance ismore than just hitting the 8 counts. Remember that your hard work on your routine will be seen by the whole school, so having a mistake-free performance is really important. Don’t forget to review all the cheers and cheer songs that are going to be in the pep rally as well!

Be Inclusive!

Reach out to other clubs and sports in the school and ask if they want to be part of the pep rally. Including more of the student body in the event will help to build bonds across the school. Perhaps there is a Dance Club or a stomp team that feels left out because they are not part of the athletic program as your school. Making inroads with these groups will help bring everyone together and enjoy the year!

Everyone is excited about the upcoming school year and seeing the students at your school excel on the field or on the court. Organizing a pep rally that helps capture that excitement is the very essence of cheer!

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Summer Camp Checklist

Ahh, summer time! School is out, and the days are filled with endless hours at the pool and summer jobs. For cheerleaders, however, summer means one other thing: it is time for cheerleading camp. Getting your team ready for the big camp experience is an important part of cheerleading summer planning. Here are a few things you can do to help your squad have the best camp experience ever!

Picking Your Camp

There are a lot of cheerleading camp options out there. Spend a little time thinking about what sort of camp experience you and your squad want to have this summer. Do you want a small, intimate private camp, or smaller multi-team camp where you can meet other teams in your area? Are you “in it to win it” and want to go to the biggest camp and compete against the best teams in your area? Does your squad want to earn a bid to go to a national cheerleading competition while at camp? Are you planning on attending a camp run by a private choreographer, a local gym, or a national cheerleading company? Asking your athletes about what their wishes and expectations are will help guide decisions about what sort of camp you will be attending.

Summer Practice Schedule

Vacations, summer work, and other scheduling issues can really complicate having productive practices during the summer. Getting the squad to agree on a practice schedule is really important to create the epic camp experience you all want. Establishing clear channels of communication will help you and your team get on the same page. A shared calendar, setting up a Remind channel, and agreeing on expectations will make sure that no one feels their valuable summer break is being wasted on poorly attended practices. No one wants to spend their summer at practices where there are a lot of athletes missing. Agreeing upon and communicating the practice schedule will help everyone on your team get the most out of summer practice.

Music!

No cheerleading camp is complete without an amazing playlist of cheer music to help keep you and your squad motivated through the long days of motions, jumps, tumbling and stunting. Having customized 8 count music for your performances will really set you apart from other teams if you are at one of the large camps. Having personalized cheer songs for your routines can make a huge difference! Consider visiting a cheer music site like https://www.cheerleadingmix.com/ to help you find the perfect cheer mixes for your camp performances. Then share your routines with the world via social media!

Pick Your Camp Clothes!

A big part of the camp experience is the clothes! Having your team show up on coordinated outfits helps show your team unity and present a polished, professional appearance. Look for cheerleading apparel retailers such as Rebel (https://www.rebelathletic.com/) and Nfinity (http://nfinity.com/) to see what the hottest trends in camp fashion are this year. All the latest styles are available in your school’s colors, and can be personalized with mascots, or even the names of your teammates. Small details like matching shoes and bags will show your team’s togetherness. Don’t forget about accessories, either! Getting the perfect bows and socks for your squad will really make your camp performances pop!

Your experiences at your summer cheerleading camp will help set the tone for the entire year. Coming to camp prepared, geared, and ready to cheer will really make the entire experience more fun for you and your squad. Having great practices, the latest spirit apparel, and the best cheer music can make you feel confident and poised for the hard work and challenges which go along with camp season. And when you nail that perfect summer camp cheer routine, it can help energize the squad even for the entire season!

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How to Use An 8 Count Sheet

If you are a choreographer, cheerleader, or cheer coach, there is no doubt you know how to count to 8. Almost all cheerleading and dance routines are choreographed to 8 counts. However, something you may not realize is how to properly document your routine’s 8 counts for music producers and coaches. The easiest way to do this is by filling out an 8 count sheet! This document maps out the specific skills and choreography of a cheer routine and matches it to your 8 count cheer music mix.

Whether you are a coach planning for your next routine or an athlete recording the counts for your teams, 8 count sheets are a very important part of the creative process. Sheets may be used as a guide while teaching the choreography or as a resource to look back at throughout the season and perfect the routine. There are several important questions you should ask yourself before you begin to fill them out. Are you planning to have custom cheer music created? Are you downloading a premade cheer music mix from a company such as CheerleadingMix.com? Either way, a well-made 8 count sheet will successfully make your moves on the floor pop!

A well-crafted and accurate 8 count sheet means your music will fit perfectly and highlight the skills of your routine! It’s is important to ensure your music mix and sound effects are in sync and impactful. Today we’re going to walk you through the top 8 (of course!) things you should know about filling out an 8 count sheet and why it matters for your cheer music mix. Before we get started, be sure to download our fillable 8 count sheet HERE.

1. Take good notes!

Whether you have custom music produced or are using a premade cheer mix in developing a cheer routine, be sure to take solid notes and details. Keep an organized list of key moments such as stunt transitions, tumbling, or dance moves in each section and exactly when in the count they take place. These will come in handy when filling out your 8 count sheet.

2. Practice!

Practice without music using only 8 counts with your team. Set up a tripod and record each routine in full and watch later, slowing the speed down to ensure its accuracy with each motion, clap, jump, and stunt. It is like your team is making a TikTok at practice!

3. Write it down!

Once you have your routine down, use the CheerleadingMix.com 8 Count Sheet, and start adding in your routine notes. You’ll notice that the sheet consists of several rows of different count sections, and this is why taking all of those notes back in step 1 was so essential!

4. Overshare!

Remember, all 8 counts are not created equal — the more information you can share, the better. As you fill in each row, be as specific as possible so that no matter who is reading the sheet — coaches or music producers — they can understand routine and how to the music will complement the skills.

5. Complete the sheet!

Don’t forget to fill out the sections. You’ll notice that there are boxes on the left-hand side of the to list the routine’s segments/sections. Make sure you fill these in so that your music producer knows precisely where the music needs to match the routine.

6. Keep everything organized!

Your 8 count sheet should be a detailed and organized list of your routine. It helps both coaches and music producers to understand where the “hits” are in your choreography and what the “hit” is – note these key moments on the sheet as motions, tumbling, baskets, or stunts.

7. Double check!

You do not want a mistake on your 8 count sheet to ruin that big moment in your routine. You also do not want to change your routine because there was a mistake on the page. Once the sheet is completed, run your routine with the team several times to make sure that every load, transition, and dismount is written down correctly.

8. Use it!

Once you have the 8 count sheet filled out, use it to guide your practice. Follow the counts and notes you’ve input in practice with your cheer squad. Are you hitting everything accordingly? Have the counts gotten off somewhere? Did each transition and segment line up with what you wrote down on the sheet? Make tweaks as needed to ensure there are no mistakes. Then submit the sheet to your music producer!

We know how important the 8 count is to cheerleading. It’s the foundation of your entire routine and the amazing cheer music for your performance! If you are new to filling these out, we hope these tips helped, and know that once you get this process down, you’ll be counting to 8 in your sleep!

We’d love to hear any stories or reviews about your use of the 8 count sheet. Tag us with a comment on Instagram or Facebook and follow us for the latest from CheerleadingMix.com!

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