Omg yay! Same age 23F and joined my first cheer NT team with absolutely 0 experience - it’s a bit hard with stunts and if you’re not super active (getting back into shape atm lmao) but it’s so fun and everyone is kinda in the same boat which is nice!! You’ll love it honestly xx

Be yourself, be confident in your talents, and wear cheer clothes especially tights for practice. You will got it made

start conditioning/working on strength training outside of practice. Stunting is super fun, and it’s even more fun when you’ve got the strength to apply corrections quickly and control what’s happening in the stunt. 

Honestly just go and have fun. What should you expect? Kinda depends on your gym. I’ve cheered at three different organisations and they all structured practice a bit differently.

You’re probably gonna start with a warm up, potentially some conditioning, and then get into actual cheerleading elements. Since you’re gonna do non-tumbling you’ll probably just spend most of the practice stunting. They’ll probably try out different stunt group constellations over the first few practices and teach you basic stunts. You might be asked to try different stunt positions.

Don’t be nervous. I know, easier said than done. But adult teams tend to be really chill and most people are really friendly. Just try to have fun. Nobody expects perfection.

High jumps doesn't necessarily mean good jumps! If yours aren't high, focus on technique, like keeping your chest up and your toes pointed.

For tumbling, requirements vary based on team. By middle school, my school expected absolute minimum of back handspring, but some schools have varsity cheerleaders who don't tumble. Just make sure your cartwheel is clean if you are going to show it.

The best advice is already here - smile and show spirit! If you look like you have a good time and will be easy to work with and get along with the other cheerleaders, you are far more likely to be chosen! I have seen exceptions made for things like jumps or tumbling if the person showed potential.

Smile and have fun! If you mess up keep smiling and keep moving. You’ll do great!

Do your best to show confidence in yourself and any mistakes that you might make in a routine. Find a good spot to catch back on and keep smiling

just be confident, keep smiling, and do your best

Project confidence, smile, and keep your motions crisp! If tumbling isn’t a hard requirement and your actual cheering is amazing, you will be a serious consideration. Show them that you want it and you’re giving 110%. Good luck.

Learn how to be a stripper and apply that knowledge at try outs

You need to already be able to lift a human above your head basically

be supernaturally hot

One doesn't.

my best advice is

1. i assume theres tryouts go to those maybe youll get in legit
2. if you dont get in, talk to the coach and see if you can come to practices (not performing at games/etc.) just to learn because you actually care and are interested
3. not recommended but you can try your best to befriend a coach or maybe other cheerleaders in an attempt to manipulate/beg your way onto the cheerleading team

As someone who also started as an adult, I think you are probably in a better position than someone with no actual experience in a related activity: having a background in dance will probably help considerably.

The most important thing as an adult is to not compare your journey to others, especially younger cheerleaders. It is so much harder as an adult to gain and maintain skills. You could work for months to try to gain flexibility and then lose it within a couple of weeks.  And then it might take months to regain it. Your body is just different now.

My biggest advice is to definitely engage in both passive and active stretching in terms of increasing range of motion, flexibility etc.

If I were you, I would focus on getting your back tuck instead of or in addition to your back walkover. Backwalkovers are notoriously hard to learn, and it's a lower level skill. It'll be a better use of your time and energy to work on back tucks, and it'll serve your team better. I think you'll probably get the skill quicker than a BWO too, unless you already have a technically sound backbend to work with (which you might with your dance background).

I started cheer at 12 from a hockey background. You're definitely starting in a better place than I did. You have experience in a similar-ish sport, you probably have good body awareness, and your body isn't in a state of constant change. I see so many teens and tweens regress in skills or have a hard time developing them at all, just because they don't have good awareness of their new and changing body. I feel way more capable of developing tumbling skills now, in my 20s, than I ever did in my teens. It took my 9 years to get a consistent backwalkover, and I never got a backhandspring despite working on it for years. Now, I feel like I could probably get it in a few weeks with consistent training if it weren't for my osteoarthritis making bending backwards risky for me. I'm about to get my standing back tuck soon, and I've only been working on it a few months. Younger me could have NEVER gotten this close to a tumbling skill this fast. The only things that have really changed is that I have an adult body, and I do basic gymnastics movements on a more regular basis now because I coach rec gymnastics and have to demonstrate things. With consistent training and movement, you will develop your skills way faster than a lot of kids joining the sport for the first time. Your adult body may be more sensitive, you'll probably have to do more to take care of it than a kid would, but you also have more strength and knowledge of how to utilize it. When a coach tells you to straighten your arms or something, you'll have a much quicker and easier time applying those corrections, your coach won't be repeating the same corrections all the time, and that will make your development as an athlete go so much quicker.

I've been on two university teams, each had several athletes with no experience in the sport. One of them, the one I now coach, is made up of mostly those kinds of athletes. They put up level 7 pyramids for comp and important halftime performances, but stunt mostly at the lower levels. On the other, which competes at level 7, one of my flyers had 0 background in the sport or anything similar. Starting the sport in university is pretty common from my experience :)

I started at 22 , look at local All Star and see if they have open teams. Also if you can afford it, take private lessons and go to open gyms

The best coaches take those that are open to learning. Bad coaches want ppl who already have skills

You sound open to learning and that's good. Any coach worth their salt would be lucky to have you

I joined my first ever cheer team at 22. best decision I’ve ever made! I was a rhythmic gymnast growing up although I quit around high school. I missed doing dance & gymnastics and wanted to possibly try a team sport before the end of my undergrad, cheer was the perfect way to have both.

My team & stunt group was always super communicative and supportive which helped me approach the sport without it scaring me away (ie. falls, injuries, etc). Also, training wise, I’d gone through freshman 15 (that I never came back from) and some injuries so I couldn’t exercise as intense as I did for competitive gymnastics before. It took a lot of patience (and frustration), but your teammates and coaches will be there to always support you!! And depending on your position, the required skillset may be different from what you expect. Anyways, I wish you best of luck and hope you have a great time!!

You can still join an all star team; you can do a prep or travel. You might only be on a level one but it’s still a blast (and honestly, you might be on a 2 if you’re tall/strong).

You don’t have to be thin; that’s old news. You do have to be energetic, positive, and willing to do your best. That’s all!

I joined an open team in my 20s and went on to compete! I took a couple of years off and am about to join another adult team. And don’t worry about being thin or not. If you watch a couple of routines online, you’ll notice that teams are made up of a diverse group of people. ‘Thin’ isn’t a prerequisite - you just need to be enthusiastic and dedicated.

I think if you were to train tumbling at least twice if not 3x a week you should probably be able to get a RO BHS in a yr or two.

It will really depend on how often you tumble besides do your conditioning work like Handstands, pushups, leg lifts and air squats/lunges (of course barbell work could accelerate your tumbling skill acquisition time).

While you may only be able to go to a tumbling class once or twice a week, if there is an open gym that could be useful

Besides as I mention doing those calesthenics conditioning exercises at least twice a week, if you want to get some tumbling skills.

I suppose if you didn't want to train tumbling, you could just work jumps, your splits and how to be a base (and in that case, barbell jumps, Back Squats and PushPress would be good barbell exercises at least twice a week).

What area are you in? Not a lot of gyms have Open division teams but if you plan on staying with the same gym definitely look for one that has/plans on having an open division because you can only compete on senior until your 19 and then you would have to transfer to an open division, but I highly recommend open teams are literally so fun

It’s never too late! I was in the same boat and thought my local gym wouldn’t take me until I reached out and managed to cheer on two teams before heading off to college. My biggest tip is to just try. Ask each gym and see if they have a spot. If you get the chance to cheer, try everything even if you think you’ll suck. You will suck at first, but you only get better by continuing to try. Ask questions, take classes, go to open gyms. Being open and willing to try will take you very far.

Contrary to the other comment, you do have some experience in it tangentially related activity, so while you probably might be behind in some aspects, it is not like you are starting with zero experience.

Similarly, you are talking about a small division 3 school. A lot of these cheer squads are not going to be incredibly competitive.

I would look at the skills that you currently have from gymnastics, especially tumbling. How long has it been since you tumbled? What skills can you throw? I'm with the other commenter whereby if you do actually tumble I would make sure that you have at least a back handspring.

Attend a Combine in your desired college area or look up specific schools that you are interested in and follow where their Coaching Staff will be at Combines. It’s not always about skill, desire and coach ability can go a long way! Good Luck! You’ve got this!

Old D3 gal here. Small college squads can run the gamut from small/needing bodies to large/competitive. Find the team’s website and social media to get a feel for the team’s skill level. If tryout criteria aren’t listed online, reach out to the coach (or captain/president, if it’s a club) and ask.

As others have wisely said, you do have adjacent skills that can translate, especially if you have tumbling beyond a back handspring. Just make sure you’re comfortable throwing those skills on a rubber track or gym floor or dead mat, because there is no spring floor at a football game! 

Talk to the girls on your high school cheer team and ask about where you can take tumbling classes, I wouldn't walk into a college cheer tryout with out at least a backhandspring (running and standing) Do you know if your college team is all girl or coed? Cause id also ask the girls on your high school team where you can go for open gyms to learn how to stunt (as a partner stunt flyer for coed, or base with all girl) Id also go on YouTube and look at tutorials on motion technique, placement and sharpness.

A lot of girls who tryout for college have been in cheer since they were 2-3 years old, so you're behind... it will take some work but nothing we want in life is easy. Go for it.

Good luck

You can either apply to Navarro before tryouts or after.

I also wonder what the new cheerleaders think about the current scandals. Do they brush it off as false accusations or being in the cheer world they know how that world functions and think it's 'normal'

They probably have stars in their eyes thinkin they’re on the road of going to Hollywood 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩😂

You can go either way. It’s a small community college with 100% acceptance, so getting in isn’t a factor.

Can find out via social media when tryouts are. Usually, in the spring , they start in the fall. I'm sure the competitive gyms have all the info on hand, too.

Back in the old days, cheer or dance competition companies in Texas would hold a show-off day for future freshmen. They'd gather 20-30 college program recruiters and ask girls to sign up. The programs run the gamut of community colleges, Texas college teams, and HBCU's in the region. You'd bring an application, pictures, and were asked to learn a couple of routines. Then, you would mock audition in front of recruiters.

Recruiters would then call or mail a letter of interest with audition days and benefits on being a member of their squad.

Audition was also advertised on campus in case there is a hidden talented cheerleader in the student body. I'm not sure how many current students were ever in those auditions, but I'm sure there's someone.

If you made the team on the audition days, you were told to register, and the scholarship money would be applied to your account after registration.

Hey! I only started all star cheer this year (at 24!) with super basic ( and I mean BASIC) stunt knowledge. Like I couldn’t jump, could hold a prep and that was it. I’m currently competing at level 2 non tumble! I’m UK based, and my gym offers weekly development classes for both adults and under 18s so if any gyms local to you offer this, I’d 100% recommend joining this. It will allow you to learn stunts with coaches and others, potentially of a higher level who can offer advice :). I think it’s possible for you to learn some basics in Level 1 before June if you do this / something similar!

My jumps still are not perfect but if you join a development class you will hopefully have access to a sprung floor. I recommend looking on YouTube and tiktok for jumps conditioning / stretches. You can stretch and try to get more flexible from your bedroom!

I have been very lucky with my gym as everyone has been wonderful, so kind and supportive to athletes. A lot of us have been beginners! Have a look at reviews of gyms around you, and if possible speak to any cheerleaders there you know.

I Hope this helps! In my experience non competitive groups are cheaper and a great way to explore cheer and different positions within stunts, it will also give you confidence for try outs. And if you don’t make a team this year, but love cheer, continue to work hard at development classes / non competition groups so you can feel confident for future tryouts - many teams do mid season so you may not have to wait a whole year!!

Sending lots of luck!! Cheer is SO much fun 🤩 xxx

hi, its great to see the growing passion for cheer all around!

first of all, i think that it could totally be possible to get all your level 1 tumbling skills in 3 months if you are willing to work for it very often. my tips for that would be to strengthen wrists and work on shoulder flexibility. the hardest level 1 skills (back walkover, front walkover) require you to open up your shoulders and constantly have your body weight on your wrists at a 90 degree angle which could cause irritation if youre suddenly throwing yourself into this with no prior strength training on those areas.

second, this is my first year at a new gym and i totally understand your anxiety because i was the same way too. during tryouts until around the first month of practices, i was the quietest person on the team, but i learned that the cheer community is very welcoming and because you are placed in a stunt group which means you have to work quite literally very close together, its easy to bond over that!

third, jumps! if you watch some popular worlds teams, youll see that many athletes have hyperextended toe touches where their legs go upwards into an obvious v shape. this isnt because they have oversplits, it is just an illusion. they have hyperextended toe touches because they have strong hip flexors! to get legs higher, work out your hip flexors as well as quad and calf strength. having strong hip flexors allow you to swing your legs up higher while quad and calf strength allows you to explode off the ground for more vertical height. there are plenty of quad and calf workouts on the internet, im sure any would be fine. most importantly, look up some hip flexor exercises as well as stretch routines on youtube. i found this video very helpful, great explanations and good drills! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2-bGR0k7kI

even though cheer is such an expensive sport, i think that it pays off 100%. prices depends on the gym, mine (largest canadian chain brand) is mildly expensive, not the worst compared to gyms like top gun or CEA. my season has been about $6500 CAD including travel fees, uniform, shoes, etc. if you are worried about not making the level 1, please dont stress about that! almost all gyms have a policy where if you try out, you will definitely be placed on a team. many gyms also place athletes who dont necessarily have all their of level tumbling skills solid and clean on the team because there is time during the season to work on them. as long as they see how hard-working you are, they will always consider you.

good luck, stay passionate!

1- If you have no prior tumbling, it’s unlikely but possible to get your level 1 skills by June if you’re naturally athletic and/or willing to put in all the work to get there. Level 2 skills less likely but again possible depending on you. However, if you show up with a back handspring but not any walkovers, that’s not going to get you into a level 2. Tryouts will also heavily look at technique, not only the skill you’re throwing. 2- The environment and huge amount of trust that is needed for a team sport like this, and overall the natural team bond that happens in cheer, you’ll make friends no problem! 3- If you show up proving you’re putting in the work and have a great attitude, that will get you very far. Coaches will see you’ve been in stunting classes and tumbling classes, see the progress you’ve made. Skills can be taught but attitude cannot be.

If you really want to cheer and your parents can support you through it financially and for the time commitment, do it! You won’t regret it. You will improve your skills by leaps and bounds throughout the season if you work hard!

Aside from dance- work on your poise. As a younger candidate you will need to be mature, answer difficult questions easily, and navigate holding your own in a conversation about careers when you haven’t begun that chapter of your life. Stay knowledgeable about current events and keep social media clean. Try learning choreo, working out to build strength and endurance, and stretching on YouTube if you can’t take classes!

I’m going to be the one that says— yes you have a chance but it is a slim one.

Most DCCs have been dancing since they left the womb. 

Dance classes of all genre. Start memorizing cheorgraphy to get use to learning dances.

Former NBA dancer here- it’s possible if you have the right look, body type, natural sense of rhythm/groove, flexibility, and learn fundamental technique. You will likely need to wait and audition when you are in your mid twenties and train INTENSELY between now and then. You are competing against dancers who have spent 20-30+ hours per week in elite studios since they were little. I know dancers who started late and went on to dance professionally in the NBA and NFL but it is really difficult. Trying to learn on your own is not good enough and may actually make you worse if you don’t have a technique foundation, since you will build incorrect muscle memory and habits. You need to enroll in weekly jazz, hiphop, and ballet classes (at a quality studio) as soon as you can. It’s also super important to get private lessons with a former pro dancer who can give you individual direction, most highly trained pro dancers do that as well to prep for auditions. Good luck in your prep process, I’m rooting for you!

If there is studio near you , call and make an appointment with owner. Sit down and have a respectful conversation, asking if you might barter work( cleaning, child care for adult classes , marketing\ social media if you are tech savvy) for technique classes.Our local studio has such a program . Focus on technique first . It takes about six seconds to identify a dancer who has not had training in proper technique.