A cheerleading squad can hire a choreographer to come up with a new cheer routine for their school, but choreographers can be expensive and the routine may not speak to the uniqueness of the squad. Use some of these unique cheerleading routines that you can adapt to fit the skills of your cheerleaders instead.
Five Routines Your Squad Can Learn
Be open to changing the following cheers to highlight specific skills or even insert a short dance portion that may be unique to the location where you live. These routines are a bit more complex for advanced cheerleaders at a junior high or high school level. If you are in charge of a young squad, easy cheerleading routines would be more appropriate. The routines below work well as half-time cheers, during time outs or to get a game started or a pep rally going.
Push It, Push It
Push it to the top (start with hands on hips and lift both arms to daggers and then push straight up into touchdown)
Push it to the top (repeat motions above)
Badgers won't be stopped (right diagonal, left diagonal)
We'll pop and lock (do a jerk dance movement of your choice, such as those popular in hip hop dances)
We'll rock and roll (do a movement from any popular dance, such as the Dougie, Stormtrooper Shuffle or Gangnam)
We won't stop to take a poll (low L into a left corner)
We'll push it to the top (hands on hips, dagger, touchdown)
Push it, Push it (push both hands straight out from chest twice)
To the top! (end with a herkie)
Can You Hear Us?
Can you hear it? (ready position, cup right hand to right ear)
That Hornets sound (check motion into right punch)
Get on your feet and buzz around (motion to the fans to stand, turn in a circle)
Can you hear us (right K, daggers)
As we cheer? (left K, daggers)
We've got the spirit (scissors)
Can't you hear it? (point at crowd and then cup left hand to left ear)
Hornet spirit! (scissors)
Shhhhhhhhhhh...... (lift finger to lips and turn in a slow circle while making shushing sound)
Hornet spirit! (scissors)
Yell it out! (right punch, left punch)
Hornet spirit (scissors)
Spin, scream, shout! (turn in a circle and as you come out of the spin end in a toe touch, back handspring)
School Spirit Strut
Hey you fans (ready position, daggers, straight out punch in front of chest)
Do you have Eagles spirit? (right K into left corner)
If you do, get out of your seats and share it! (rotate corner to the right, crouch down low, jump up and then complete a jump of choice)
Strut to the left, strut to the right (shuffle to the left side, shuffle to the right side)
Strut in a circle, put up your dukes and fight (turn in a circle and then crouch in a fighting stance with fists lifted)
Do you have the spirit? (left K into right corner)
Get out of your seats and share it! (motion fans up and end with jumps and tumbling section)
Battle Cry
When you hear it (hands on hips up to daggers while stomping right foot forward)
Then you'll know (touchdown, right L)
Our team will win (low V, left L)
We'll put on a show (do a jump of your choice or have girls who are able do a back handspring or back tuck, etc.)
Our battle cry (stomp left foot forward while hands are in dagger position)
Goes like this (right K)
Ee-Oh-Ee-Oh (lift hands to shoulder level with palms facing upward and rock slightly back and forth right to left)
Go, Fight, Win! (right punch three times)
When you see it (right corner)
You won't believe your eyes (left corner to hands on hips)
The scoreboard will light up (left corner to hands overhead with hands clasped)
Our boys will almost fly (jump of choice)
Our battle cry will scare you off (stomp left foot forward while hands are in dagger)
Ee-Oh-Ee-Oh (lift hands to shoulder level with palms facing upward and rock slightly back and forth right to left)
Go, Fight, Win! (right punch three times)
Splatter Them
Our opponents don't fare well (point to chest with both thumbs and then make horizontal scissor motion with hands at midriff level)
Our teams smashes them until the final bell (right K, stomp foot and smash it around, left K)
Our opponents are too scared to shout (point to chest with both thumbs and then make horizontal scissor motion with hands at midriff level)
When the game is over they're splattered about (low V, ready, high V)
We will splatter them like (S motion)
Watermelon, pudding cups (right check motion, left check)
Water balloons and trying to get rid of the hiccups (right punch and bring arm down in slow arch until it crosses over to left side waist level)
At the end, they won't stand (drop into a crouch)
Instead we'll celebrate (jump to feet)
Warm up the band (punch right, punch left)
Go, Tigers! (jump or tumbling of choice)
Sample Routines
The videos below offer several more advanced routines you can adapt and use with your own squad.
NCA Cheer Camp Routine
This is a mid-level routine. Although they describe it as advanced, it is about a level three in competition or an intermediate routine. Notice how sharp the motions are and how the squad incorporates things like a toe touch in unison, turns and a stunt at the end. You can up the difficulty level of any routine by putting flyers into the air.
Combination of Difficulty Levels
This Ridgeway High School video is a good one to study, because they had the junior high cheerleaders perform with their varsity cheerleaders. It shows how to adapt a cheer for those who might have different levels of ability. There is a slight pause while the sound crew deals with a technical issue with the music, but the video is still worth studying. Obviously, you would prefer not to have this pause during your routine. However, you could also learn from this goof and have something prepared in case of technical issues, such as a quick skit about crazy sound issues or having each girl do a jump until the music starts. You'll notice how they've adapted this routine for everyone. Some girls are dancing, some are tumbling, and others are serving as bases for the flyers.
Free Tryout Cheer Idea
Looking for a cheer for upcoming tryouts? This video shows a cheer used at Marmion Cheer Tryouts in 2011. However, you could also use this cheer at a game or pep rally. The video includes a cheer that is intermediate. It does a good job of combining foot and hand motions. The movements are sharp and all the cheerleaders are together. In the next segment, there is a short dance performed. Since cheerleaders are often required to dance as part of their performances, this is an important skill for coaches to test during tryouts and to perfect for your own tryouts. The video shows the routine (cheer and dance) from the front with the whole squad, from the front with two cheerleaders, and from the side and back. You get a vantage point from all angles to really help you perfect the moves shown here.
Add Your Own Personality
Just because a cheer is free doesn't mean it has to be lacking in personality. Change a few moves to reflect past cheers done at your school or dance moves popular at your own school dances. If you're fortunate enough to have different cultures represented on your squad, try to incorporate dance moves from different countries into your own dances. With a little creativity and a lot of practice, you'll have a unique cheer that's all your own.
