Ideas for Cheer Coach Gifts As a coach, truly the best gift I have received are either handwritten Thank You notes or messages of appreciation throughout the season. My love language is words of affirmation, so that might be why those mean the most to me!  But, if you do have a coach who you appreciate, your kind words go much farther than you realize! Here are some ideas that your coach is sure to love: Thank You Card Your words of appreciation mean more than you know!  Starbucks Gift Card If your coach drinks Starbucks - or their favorite form of caffeinated beverage! Belt Bag These are super cute and so handy! Bonus points if it is personalized. Backpack Again, bonus points if it is personalized! Coaches need a cheer backpack! Personalized Reusable Water Bottle Always a great idea! Team T-Shirt or Sweatshirt Honestly, as a coach you can never have enough team t-shirts!! There are ones you can customize on Amazon and Etsy! Gift Card for Nail Salon/Day Spa Or any form of self care! 

  Below is a list of all of the items you should keep in your cheer coach backpack! Backpack Binder Notebook Rules Book Cheer Lists Reusable Water Bottle Portable Speaker Cell Phone Charger Portable Charger Pens Permanent Markers Note Cards Tape Staples Hair Ties Bobby Pins Hair Clips Hair Spray Hair Gel Brush Comb Spray Deodorant Snacks Cash Wallet and ID What do you keep in your Cheer Coach Backpack? Comment down below!

What To Include in your Cheer Coach Binder Cheerleading Contract Calendar of Practices, Games, and Events Cheerleading Rules Cheer Lists Rosters Sign Out Sheets Cheerleader Allergies & Relevant Medical Information Cheerleader Contact Information Cheerleader's Parent/Guardian and Emergency Contact Information School Information Emergency Action Plan Attendance Sheet Accident/Incident Report Forms Athletic Clearances Formations & Lineups Practice Plan Fundraising Documents Budget Spreadsheet Cheerleader Sizes Required School Forms What do you include in your cheer coach binder? Comment below, I am always looking for more ideas.

Team Bonding for Cheerleaders Our team LOVES cheer camp! We try and capitalize on the positive energy at camp to build a strong foundation for the season. Cheer Camp is long and tiring so planning team bonding helps fill the day with moments of joy among the stress. Give yourself grace, camp is BUSY if you don't have a ton of time for bonding, try adding just ONE bonding activity that is low prep but creates unity. Cheer Camp Prep Bonding Here are some ideas to do BEFORE you get to camp to excite your team! Door Decorating Check with your camp if you are able to ahead of time. Have your roommates decorate their doors! I recommend ahead of time giving them a large sheet of butcher paper to decorate with paint and glitter. Crafting Here are some ideas for crafting for camp: Spirit Sticks Tie Dye T-Shirts DIY Sunglasses Friendship Bracelets Visors Belt Bags Supplies to use: Craft glue Gems Glitter Puff paint Fringe Letter stencils Fabric pens Permanent Markers Paint brushes Dress Up D

Cheerleading Practice Attendance Policy and Consequences Do your cheerleaders keep missing practice? It affects the success of the team. You have to rearrange stunt groups, line ups, and choreography. Often times this means watering down stunts.  I coach a high school cheerleading squad and I made the mistake my first year as head coach by not having an attendance policy. I always had cheerleaders absent! But once I implemented our attendance policy, we almost never had a cheerleader missing from practice.  Whether it be a doctors appointment, the flu, or a family emergency. Absences happen. There is no way to fully avoid them. However, you can set your team up for success by implementing a fair and consistent attendance policy.  Write Out Your Attendance Policy Clearly Include your attendance policy with your list of rules. We have a cheerleading contract that includes the attendance policy. Your attendance policy is implemented to ensure the safety and preparedness of your squad. Emp

How to Rock Cheer Tryouts as a Coach Oh, cheerleading tryouts! What an exciting time in the season. You get to meet all of the new athletes while your returning athletes are looking forward to a new season. I have ran tryouts for six years as a head coach, and I learn something new every year. I've put together a list of tips and advice to help you run your tryouts. If you're looking for an editable packet with everything you need, check out my packet ! I use this for my high school cheer tryouts. BEFORE TRYOUTS Meet with your Administration Your administration will have guidelines for your squad. For example, our athletes trying out are required to bring a copy of their physical.  I have listed several steps below, be sure to get approval from your admin along the way of planning tryouts.  Meet with your Assistant Coaches Have a meeting with your assistants to map out a plan for the year. Align on your vision for coaching by creating a cheerleading contract. Create a calendar

Choose the Best Cheer Captains for your Team Choosing cheer captains for your team is one of the most important decisions of your season. Your captains serve as a liaison between the coaches and the cheerleaders. It is so important to have a strong working relationship with the athletes you choose to be captain of your team.  In this post I share ideas for choosing captains for your team. I always recommend getting approval from your administration on your captain selection process to ensure you have their support.  Click Here to purchase an editable packet I created to streamline your Cheer Captain Application and Selection. Cheer Captain Qualities Below I have listed some of the most important qualities for a captain, which qualities would you add or change? Reflect on your values as a coach and write them down. Keep these values in mind as you choose captains. Dependable It goes without saying that you need to be able to rely on your captains. You should be able to delegate tasks to

How to Prep for Cheer Camp as a Cheer Coach Our cheer team attends an overnight UCA Cheer Camp every summer. We keep coming back because it is our cheerleaders' favorite memory of the season. Cheer Camp is the best place for your team to bond, make memories, and build skills of endurance. 1. Plan Team Bonding There are so many ways to have your team bond. Camp is busy so I recommend planning the games ahead of time and choosing games with minimal materials. Check out my post here for Cheer Camp Bonding Ideas You can have your seniors plan bonding, just make sure so that all bonding is appropriate, positive, and encouraging! 2. Prepare Lineups & Stunt Groups Ahead of Time Plan out a cheer lineup and dance lineup ahead of time. Place your team in these lineups at practice before you head to camp and tell them to remember  This will save you so much valuable time at camp! You won't need to spend time placing a lineup, reteaching roll offs and ripples.  Base your lineups off of