Cheerleading Tryout & Technique Tips
ideas  from   http://www.dancecheer.net/cheertryouts.html

Look sharp! DON"T try to make a fashion statement!!! Make sure you can stretch, kick, bend, jump and stunt comfortably in your clothes. Wear cheerleading shoes if you have them, soft soled tennis shoes if you don’t. Clothes/shoes should be clean, neat, wrinkle-free and free of any damages or stains. ALWAYS wear proper undergarments and sportbra and NEVER wear inappropriate clothing.

Hair should be neat and pulled away from your face fastened securely with a simple hair-tie. Jerk your head around to make sure it won't fall down.
No jewelry!!! VHSL rule!!! Don't chew gum. Again VHSL rule!!!

Makeup should be minimal and natural looking.

Practice having good posture when you stand, walk, sit and kneel. Hold your head up, stomach in, shoulders slightly back but not stiff, relax your rib cage, and most important, relax and look natural. Try walking with a book on your head. Ask a friend or relative to critique you.

Eat nutritiously. You’ll run short of energy if you’re not eating properly.

Start a rigid "training program" a few months in advance in order to be physically prepared for tryouts. Concentrate on jumps, showmanship, voice, acrobatic and other cheering skills that will be required. Do aerobic, flexibility and strength training to build your stamina and conditioning in order to be able to execute the more physically demanding tasks like jumping and stunting with apparent ease. Seek out a mentor from last years squad. Learn old cheer routines and sidelines.

If you are required to make up cheers or a routine for tryouts, it is especially important to be unique yet not create something that would be too far fetched.

Bring a blank tape to your first tryout practice and tape the music to practice with. Then USE it! Try to get a tryout buddy. Practice together in front of a mirror. Help each other remember parts of the dance that you may have forgotten and critique each other. Remember, success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration, so practice, practice, practice!!! Practice your cheers, chants, dances, jumps, stunts, facial expressions and eye contact with the "judges" in front of a mirror.

Demonstrate desirable qualities. Be on time and never leave early. Never stand around. Help others if they ask for your assistance. Never talk negatively about any person or anything. Always show courtesy and respect. Accept constructive criticism graciously (they are doing it to help you) and say, "Thank you." Keep your grades up throughout the year. Be a model student and community leader.

Facial expressions should be relaxed and reflect the mood of the routine. Smile but don't over perform where your expressions look rehearsed, frozen, insincere, exaggerated.

Perform your tryouts intelligently, with concentration and enthusiasm. Picture yourself executing everything perfectly. Think positive and be confident about your talents and abilities. If you are constantly nervous and worried about making mistakes, your performance will reflect that. Practice until you can do everything in your sleep. Never say you "can't" do something. Never cut yourself down or say you won't make it. Coaches and judges don't like negative attitudes and this is no place for low self-esteem. Don't ever lose your "professionalism" by stopping to fix your hair, scratch an itch, etc. Do not swear!!!

Speak loudly and distinctly to the judges. Use direct eye contact and positive body language. Keep a sense of humor, especially if you make a mistake. Exude confidence, leadership and team spirit. As a cheerleader, it is your job to raise the spirit of your audience and team. Involve the audience and judges by cheering to them. If you make a mistake, don't panic and stiffen up. Show your leadership abilities by handling any mistakes graciously and with confidence. Use your best judgment and think quickly. If you get offbeat, jump back in right away. Then show 'em what you got and charm them to death! Don't worry if you can't do all of the skills taught. Judges and coaches look for the potential in a candidate as well.
When performing with others, keep in mind that precision, sharpness and teamwork are important factors in cheerleading. Movements should be clean, sharp, strong, technically correct and on count. Don't try to outperform others. Concentrate on executing everything with grace, poise, style, showmanship, skill and proper technique, while not standing out from the team. Perform as if you are at a game or competition, concentrating on your best showmanship, poise, technique and execution. Enjoy yourself and SPARKLE!

Work on proper voice technique. Be loud; BUT, do not yell or scream, instead project your voice up and out. Use the diaphragm to project sound. This will make it sound a little huskier (not screeching) and it will also prevent permanent vocal damage. Many girls yell or scream which causes the throat to tighten, thus sounding screechy or even nasally. If you're throat is sore at the end of the game or routine YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG and this could lead to permanent vocal damage. Some fatigue is expected, but there should be no pain. Keep the diction crisp, clear and full of energy. Don't sing the words. Emphasize primary words over words like "the," "or," "that," etc. E-NUN-CI-ATE.

No sloppy moves. Keep arms and knees straight. Arms should create one straight continuous line from the shoulder to the hand, fingers and/or fist. Don't flex or bend your wrists. Don't hyperextend fingers where they curl back beyond a straight, flat hand. Practice the basic arm motions (like the "T," "L," high "V," low "V" and blades) in a front of a mirror, making sure that as you snap to the different positions, your arms are ending in the correct form and not wiggling at all. Then practice the same motions with your eyes closed. Once you hit that position, open your eyes to see if you hit proper form. This is a good way to "memorize" the positions, because you won't be performing in front of a mirror so you need to make sure that you hit positions in proper form each and every time with your eyes closed. All movements should be sharp, tight, separate and readable. Motions should not get blurred together...they-should-snap-sharply-from-one-position-to-the next.