Okay. So, first, everyone please understand that I am from a VERY small school and everyone is in everything. So we don't have many people try out for cheerleading and this has stuck us in a bad situation! I'd really like help with any issues, just give me the number and your advice!

1) Two (which is, in fact, HALF of our squad) girls don't know cheers. They understand some of them, but crowd favorites they don't know. At all. And they get mad when they are made to do them (when the crowd is YELLING for them and planning to ignore us if we don't do what they want)

2) No one on this year's squad has any experience. and... I'M CAPTAIN (eeegh!)

3) Our coach is unresponsive, at best. She doesn't tell us anything, we just have to wing it. Unless we royally screw up, she won't say anything

4) One of the girls will ALWAYS argue about what cheer we're doing- sometimes making the cheer irrevelant (like offense/defense/rebound cheers) This makes us late for quarter, time outs, and such.

5) Emotional extremities- that the squad throws me in the middle of. Like, if they hate someone, or think someone is a bad cheerleader, they have no problem voicing their opinions. Not only to myself and our coach, but to everyone they see. I've heard one saying she was the only 'hot' cheerleader, the only good cheerleader, etc. And it's REALLY tearing our team apart.


You see how this kind of rolls all into one? PLEASE help, I don't know what to do, I'm getting very disheartened!

1. Print out all the cheer's(as an coach) cheerleaders haft to know all the cheer's wether they like them or not.
2.Have extra prac, every day after school if need be.
3.Go to your coach and tell her the same things you have said to your post. If she will not do any thing about it then go to the athletic dir, and tell them your problem.
4. You are the captain if your coach tell's you to take care of it. Tell the girl that your are the captain if she doesn't like it she is more than welcome to leave.
5. It sound like you are dealing with a lot of pre-Madonna's
As a captain you need to get TUFF big time don't mess around with thing be a bag. Your coach need's to step up and do her job.
And If you don't have any thing nice to say- Don't say anyting at all. And thair is NOOOOO. I in team. And if they say thair is ME in team then me stands alone. I taked more then one person to make a team. And for the one that says that she is better than every one then tell her to help the others with all that wonderful talent she thinks she has. Let me know how things go. And good-luck.

^ Wow okay no offense, but you're not going to get anywhere by being stubborn and hostile!

1. Priniting out the cheers is a good idea. If the other girls don't like them maybe suggest that they could try making up some new ones. Maybe that is what your squad needs, a new fresh image. Introduce that idea to your team, say that until someone is going to make up new cheers this is what you have to work with. Make it clear that you are open to new ideas.

2. Well no one has experience, there is nothing that you can do about that. Start working, and start working hard. Create some new policies, no being late, no taking and above all no fooling around at practices. See if you can recruit some other people to join your team, people with experience may be out there, but unsure or unaware of your team. Hold and open practice, adversite it two weeks prior and see if you can attract some new faces. YOu could also looking into various clinics and camps in your area, attend some competitions (as spectators) and get a feel for what cheerleading is.

3. Have a talk with your coach about your concers, if she is un-willing to listen, then chances are she isn't a very good coach. If this is the case that you give her a chance and she is unresponsive then talk to your parents, and above all talk to the authorities at your school. If she is unwilling and uncooperative, then it's clear that she really shouldn't be a coach, especially when the dangers of stunting are involved.

4. You all need to sit down as a squad and make sure that your on the same page. Explain how bad it makes ALL of you look when thngs like that happen. Maybe is it possible that the girls are unaware of how the sport works? If that is the case explain and give out written sheets, about why and how X cheer is apprortiate at X time.

5. Sit down and have a meeting, talk about new policies and about how things like emotional extremeties should be left at home, these things should not come to practice. If you going to gossip and talk bad about your fellow teams mates then this is not the team for you.

You need to promote your sqaud and get some new people involved. You can be tough without being rude and a jerk. Explain that you want to make this the best team possible and that there are going to be rules and changes inforced. Explain that this si not so you that you power or anything like that over them, but it is so that you can all look good as a team and learn to cooperate. Don't be angry and don't be hostile, you don't want to come off as thinking that you are better than anyone else. Explain your position and if no one else is willing to work or agree with it you have three options, quit the squad, start your own squad, or join another squad.

Good luck!

Thank you for your ideas! So far, I'm concentrating on getting a handle and feel for the squad, and also finding some new cheers and organizing all of the cheers by when we should do them (like: crowd pleasers/quarters, offense, defense, rebound, etc) and working on figuring out how long it takes to do each cheer X times to fit it into time outs and such. Hopefully that helps my squad out-and I'm hoping that tomorrow after school I can get everyone together and talk about stuff before the game so we're all on the same page.

Stunting isn't so much of a problem because our school won't insure it so we can't do it. :S Which is very frustrating- when I was little the squad would do a lot of pyramids and tosses; it's one of the reasons I wanted to be a cheerleader when I was 5 but without them, it's kind of depressing.

If you want to get serious about stunting, look into joining an all-start group or open squad, that is if you have the time.

i'm with nicelle.
stick it to them. and if the coach doesn't want to do something to prevent this from continuing, then the athletic director needs to find another one!

Thank you to pasdebourretendy, I'm sorry if it sounds harsh. BUT as a all-star coach myself, if you let any one run all over you it will never get any better. Wether it be a parent, student or team member. And if the coach will not help she needs to step in herself and be a captain (the head of the team). You can be nice. And nice is good but she has tryed and they will not lisson. So good luck with every thing. And your team. Let us all know how things go.

The ideas listed are good ones!! but do tread carefully... As a former captain of numerous teams I have to say you must be diplomatic. If you go into practice saying that your word is law, then you are bound to have a rebellion! The hardest part about being a captain is keeping people happy while getting the things you want as well. Giving the team choices is important... just make sure that you would be happy with either of the choices you offer to them. And try delegating responsibility... if you want to make major changes, include team members in the process- have them type out the words to cheers or come up with new ideas the team could use.

As far as the crowd... they won't go anywhere, but to make it an easier transition into something new... try handing out flyers with the words to new cheers on them or making signs for when the crowd should cheer along. It will be tough, but change always is!!! Good Luck

wow your really in a mess well im sorry but i dont really know what to do

I agree.

1. Make sure everyone knows the cheers, including the words and motions. It helps if at games you have a poster of the names of all the cheers and you just point to the one you want to do next or yell it out and everyone knows what the next cheer will be.

2. Make new guidlines. You need a new system to control your teammates. Give people warnings if they misbehave.

3. Have a box for suggestions. This shows the team that you ARE interested in what they have to say and you want to include them in the decisions of the team.

4. First Policy-LEAVE THE DRAMA AT THE DOOR! If people are concentrated on gossip and drama during practice and games nothing will get done. Make sure the girls are focused on why they are there!

Hmm.. As we roll into a new year, we also roll into different cheerleading situations... For the most part, we all know the cheers now, and we're working on learning new ones, less arguing about what cheer we're doing next, which is all good. We still have an unattentive coach, who is showing that she doesn't care what we do as a squad, as long as we don't get her in trouble, etc. We lost one girl because her job required her to work friday nights, and now? Now we lost another one (I just found this out yesterday) Because she failed math. That means, at our school, you're out of everything for a month! Now there's only two girls on the squad for January, including me!

Why don't you try recruiting others?

These girls sound like they lack a lot of dicipline, so kinda like others have said, meet with the girls, expalin and hand them a hard copy of the rules, have them and their parents sign saying that they will abide by these rules/regulations, etc. Any girl who violates these rules will face consequences. Many teams do a point system, everytime a girl is late or unprepared, talking out of turn, whatever they get a point. Once they rack up so many points (maybe like 5..) they are benched for a game or something.

Also since your coach has not taken it upon herself to dicipline and control the girls you may need to- appropriately. Many times my coach fails to follow through with her responsibilities, so when i'm put on the spot with an arrogant team mate (much like your teammate who like to argue) do not argue back during a quarter or down time, take her aside and expalin to her that you are the captain, it is your responsibility to call the cheers etc. and (assuming there is no error on your part) explain that if she cannot respect that she may excuse herself. I explain to my argumentative teammate that she is not required to be there and she is the only one in control of her actions and that if she does not wish to participate in the activity as it is being run, she may leave. I remain calm but stern, and i've never had a girl leave but they do shut their mouths. It's important to not be "stubborn" or "hostile" but also not a push over, be strong in your decisions and actions, so that the girls respect and follow you. But also be open for suggestions as even the captain isn't perfect.

kk call an emergency meeting your principal or assinsant princal