Tryouts are always nerve racking, regardless of how prepared you are. Preparation, however is an important element to your success. Here are some ideas to help you get ready for the big day.

Firstly, you want to get in shape. The sooner you start the better. It’s a good idea to include some kind of cardio and partner it with strength training (push ups, weights, etc). One caution, don’t try to do it all in one day. If you’ve waited until the day before you start learning the material don’t think you can fit several weeks of running into one afternoon. The best way to go is to start several weeks prior to the tryout.

Next, know what you’ll be judged on. Your team’s coach should be able to tell you how the scoring sheet is broken down. You want to know what skills will get the most points. In example, if your school doesn’t focus too much on tumbling, but dance is very important, you don’t want to spend all your time trying to do a harder gymnastics trick instead of perfecting your dance.

Practice is a must. Practice in front of the mirror or get someone to videotape you so you can see what you look like. This is the best way to be sure you’re doing all the movements correctly. Practice alone to lock down the memory of the material and then practice with a partner to work on synchronization.

Dress for success. You will possibly have dress requirements, if so, follow them exactly. Whatever you wear, be sure it fits. You want clothes that fit properly instead of being too tight or too baggy. Have your hair pulled back so it’s away from your face and it won’t distract you while you’re performing. Also, be sure not to wear too much make-up. A little just to accentuate is good, but keep in mind you want to present yourself as an athlete.

During your actual tryout, if you make a mistake, keep going. Don’t get upset and don’t stop to laugh, just move on. Obviously it would be best to have a perfect tryout, however, the way you recover from a little slip up is important for the judges to see.

The last little tip seems so easy, but you’d be surprised at how many people miss this. SMILE. If you smile when you’re learning the material and when you’re practicing, it will certainly be easier to do when you’re performing. Remember, one of the hardest things about cheerleading is making it look easy and nothing says confidant like a nice big smile.

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