Roles of a Cheerleader and Dancer

Safety is the number 1 priority at all Varsity Spirit events and camps and should be for cheerleaders and dancers as well. Increased awareness and education equal increased focus on safety. Safety includes physical safety, mental health, and promoting an environment free from abuse and misconducts. Everyone plays a part in keeping teams and others safe – safety is a team sport!

Safety Education Includes:

Knowing how to stay safe: Safety is a constant/integral part of all aspects of cheerleading and dance.
Knowing how to respond quickly if someone is not safe. Help avoid potential risk by reacting quickly, correctly, and efficiently.
Practicing how to stay safe: Anticipates mishaps prior to them happening.

Leadership is simply defined as the art of motivating a group of people to act towards achieving a common goal. Other athletic activities may rely exclusively on a captain or coach to lead the program, but as cheerleaders or dancers, everyone can participate in being leaders within your team and community. At games, a cheerleader and dancers’ primary role is to support the success of others. How many other athletes can say that? Dancers and cheerleaders celebrate other teams’ victories as if they are their own. Win, lose, or draw, they understand the value of sportsmanship and the importance of supporting others, teaching them to be better role models and leaders for life. As stated by the NFHS, the four crucial aspects of leadership are communication, problem solving, motivation and team building — all of which are applied within the roles of a cheerleader and dancer.

As some of the most visible students on campus, cheerleaders and dancers can help raise the bar for academics, school spirit and overall behavior inside and outside the classroom. Know your school’s history and traditions and share it with others. Always do your best academically. Act as a leader during group projects and be willing to help others be successful. Promote yourself and your team in a positive way on social media. Get involved with extracurricular clubs, activities and community philanthropic efforts. Be respectful and kind to others, even when you think nobody is watching.

Just like all athletes, cheerleaders and dancers have the natural drive to perfect their skills and progress to new ones. Strength training, flexibility, technique, and endurance are all necessary to build a strong foundation, progress at practices, and perform to the best of your abilities. In addition to physical training, it is important to focus on mental toughness by working on drive, discipline, self-confidence, and time management. As an athlete, you must always fill your body with the right fuel. When your body gets the nutrients it needs, it allows your muscles to recover and grow. If your body doesn’t get what it needs, your risk of illness and injury increases. Dancers and cheerleaders should be dedicated to improving all of these aspects of their craft. And remember — safety is always your number one priority at games, spirit raising events, and competitions.

Not only do cheerleaders and dancers support the athletes on the field or court, but they also entertain the crowd in between plays, during timeouts or halftimes and other spirit raising events. By performing visual dances, partner stunts and / or tumbling, cheerleaders create a visual interest to supplement the in-game entertainment while never distracting from what is happening on the field or court. And dancers do the same by performing visual dances, sidelines, and technique. Performances should be choreographed to highlight the team’s strengths. Cheerleaders and dancers should execute skills with confidence, enjoy the moment, and smile while staying enthusiastic about the game — no matter what the score. This will encourage the crowd to stay engaged and show their excitement, too! Not only does great entertainment keep the crowd in their seats during the game, but it also motivates them to continue attending other games, week after week.

When cheerleaders and dancers spread their sense of school pride on and off the field, they are helping others build a connection to their place of learning. Did you know there is a positive relationship between school spirit and academic achievement? Three-quarters of students with higher levels of school spirit perform above average academically and feel a greater connection to their learning community. Dancers and cheerleaders can facilitate, exemplify and enhance this feeling every day. Whether it means making signs, decorating lockers, encouraging others to attend the big game, planning and hosting spirit weeks and pep rallies, supporting other groups and clubs outside of the teams you cheer or dance for, or simply keeping the positivity up inside and outside of the classroom — spirit starts with the cheerleaders and dancers!

On game day, a cheerleader and dancer’s primary role is to elevate the experience of the crowd, motivate the athletes, and create an on-field advantage. This is executed through a combination of crowd effective sideline dances, band chants, and skills to engage and excite the fans and together support the athletes on the field or court. Signs, poms, megaphones, and flags are all vital tools to get the crowd’s attention and to communicate loudly and clearly how they should participate. To take the game day atmosphere to the next level, the cheer and dance team should collaborate with each other, band, and other student spirit groups. Dance and cheer teams should strengthen unity among the fans, encourage sportsmanship and foster pride and loyalty for the school and community.