Pep Rally Tips and Tricks

Pep Rally Tips and Tricks

A high energy Pep Rally is the perfect opportunity to kick off the team spirit at your school! At #UCAcamp, it was all about “Go for Gold!” The UCA Staff walked your squad through all of the major steps involved in setting up a successful Pep Rally. Let’s revisit what happened at UCA Camp, so you can run with the greatest tips on the best Pep Rally possible!

1. Pick a Theme:

Pick a theme broad enough that everyone will understand, and everyone will participate in. The UCA Staff decided on a theme earlier in the year so squads were prepared with fun, creative and appropriate gear to celebrate. Make it fun by being clever! UCA chose “Go for Gold” to celebrate the Olympic year, but other examples of fun themes are Black Out the (Rival Mascot), different sports jerseys, Blast from the Past, Color Wars (each school class chooses a color), Dynamic Duo, Under the Sea, and more! Get creative!

Prior Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performances

Planning solves all! Map out an overall agenda and assign times to each section. Leave some buffer room so the students have a lot of time for fun!

12:45 PM – Students arrive by class (Class Yells)

1:00 PM – Kickoff performance from the cheerleaders (Cheer you learned at camp!)

1:05 PM – Game involving the student body! (Decorate a volunteer student from each class in unique items that means something to your class!)

1:15 PM – Team Intro: Introduce the student athletes and coach while the band plays Fight Song and cheerleaders and dance team join in the Fight Song dance.

1:25 PM – Class Flags (Prepared by Students and presented by Student Body leaders)

1:35 PM – Cheerleaders & Dancers Performance: (Xtreme Routine)

1:40 PM – Game Time! Teachers/Coaches/Introduced Sports Team (Send Me Your Champion)

1:50 PM – Class Spirit Wars (Which class is decorated best? Whose Class Yell is performed the best?

Having a plan organizes your entire day! You can also print this off, and provide school administration with copies, so they have something to follow along!

2. Choose an entertaining Master of Ceremonies (MC)

The person on the mic sets the tone for the entire event! At UCA Camp, the Go for Gold Rally was led by the Head Instructor or another high-energy UCA Instructor. The MC can be a fellow student, teacher, coach, or other administrator. The person on the floor needs to speak clearly and loudly, but more importantly, FUN AND UPBEAT! They need to be able to quickly grab the student body’s attention, as well as get the energy to an all-time high. This person can be chosen by school administration or voted upon by the student body. Choose wisely!

3. Make it Fun for Everyone!

Get creative, and come up with surprises for the students! Throw T-shirts into the stands, toss some beach balls around the in the audience, help facilitate the games, skits, and intros to keep everything smooth sailing and on time. Have games that involve winning prizes that has something to do with the school. Do ANYTHING to keep the crowd engaged and the school spirit alive!

4. Get Everyone Involved!

The UCA Staff kicked off the evening by getting everyone involved with Class Yells, which sets the friendly rivalry environment. Each class is assigned a “beat”, and they have to come up with lyrics unique to their class that follow along to that particular beat! Incorporate activities like this, along with Spirit Wars, and Line Dances for the crowd to get involved in. Play the latest hits as well as classic sing-a-longs. Everyone loves free items, so find some school spirited things that you can hand out to people! Remember to clearly explain what is in the Pep Rally to your administration, so they can include ALL parts (games, activities, prizes, performances, etc.)

5. Make it Memorable

Your Pep Rally should have a SHINING moment! Whether it’s when the Sports Team enters, when the cheerleaders/dancers perform, or when the coach makes a speech or the freshmen defeat the senior class in the Pep Rally activity, there’s always a moment of recognizing what this day is all about. Pick what that moment is, and make it extra special by using the band and MC!

6. PRACTICE!

Hold a rehearsal the week of the Pep Rally, so each component of the Pep Rally is organized. Remember to check things like the microphone, sound system, number of prizes, time allotted for each activity and spacing. Everyone involved in the creation of the Pep Rally should be a part of the rehearsal. Practicing run-throughs will make your Pep Rally the most successful!

Thanks for Going for Gold with us at UCA Summer Camp! We cannot wait to see how your Pep Rallies back at school turn out! Make sure to take pictures and tag @UCAupdates on Twitter and Instagram, so we can see the creation of your BIG day! Need some extra help perfecting your pep rallies? Contact your UCA State Director to learn how an instructor can come to your school this fall!