5 Ways to Recruit New Cheerleaders

tryouts

You can never have too many recruits for your cheer team. Whether you are working to build your cheer program or if you have an established program, recruitment is an important part of coaching.

If you continue to recruit, you will create friendly competition among your team. Your athletes will be pushed to be their best, as more cheerleaders become part of the team, especially if the new cheerleaders have talent or have potential.

The more cheerleaders you have, the more options you have. When you have a pyramid for 12 and then you lose one cheerleader, it is very difficult to do that pyramid with 11. Having alternates and/or a JV team will make your job much easier as you will be able to put someone in that spot.

The following are ways to recruit new cheerleaders.

1. Conduct a Recruitment Meeting

Have an initial meeting during lunch, or after school, or BOTH. Buy them food and then recruit anyone remotely interested in cheering. The current cheerleaders from the year should hand out and hang up flyers. At this meeting tell them about the amazing cheer program and the benefits of cheerleading. Be sure to have some of your seniors talk about what they gained from cheering.

2. Have a Clinic

If you are a high school coach, have a free clinic for 8^th grade students and have your current team help conduct the clinic. If you are a middle school program, do the same for 5^th graders. Don’t just stick with teaching a cheer and dance. What they really love to learn are stunts. When you can get them doing stunts, they are more likely to get hooked.

You can conduct these clinics after school or even during PE classes. Arrange this with the PE teacher. This way, they have to participate because it is their PE activity. The PE teacher typically had the boys do something else the years my teams were all-girl, but I had many boys want to try it.

3. Find the Gymnasts

Ask the gymnasts on your team what gymnasts were in your school and if they know of any entering your school. Get the names of those students and find them. Talk to them about cheering. I remember a time when one of my cheerleaders told me about an amazing gymnast. I had her name and I happened to have met her at the middle school the next day. When I found out who she was, I told her about the cheer team. She even did a tumbling pass in the hallway for me. She tried out and was on the team for all four years of high school.

4. Find Spring Sport Athletes

In most states, school cheer is busiest during the Fall and Winter seasons. I have found that it is difficult for a cheerleader to also juggle other sports during that time. I also have found that athletes, no matter what sport they do, tend to make great cheerleaders. Find the athletes at the school that only play a Spring sport. If they have some athletic ability, in most cases you will be able to teach them to be a cheerleader as well.

5. Make Recruitment a Year-Round Process

When I am at games and school events, I am always keeping my eyes open for potential cheerleaders. I constantly ask my cheerleaders friends why they don’t cheer and if they are interested in cheering. Some are not at all interested, but many others are interested. I can’t tell you how many cheerleaders I have recruited just by engaging in conversation with students at these events. I also have my cheerleaders constantly remind these students about cheerleading. Keep in mind, I only have one tryout time per year, so even if it is November, they are fully aware that they can tryout in the Spring.

Final Advice

Be confident when recruiting. The worst they can say is “no”. More than likely they will be flattered you showed interest. Follow up with those you recruit and invite them to interest meetings and invite their parents as well.

Good luck and may you continue to grow your team!