I recently heard a television reporter saying football coaches were tired of their players just going through the motions. That comment made me think of the last two cheerleading competitions I attended. I wish the cheerleaders had gone through the motions!
Are good, crisp cheerleading motions becoming extinct? I see pictures of cheerleaders in newspapers with bent wrists and fly-away arms. I hear cheer competition judges bemoan the lack of motion technique. While coaches spend much time devising spectacular pyramids and clever stunts, they often forget the one basic that garners the most attention-motions. Closed fists are fast becoming a thing of the past, and bent wrists are quickly becoming the norm. Cheerleaders should spend a part of every practice on improving motion technique. Sideline cheers and chants should have precise motion technique just as competition routines should.
Coaches, remember the four "P's" of motion technique: placement, progression, pathway, precision. Spend as much time and creativity on motions as you do on stunts and pyramids. Unique and exact motions appeal to football, basketball and competition spectators. Leave your crowds wanting more!
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