Cheer competitions: Practice, practice, practice

Practice makes perfect, and in cheerleading competitions, perfect wins trophies.

We’ve been walking you through the steps of participating in a cheerleading competition — from finding lodging to buying uniforms and creating a routine — and now it’s time for the most important part.

Practice is essential to succeeding on competition day. But like anything, you can’t just dive into it. You have to create a practice strategy, in order to get the most out of your time.

As this video explains:

Related: Cheer in comfort with a pair of Nike Sideline Cheer Shoes.

Cheer competitions: How to make your routine

Over the past few weeks, we’ve taken you through the world of cheerleading competitions.

We’ve looked at different kinds and different levels of cheerleading competitions, from college cheerleading down to youth cheer. We’ve posted a series of instructional videos giving you tips on how to choose the right competition for you, how to set your lodging, how to make your mixtape and what to wear.

Now it’s down to the nitty gritty: What should you perform at a cheerleading competition?

Depending on the competition, there will be different elements required in your routine. It’s important to weave those elements together, while keeping them tied to the eight-count cadence of cheerleading.

As this video explains:

Related: Look good for less with our selection of clearance cheerleading equipment and apparel.

Cheer competitions: Taking care of hair and makeup

You’re booked to compete at a cheerleading competition. The hotel and food accommodations have been made.

You’ve got your special competition uniforms, and the music is ready. What else do you need?

There’s still plenty more, and today we’re taking a look at the hair and makeup needed at cheerleading competitions. The idea is to keep the hair out of your face — so you aren’t distracted while you perform — and makeup to make your facial expressions pop while performing the routine.

Here’s a quick video explaining how it works.

Related: When deciding your hairstyle, take a look at our cheerleading hair bows.

Cheer competitions: How to handle food and lodging at competitions

More often than not, when you head to a cheerleading competition, you’ll have to hit the road.

If you can’t make it a day trip, it means you’ll need to set up accommodations in your destination town. You’ll have to arrange food and lodging for the squad, which can be a pretty intimidating task sometimes.

This handy video should make it a little simpler.

Related: Head to competition in style with some new cheerleading apparel.