Cheerleading jumps help young children to build confidence and develop healthy lifestyle habits. Performing cheerleading from a preschool age gives your child an opportunity to learn it properly, build athleticism, and succeed in sports and other endeavors.
Cheerleading Moves for Beginners and Children
When young children are just starting out as cheerleaders it is important to keep the routines simple. An easy cheerleading routine can include various cheerleader moves for beginners that are easy to remember and perform. In the beginning, focusing on the technique rather than learning complicated cheerleading motions is essential.
Cheerleading for young children is a confidence builder as they learn new skills tailored to their age and development.
Next, we’ll cover some of the most popular cheerleading moves for beginners. We’ll also show you why it is beneficial to have your child learn cheerleading at an early age.
Arm motions are some of the most basic cheerleading moves for beginners.
Most cheerleading moves incorporate arm movements. These include the clasp, high-V, T-motion, touchdown, cone, and many more. These cheerleading moves for beginners are most frequently used in a routine. It is important to use the correct technique to perform each of the cheerleading moves.
Clasp
The clasp is a type of cheerleading clap. To perform a clasp, start with your arms by your side, then bend your arms at the elbow, and cup your arms together and clap. It is important to bring your arms up directly in front of your body. You should place your clasp in front of your face and your elbows together.
High-V
High-V is another cheerleading move. For this one, you lift your arms to resemble the letter “V”. Keeping your arms straight, place them slightly in front of your body. Your hands should be kept in fists with your fingers turned away from the body.
T-Motion
To execute the T-motion cheerleading move, start with your arms by your side, then lift them to resemble the letter “T”. It’s important to keep your arms straight and placed slightly in front of your body. Hands should be in tight fists with your fingers facing the floor.
Touchdown
For this move, you will lift your arms until they are above your head, keeping your elbows straight. Your biceps should be touching your ears. Keep your hands in tight fists with your fingers facing each other.
Cone
Cone is a motion that is performed as an entry to cheerleading jumps. Cone is similar to the touchdown motion, but your hands should be clasped at the top of the motion.
Various Cheer Jumps for Children
Cheerleading jumps are a fundamental part of cheerleading. Jumps are included in every cheerleading routine and it’s crucial to learn a proper jumping technique. When it comes to cheerleading moves for beginners, it is recommended to execute one jump at a time, while more seasoned cheerleaders may do several jumps consecutively.
First things first, we have to keep in mind that your child’s safety comes first. Beginners should not do anything they are not comfortable with. A good coach will consider every child’s level of experience and will never force them into doing anything that is risky or makes them anxious.
Before executing any of the cheerleading jumps, a dynamic warmup is required. It will help to activate the muscles and then ramp up the activity. Dynamic stretching for cheerleading and monster kicks are highly recommended to stretch hamstrings. Cheerleading jumps incorporate many muscle groups including glutes, quadriceps, calf, as well core muscles.
As you can imagine, legs muscles are what provide the majority of the jumping power. It’s crucial to stretch these muscles adequately and then activate the muscles before performing jumps. Activation techniques such as bounding, jumping, etc.
Here is a list of the cheerleading jumps that children can perform safely:
T-Jump
T-Jump is one of the most basic cheerleading jumps. It is executed with arms straight out resembling the letter “T”. It is essential for beginners to learn the T-jump as it is an introduction to all other cheerleading jumps. When executing the T-jump children learn to use their arms to the correct position and jump higher. Beginners learn to use their legs and their arms to create more lift.
Toe Touch Jump
Once a child learns the T-Jump, the next one will be a toe touch jump. It is one of the most common cheerleading jumps. In toe touch, the legs are out to the side in a straddle split and the arms resemble a letter “T”. Your legs should be parallel to the ground and the toes pointed to the side. Do not forget to keep your back straight.
Hurdlers
The hurdler is considered a more advanced cheerleading jump as a cheerleader is required to hit an unusual position. When performing a hurdler, one leg should be straightforward and the other leg is either bent completely or slightly behind with the kneed pointing to the ground. The arms are in a touchdown position.
Pike
Pike is a cheerleading jump that can be learned even by a beginner cheerleader, however, it is quite advanced if performed correctly. While executing a pike, legs should be straight out in front and knees locked. Arms are straight in front, reaching toward toes.
Beginner’s Tuck
A tuck is an advanced cheerleading jump, however, there is an easier version for beginners. Lift your arms over your head in a touchdown and bend your knees with the kneecaps pointing toward the ground.
Cheerleading Stunts that Young Kids Can Perform
Basic cheer stunts can be completed even by beginner cheerleaders. All basic stunts begin with the side bases in front while facing on another. An adult spotter/supervisor is essential before stunts are attempted.
Thigh-stand, Prep Uf Half, and Extension are the most common cheerleading stunts. As all cheerleading stunts are performed in a group, they are important for children to learn the basics of balance, teamwork, safety, as well as sportsmanship, including high quality communication.
Should I Enroll my Child in A Cheerleading Class?
At Hi-NRG, we pay special attention to the basics of cheerleading. This way young children can learn cheerleading properly over an appropriate amount of time until they get a strong foundation.
Our high-qualified coaches pay special attention to detail and make certain that children do everything proficiently and safely.
We have special cheerleading programs designed for preschool children where we teach what we call a “culture of kindness”. From an early age, children polish their cheerleading and other interpersonal skills. Our programs help children to build athleticism and other life skills.
We also promote a healthy lifestyle and help children to develop healthy habits through sport. Young children get used to taking responsibility for their progress and their health as they perform cheerleading jumps in a class and do their home workouts.
That is why it is best to develop cheerleading skills in a preschool-age to give your child an opportunity to learn it properly and succeed in adult life.