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Make the Cheerleading Team – Part 1: Stamina & Endurance

February 24, 2010 by Administrator

It’s that time of year again.  The final cheerleading competitions of the season are wrapping up, and soon it will be time to try out for next year.  This is a crucial time for preparation because decreased practices mean more free time, but don’t get tempted to start slacking off!  Use this time to your advantage, train hard, and when tryouts approach you can surprise everyone with your new skills!  This will be the first article in a 6 part series to help you make the squad!  The first thing cheerleaders need to focus on (especially first time cheerleaders) is both stamina and endurance.
Stamina and endurance are absolutely necessary for competitive cheerleaders…and non-competitive cheerleaders.  Even if you are new to the sport and overwhelmed by the amount of tumbling, stunting, and choreography yet to be learned, getting in shape is something you can start now without any coaching.  It is the perfect place to start and will ultimately help acquire all other skills.  The stereotype of a cheerleader is the pretty and popular girl cheering on the side of the football games.  Some people also think that it does not take much to make a cheerleading squad, and the girls are not in shape.  Veteran cheerleaders are probably laughing at this past statement.  If you fall into the category of stereotyping cheerleaders this way…think again!  Most teams today train just as hard if not harder than any other sport, and it is usually year-round.  There is much that a cheerleader does outside of cheering on the other sports at their school.  Maybe you have seen cheerleading on ESPN, or the classic movie, “Bring It On.”  This is just the skimming the surface into the hard work cheerleaders do.  Sure, they make it seem easy, but that is because they practice year-round.  And the stereotype about cheerleaders being good-looking?  Well, it’s hard not to when you train and work out as much as they do!
Today’s cheerleading requires a tremendous amount of effort that is close to impossible without being in top shape.  A competitive routine is two minutes and thirty seconds.  That is two and a half minutes of jumping, lifting, tumbling, running, dancing, yelling, spinning, and, last but not least, smiling the entire time you do it.  Having the endurance and stamina to get through the routine is crucial, and it is never too early to begin.  So here are some favorite workout ideas to help.
  • Jogging, Elliptical Machines, and the Stairmaster. While this option may seem a little ‘vanilla’, it is a tried and true method of building up endurance.  Make a good playlist, get a group of friends together, and start jogging.  To make these workouts extra effective, run with your hands in a cheerleading motion such as a high-V to both increase endurance while improving the tightness of your motions.  You might also think about running with hand or ankle weights.  Running is obviously a good cardio workout, but when training for cheerleading, it may feel like you are multitasking.  However, a cheerleading routine is multitasking, and uses more energy than just cardio.  Try to incorporate extra weights, cheers, or motion practice into your workout for ultimate effectiveness.  Here are some ways to spice it up.
  1. Indian Runs: This workout requires a bunch of people.  Start out running in a single or double file line, and make sure to keep a good pace that is not too fast.  Whoever is in the back of the line must go around the group and run ahead of pace until they pass the first person in line.  This runner now becomes the leader, and once they reach the front, the next person in back runs to the front.  This workout is great because it forces everyone to keep a pace, you have motivation from the other people running, and it naturally makes you do intervals.  Intervals are crucial for building stamina.  (For the experienced cheerleader: do this workout while chanting cheers.
  2. Suicide Runs: Best done on a football field or a basketball court, the concept is simple.  Assuming you are on the football field, start in the end zone, run to the 10 yard line and touch it, run back and touch the end zone, run to the 20 yard line and touch it, run back and touch the end zone, run to the 30 yard line and touch it, and you get the picture.  Start out by doing half of the field, and eventually do more and more each day.
  3. Bleachers: Pretty self-explanatory.  Run up and down the bleachers.  Run with weights if you think you can handle it.  However, be careful!  If you start feeling tired, do something that does not require stairs because you wouldn’t want to trip and hurt yourself!
  • Calisthenics & Plyometic Relays: These are exercises to build up your core endurance, while also improving strength and flexibility.  Get a group together and try to split up into teams.  Allow adequate room and put cones in a hallway or practice on a field.  Here are some exercises to incorporate into the relay.
  1. High Knees: Run while bringing your knees up to your chest as fast and effective as possible.
  2. Kick Your Butt: Run while kicking your feet to your butt.
  3. Lunges: Put your hands on your hips and step out far until your back leg is straight and your front leg makes a 90 degree angle.  from this position, bring your back leg around to the front.
  4. Spider crab: In a squat position turn your body to the left or to the right. Bring your hands up and run down to the end in this position so you look like a football player or a catcher on a softball team.
  5. Backwards Run: Run Backwards.Skipping and Hopping on One Foot
  6. Crab Walk: To get into position sit down and put your hands on either side of you.  Then lift your butt into the air, and walk forwards or backwards as quick as possible
  7. Bear Crawl: Bend forward and put your hands on the ground.  Keep legs and arms straight and go as fast as you can.
  8. Bunny Hop: Keep both legs together the whole time and jump as far as possible.  When you land, repeat the action.
  • Yoga & Pilates:  Either buy a home tape or go take a class with friends.  Both help with core strength and flexibility.
  • Staying in Place Exercises:  If you have a limited amount of space, have no fear!  Try these exercises.
  1. Jumping Jacks: Do this exercise for a full song if you do not feel like counting.  Mix up the moves if you grow tired of the standard jumping jack by bringing your arms straight out, by your ears, or in a “T” motion.
  2. High Knees:  Bring your arms in a High-V and do High Knees for at least a full minute.
  3. High Kicks:  Bring your arms into a High-V and do 10 kicks o the left, 10 to the right, and 10 alternating.  Increase or decrease the number of reps according to how much you can do.
  4. Lunge Jumps: Clasp your hands and put them straight out in front of you.  Get into a lunge position and jump to switch legs.  Repeat until you can no longer.
  5. Bear Crawls: Put your hands on the ground in front of you and go into a deep lunge.  Switch back and forth as fast as possible.

When you have chosen an aerobic activity, begin by training for around 30 minutes a day, three days a week. You won’t get in great shape in a few days, but killing yourself at the start won’t help either. Choose a manageable regimen like we have below, focusing on increasing the amount of time you train each week. To start, try a program such as this: Time Activity Frequency 30 minutes Light jogging or energetic walking. Twice during the week & once on the weekend.  Work toward but don’t go beyond: Time Activity Frequency One hour Stairmaster, treadmill, or organized sports. Three times during the week & twice on the weekend.  Ultimately, your stamina will allow you to coast through the rigors of tumbling runs, elaborate lifts, and frenetic dance routines.

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Do It Yourself Fundraiser: The ‘Cuffing Contest

February 18, 2010 by Administrator

This fundraiser is a great activity to make the members of your organization really work for the money.  The setting is best if your goup is within a school or an office.  The Cuffing Contest is a fun activity which requires the members of your organization to be handcuffed to a willing outside participant until the duo raises a set amount of money.  A great aspect of this fundraiser is that there is no right way to do it, and there are many different ways to go about getting participants.

 

First you will need to explain the concept to your school or community.  Once the masses are aware of how The Cuffing Contest works, tell them that everyone is invited to nominate people who they would like to be “arrested.”  It is also optional to charge a small fee for nominating someone.  Or if your organization is doing a fundraiser which requires people to purchase something, you may only decide to let the people who make a purchase to nominate somebody.  Or you can surpass this step and just go up to random people and ask, however this may not work in every setting.

 

Once you decide how you are going to get the participants, you must now make decide on what to set the “bail” at.  You can make a game out of it and make them all random with a wheel to spin, or decide on a constant value.  You might also think about setting a time limit in case the goal is not reached.  Your organization also might decide to not set a bail and only imply a time limit, with you and the participant trying to raise the most amount of money possible.

 

The next step is to decide where and when the event will take place.  Recommended venues are during a lunch period, during halftime at sporting events, or in a local town that has sidewalks.  The only supplies that are needed to pull this off are a pair of handcuffs and a collection can for each organization member participating.

 

Lastly, have fun with it! make posters to carry around with each couple.  People are more likely to give money if you look like you are having fun.  And remember, check with your town to see you are required to get any permits for solicitation…you wouldn’t want to ACTUALLY get arrested!

 

Posted in Band Fundraiser, Booster Fundraiser, Cheerleading Fundraiser, Community Fundraising, Non/Not for Profit Fundraisers, School Fundraiser | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Do It Yourself Fundraiser of the Week: Penny Wars

February 8, 2010 by Administrator

Penny Wars has proven to be a fun and creative way of earning money fast.  This fundraiser works best when paired up with another event.  For example, if it is spirit week at the high school and there is a booth for selling homecoming tickets or tshirts, most people buying will end up with change.  So to make additional money and to create some fun competition between grades, a penny wars booth can be set up right next to the other sales booth.  It also works great if your organization has weekly meetings.  Penny wars can be a continual effort without costing your group anything.

PREPARATION:

1. The first step is to make sure there are teams that are around the same size and can be competitive.  Some examples of this are grade levels, sports teams, clubs, departments of an office, committees in an organization, instumental sections in a band, and the list goes on.

2. After this is decided, each team must have their own jug or container that is clearly labeled.  You may let each team design their own or simply provide a water jug.

3. Set a goal.  If the Penny Wars is going to be a short term event make sure your group advertises how much you want to raise and keep the standings of the teams updated daily to increase competitiveness.  If it is going to be long term, you must still advertise the event, but you should also think about breaking up the “War” into weekly battles.  Offer incentives to whichever team wins each week, and make the public excited about trying to beat the previous week’s winner.  Whether long or short term, CLEARLY STATE THE START AND END OF THE PENNY WARS!

4. If you need a booth that is going to be in a public space, make ure to clear it with the proper administration.

SCORING:  The scoring can be done in 2 ways.

OPTION 1: Every coin and bill count for a positive point.

Penny = 1 point                       Nickel = 5 points

Dime = 10 points            Quarter = 25 points

$1 = 100 points                     $5 = 500 points

So say the Juniors end the day with:

30 pennies             = 30 points

0 nickels              = 0 points

2 dimes                         = 20 points

4 quaters             = 100 points

4 $1 bills                  = 400 points

2 $5 bills                  = 1000 points

___________________________________________________

TOTAL                                     = 1550 points

OPTION 2: Certain coins are positive and certain coins are negative.  For now we will say that all coins are positive and all bills are negative.  The point of doing it this way is to encourage the public to put large bills in containers that are not their own. This option generally raises more money and you can decide which coins and bills should be counted as positive or negative.

The same Junior container would now be:

30 pennies             = 30 points

0 nickels              = 0 points

2 dimes                         = 20 points

4 quaters             = 100 points

4 $1 bills                  = (-400 points)

2 $5 bills                  = (-1000 points)

___________________________________________________

TOTAL                                     = (-1250 points)

When hosting a penny wars it is important that the money be counted after each day of collecting to avoid any confusion.  Keep in mind that you will need someplace safe to store all of the change until the event is over, and most importantly, make it fun!  This will be something your organization will have fun hosting for years to come!

Posted in Band Fundraiser, Booster Fundraiser, Cheerleading Fundraiser, Non/Not for Profit Fundraisers, School Fundraiser | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Lip Balm the perfect coat for your Lips

January 26, 2010 by Administrator

During the winter, it is almost involuntary to reach for a winter coat as we rush out the door.  In addition to covering up our bodies, we should also be covering our our lips in the winter with a good lip balm.  The primary purpose of lip balm is to provide a layer on the lip surface to seal moisture in lips while protecting them from external exposure. Dry air, cold temperatures and wind all have a drying effect on skin by drawing moisture away from the body. Lips are particularly vulnerable because the skin is so thin, and thus they are often the first to present signs of dryness. The first lip balm was actually made out of earwax, but lip balms today have come a long way.  Sometimes they even include vitamins, sunscreen, and flavorants.  There are many benfefits of lip balms as well as reasons why everyone should at least carry a tube in his/her pocket.  Here are the 7 biggest benefits.

1. Lip balm is for dry lips like lotion is for dry skin; you could drink 8 glasses of water each day and still have dry lips in the winter without using a good lip balm.

 2. Lip balm is great for keeping lips hydrated on that brisk morning jog.

3. Lip balm helps keep those luscious lips intact…Be sure to keep them covered with a good layer of lip balm applied several times during the day, as lips tend to dry out the fastest at this time of year.

4. Lip balm with sunscreen is very necessary and helpful in keeping lips supple and moist – even in the winter.

5. The most useful additives in lip balms are sunscreens. The vermilion border that defined the lips against the rest of our skin can be lost over time due to sun damage.

6. Lip balm reduces the occurrence of cold sores.

7. Lip balm keeps our lips feeling great and protected while outdoors and on the slopes.

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The Benefits of Fundraising

January 10, 2010 by Administrator

The purpose of fundraising is simple.  It is what a group or organization does in a time of financial need.  In an ideal world there would be no need for fundraising, but budget cuts and family incomes that cannot support every activity their child wants to do are a part of life.  However, a lot can be benefited from fundraising other than the monetary value.  Depending of how much effort is put towards the fundraiser itself, your organization can reap the rewards from a number of hidden benefits.

            Fundraising allows the children or other recipients of the funds to feel some pride of ownership. In many cases, the beneficiaries of funds that are raised are able to feel not as if they have received ‘charity,’ but as if they have actually earned the item or experience that the funds have provided.  This a great lesson of how hard work and determination can get you what you want.

            It creates awareness in a young person that they are part of a community, and that this position entails a certain amount of responsibility and also self empowerment. When they are raising funds for other segments of society, it teaches them to appreciate what they have and to understand that they have the ability, even from a young age, to help others.  It is a fact that children who participate in civic or public service from a young age are more likely to carry on with that type of work into adulthood. On the other hand, if young people are being helped by others who are doing fundraising  for a cause that affects them, they understand that there are people who care about them outside of their immediate circle. This can help them to have a greater sense of self-esteem and self-worth, which can lead to better life choices overall.

            Fundraising is also a great tool for relationship building in more ways than one.  First of all, it is a great way to bring a group closer together.  When people are working towards a common goal, it is natural to bond.  It is also a great way to build a relationship with your community.  Whether bringing about more school spirit or helping out the community, a fundraiser can positively impact this relationship.  It will give the group a good reputation, and cause the group members to learn some things about their immediate surroundings that they might not have known otherwise.

Posted in Band Fundraiser, Booster Fundraiser, Cheerleading Fundraiser, Community Fundraising, Non/Not for Profit Fundraisers, School Fundraiser | Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment »

Do-It-Yourself Fundraiser of the Week: Best Seat in the House

January 5, 2010 by Administrator

           At most sporting events, and obstacle that must be tackled every time is the task of finding a good seat.  Whether it is the big game or just very limited seating, the Best Seat in the House fundraiser is a guaranteed moneymaker.  It is relatively easy to coordinate and, in addition, is a great way to rally community spirit for your team.  The idea behind this fundraiser is to sell tickets for the “best seat in the house.”  Tickets can be sold throughout the week during school, at JV games, or during other sporting events. Great for cheerleaders, bands and booster clubs to raise money.   The winner will get to view the game on a couch or some comfy chairs with a few friends from an ideal spot (court side, in the end zone, 3rd base line, etc…).  You’re team can make an announcement before the game thanking everyone for their support while announcing the winner.  Depending on how successful the fundraiser is, the winner may also be rewarded with snacks and a drink at halftime.

            The first thing that is needed for this fundraiser is some chairs or a couch.  Ask a local furniture store to donate a loveseat or a couple chairs first.  Keep in mind, they may ask for you to promote their company in return.  If this does not work out, ask your teammates if they have any old sofas (maybe that they keep in their basement) that can be borrowed.  It might also be worth it to check out a goodwill store.

            Next you will need to get some tickets to raffle.  These can either be from a roll like the ones sold at an office supply store, printed, or in any other form.  Make sure to number the tickets beforehand and get their name when they purchase the tickets.

            Before the fundraiser starts, you will probably also have to run your idea by the school. You may need a license or permit.  You should make sure it is okay to put a sofa in the gym or on the field, and that you will be able to get a few minutes before the game to announce a winner.

            This fundraiser can be as fun as you want to make it.  At one high school in New Jersey, they have a student section called “The Jungle.” They did this fundraiser, got a crown for the winner, and named it “King of the Jungle.”  This type of fundraiser can also have many variations depending on traditions your community keeps.  Instead of having the best seat, the winner could be the assistant coach for the day, get a behind the scenes look at game day, be the guest announcer, throw the first pitch, etc.  Who knows, maybe the Best Seat of the House fundraiser will be so successful that you can start a new tradition and make this a weekly production!

Good luck and good fundraising!!

Posted in Band Fundraiser, Booster Fundraiser, Cheerleading Fundraiser, School Fundraiser | Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment »

Is Cheerleading a Dangerous Sport?

December 29, 2009 by Administrator

Coming from a Cheerleading family, I can easily answer this question… YES. Over the last 11 years we have experienced our share of emergency room visits for broken arms, sprained ankles, back problems etc. Countless hours waiting in doctors’ offices and even more hours carting back and forth to physical therapy.  So we did a little research. For high school girls and college women, cheerleading is far more dangerous than any other sport, according to a new report that adds several previously unreported cases of serious injuries to a growing list.

High school cheerleading accounted for 65.1 percent of all catastrophic sports injuries among high school females over the past 25 years, according to an annual report recently released  by the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research.

The new estimate is up from 55 percent in last year’s study. The researches say the true number of cheerleading injuries appears to be higher than they had previously thought. And these are not ankle sprains. The report counts fatal, disabling and serious injuries.

The statistics are equally grim in college, where cheerleading accounted for 66.7 percent of all female sports catastrophic injuries, compared to the past estimate of 59.4 percent. So with these stats, why is there a bias against cheerleading and whether or not it is a sport. Cheerleading today is much different from in past generations. Cheerleaders are not only one the sidelines performing harder stunts to entertain, there are many competitions around the country and in order to be at the top of their game Cheerleaders need to spend more hours in the gym training working on their individual skills as well as working with the team to give everything that WOW factor.

Catastrophic injuries to female athletes have increased over the years, since the first report was published in 1982.Less than catastrophic injuries are vastly more common and they occur at much younger ages, too. Children ages 5 to 18 admitted to hospitals for cheerleading injuries in the United States jumped from 10,900 in 1990 to 22,900 in 2002, according to research published in the journal Pediatrics in 2006. Cheerleading has grown into a large sport across the country. Not only do you see the high school and college teams in the report but there has also been a big increase in the All Star and Club Cheerleading programs for girls of all ages. In our part of the country it was hard to find a program close by 11 years ago and now the numbers of programs offered within 10 miles is countless.  The breakdown:

  • Strains/sprains: 52.4 percent
  • Soft tissue injuries: 18.4 percent
  • Fractures/dislocations: 16.4 percent
  • Laceration: 3.8 percent
  • Concussions/closed head injuries: 3.5 percent
  • Other: 5.5 percent

The new report found that between 1982 and 2007, there were 103 fatal, disabling or serious injuries recorded among female high school athletes, with the vast majority (67) occurring in cheerleading. The next most dangerous sports are:  gymnastics (nine such injuries) and track (seven).

Among college athletes, there have been 39 of these severe injuries: 26 in cheerleading, followed by three in field hockey and two each in lacrosse and gymnastics. The report also notes that according to the NCAA Insurance program, 25 percent of money spent on student athlete injuries in 2005 resulted from cheerleading.

In 2007, however, two catastrophic injuries to female high school cheerleaders were reported, down from 10 in the previous season and the lowest number since 2001. Yet there were three catastrophic injuries to college-level participants, up from one in 2006.

According to the report, almost 95,200 female students take part in high school cheerleading annually, along with about 2,150 males.

So is cheerleading a sport…. we think so and so do many others. Give the cheerleaders respect. They work hard to perfect their skills and stunts in an effort to compete and entertain.

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T-Shirt Trading for Cheerleaders?

December 21, 2009 by Administrator

We are seeing an increase in teams wanting to trade T-shirts while at local , regional and national cheerleading competitions and events. Reminds us of our college days. We had competition and trading shirts. While rowing on the crew team we had shirts that we would race in, and shirts we would trade with other teams. We would also bet a boat we were racing against and whoever won, also won a shirt. We would always bring extra shirts to a race or competition to trade. You never know when you would see a shirt that you want to trade for to build your collection.

 How about you and cheerleading squad? When having your shirts printed, have you ever order extra shirts for the sole purpose of trading at your next local, regional, or national competition? How cool would it be to build a collection of shirts from other teams around the country. We’ve seen pin trading and other items swapped at National competitions, but how about T-shirts?

Be the first in your area to start trading shirts. Have a local rival? Our local teams host dinners for the opposing Cheerleading squads for football and wresting. How about making the evening a little more fun by swapping shirts. Ever cheer on a rival at a competition, wear their shirt! 

Hosting a local competition. Encourage some of the teams you are inviting to participate in a t-shirt swap. Set aside some time before or after the competition for the groups to get together to trade shirts? Could be exciting to not only leave with an award but a t-shirt you traded for.

Let Get Ready Go Green help you with the printing and planning for your t-shirt trading event. Need ideas ro help with art contact us at info@getreadygogreen.com

Let’s us help you to build your collection of cheerleading shirts. Start small with a local rival to trade with, organize a time at an event you are hosting. Email a squad ahead of time that will be coming to an event along with you and arrange to meet just them for a trade.

Have fun designing your shirts for trading and even more fun building your Cheerleading T-Shirt Collection.

Posted in Cheerleading Fundraiser | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments »

CVS To offer Discount on Reusable Bags

October 19, 2009 by Administrator

CVS joins a growing list of stores to offer a discount to consumers for using reusable shopping bags. Reusable shopping bags are slowly starting to replace the flimsy plastic ones that can clutter the environment if they aren’t recycled. In our area our primary grocery, consumers reuse there bags more than 50% of the time

Not only do I feel good about  using them, but most grocery stores usually knock off a few cents on my bill when I do. How about in your town and community? Are retailers offering an incentive for you to reuse your shopping totes

Now CVS is giving shoppers who’ve signed up for CVS’s ExtraCare rewards program an even better incentive.

For 99 cents, they’ll get a leaf shaped Green Bag Tag card, which can be attached to a cloth bag ,knapsack or non woven bag. Make a purchase, get the card scanned and, after every fourth shopping trip, a $1 Extra Care Buck coupon will be printed on your receipt.

CVS Caremark Corp. says that  most of its 7,000 stores will have the tags within the next two weeks, and the program should be running at all stores by the end of November. Some of the money raised from the 99-cent tags in 2010 will be donated to an ecological cause.

What’s going on in your town and community? Need a great idea for a fundraiser then the Community Shopper Tote may be right for you.

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Target to offer 5 Cents back

October 19, 2009 by Administrator

Target has announced it will offer cash-back for customers with reusable bags.

Beginning November 1st Target customers will receive 5-cents for each reusable bag they use to pack their purchases.  Target stores reduced their plastic bag use by 58% in 100 test stores

The move to reduce plastic bag waste comes as retailers feel pressure from advocacy groups, lawmakers and consumers. The program could keep billions of plastic bags out of the environment.

Target’s plan will become active in all 1,700 stores at once.
This is a great way to get your fundraiser off the ground. Talk to a merchant in your area to see how they might assist you in getting your program off the ground, offer an incentive to your supporters and drive dollars to key businesses.

Posted in Community Fundraising | Leave a Comment »

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