5 Easy Mistakes to Avoid at Competitions

Whether you are brand new to competing or you have been competing for years, here are 5 easy mistakes to avoid when you compete. These are the most common mistakes I see in just about every competition I have judged or watched for that matter. 

1. Music

Get your music professionally mixed.  Let me repeat: Get your music professionally mixed.  You may need to spend a couple hundred dollars to get this done, but it is worth every penny.  As a long time cheerleading judge at competitions, I always felt sorry for the teams that used the original music that was very slow and it was very obvious when each song did not transition well. You need to be sure to follow the new music rules.  You can find out more here: https://usacheer.org/music

2. Signs

Buy signs.  Do not make homemade signs.  Use of signs (poms, megaphones and flags, also) are included on many scoresheets.  You want them to stand out.  You don’t want to make them at your school with foam board and markers.  It is worth every penny to order your signs.  You can get them done at a local sign shop!

3. Yell

Regardless of what skills a team is doing – very beginning level or elite, a team that yells loud with low, strong voices will always stand out.  I can still picture certain teams that really got my attention because of how well they yelled their cheer.  I cannot even remember what skills they did, but they made me want to get up and yell with them. Practice voices at practice.  It will make a remarkable difference. Also, I guarantee if they are yelling loud and confidently, the stunts are more likely to hit.

4. Appearance

While appearance should not matter in evaluating your skill level, the goal is to eliminate as many distractions as you can. For instance, as a judge, it is noticeable when an athlete has their sleeves pushed up!  The reason why almost all teams have sleeves on their uniform when they compete is because it looks sharper and clean.  Sleeves pushed up on one person on the team can completely ruin the uniformity of the team and can impact the team looking synchronized. Or, why does one girl have bangs and the rest do not?  Why does one girl have a braid and the rest pony tails?  The point is to make your team look alike and do everything to avoid distractions so the judge can focus on your routine.

5. Build your Routine on the Scoresheet

I have had to give teams ZERO out of five points because the coach did not put signs in the routine.  Easy 5 points.  Add the signs.  Also, pay attention to what is on the scoresheet and how much each score is weighted.  I came into a practice to help a team the week of competition and they did not have a stunt sequence in the music portion of the routine.  They had stunts in the cheer and a pyramid and the coach thought that was sufficient.  I told her that they were going to get a ZERO for stunts in the music portion if we didn’t add a stunt sequence.  As hard as it was to get the stunts added in at practice the week of competition, they did it and they ended up winning their divisions that weekend.  Had they not of followed the scoresheet, they would have gotten a ZERO and would not have won.

While several of these points may not be reflected on your scoresheet, know that it does play into a judge’s mind.  Don’t leave a judge thinking, “Why did their music sound so quiet?” or “Why are their signs made with markers and scribbled letters?” or “Why didn’t they include signs when the scoresheet clearly gives points for signs?”

Let the judges focus on your routine and your skills and not the things that make you look like a newbie or like a team that doesn’t know what they are doing.  Minimize the distractions for the judges and let them score you on your amazing routine!