How to Do Jumps and Kicks in Cheerleading

Cheerleaders have long been glamorized by American culture. The iconic image of the cheerleader depicts a beautiful girl in a short skirt kicking and screaming her team to victory. However, cheerleading isn't nearly as simple as some may believe. Executing those kicks and screams is no walk in the park. Learn how to do jumps and kicks that make cheerleading one of the most athletic sports in American culture.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. First determine if you are in physical condition to be performing cheerleading. Make frequent trips to your physician to ensure that you are healthy and able to perform without the risk of serious injury.
2. Do some basic forward bend stretches to stretch the hamstrings. Follow that stretch by spreading the legs in a squat and pressing toward the ground while simultaneously pushing the shoulder forward to further stretch the inside of the leg muscle.
3. Repeat the split squat stretch on the opposite leg before beginning. Learn the basic cheerleading arm structure of the high V. It requires you to place your arms straight in a V shape above your head, with your arms lying on equal sides of your nose in front of your face, for preparation of most kicks or jumps.
4. Place your hands in a high V and either have someone count you off or mentally count off in your head to execute a split jump. Typically in eighth counts-in, you will execute the jump and land by the fifth count. Make sure to ground your legs and push up through the calves to ensure good height and form when completing the jump.
5. Attend gymnastics courses to perfect the form and execution of the split jump or kick. Execute a high kick by preparing the same way as the split jump; however, only kick one leg up from the hip while keeping the other properly grounded.

Tips & Warnings

• Perform a series of stretches before attempting to execute a split jump or high kick as the hamstring and hip muscles can be thrown out if not properly warmed up.
• Try "marking" or preparing to execute the jump or kick a few times before doing it fully to get a feel for form and timing.
• Do not attempt to perform a cheerleading jump or kick without properly stretching since it could result in injury.