American Cheerleader Magazine

Spring into Fashion!

After a long winter full of dark colors and knit outerwear, this years spring fashion is like a breath of fresh air. The weather’s not the only thing getting hotter, with soft florals, bold prints and updated outerwear popping up everywhere this season FRUIT AND FLORAL Flowers aren’t just found in gardens, this spring try using this natural print to enhance a few key pieces. For a classic feminine look, try mixing floral cardigans with skinny jeans and boots. Use soft textures like satin, chiffon, lace (nude colored lace is big this year), silk and organza paired with harder pieces like black leggings ...

We are Family!

Fighting with a sibling can bring chaos to your household. Fighting with a teammate can break the unity of a squad. When the two are combined, this can spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E for you and your team. AC's here to help! With these guidelines and a few tips from real-life cheer siblings, you’ll learn how to leave the family feud at home and use the close bond you share to your advantage on the competition mat. 1. Leave the drama at the door. It’s not smart to bring outside issues in to practice—including the little fights that start at home. When you’re with your ...

Time Out With: Sasha Cohen

Name: Sasha Cohen Best Known For: Two-time silver medalist and U.S. figure skating champion On the Horizon: An alternate for the 2010 Winter Olympics, kicking off February 12, and performing with Smucker’s Stars on Ice beginning on April 1. Hometown: Laguna Niguel, CA AC: What’s it like being one of the elite athletes to attend the Olympics? Sasha: It’s such an amazing experience, just the whole world stopping and watching and paying attention to all of the athletes from all over the world. There’s a wonderful energy and excitement about it. There are really no words to describe that feeling. AC: You took the silver in the 2006 ...

The Secret Language of Judges

Making sense of the scribbles on your score sheet. by Michelle Richard Another competition has ended and the moment of truth has arrived. Your team huddles together and is all ears as your coach spills the verdict of your two-and-a-half-minute performance. While certain comments from the judges’ score sheets make total sense and even urge you to nudge your teammate in an “I told-you-so” sort of way, other remarks leave you confused and not knowing where your team went wrong. To give you a better understanding of just what judges mean when they scrawl down things such as “increase team ratio,” here’s a ...

10 Tips for Time Management

How to juggle school, friends and being an all-star! By: Stephanie Lebron The life of an all-star cheerleader is anything but easy. Between practices, homework, school activities and competitions, it’s easy to feel pulled in a lot of different directions. But with good time-management skills and a little organization, you can decrease your stress and handle things like a true all-star. Here are 10 tips to help you do it all. 1. Clear out your clutter. An organized room is the first step to an organized life. Whether it’s your bedroom, desk, locker or binder, set aside a few minutes each day to ...

Pop Quiz: How comfortable are you in your birthday suit?

In case you didn’t know, February is National Body Awareness Month, so when’s a better time to reevaluate your own body image? We all have insecurities, and nobody’s perfect (even Tyra admits to having cellulite), but we differ when it comes to how we see our flaws. How do you see yourself? Take our quiz and find out! 1. When I get to the locker room, I… a) Run to the scale to see how much weight I’ve gained since lunch b) Compare myself to other girls and wonder why I don’t look like them c) Do what I need to do—change and get ...

“You Know You’re an All-Star When…”

See what our all-star Facebook fans said when we asked them to finish this sentence: You know you're an all-star when... “You only count to eight. Or when your favorite date is April 25.” —Gabriela F. “You hear a song on the radio and finish it off with a voiceover! :) lol.” —O’Brian McF. “You add sound effects into your favorite songs.” —Kaylie T. “You cheer about 15 hours a week.” —Courtney S. “You know your whole entire cheer music is a theme to a movie.” —Elizabeth C. “You do your routine around the house 24/7.” —Gabrielle S. “You can recite Bring It On word for word.” ...

Valentine’s Vixen: These Sephora Pro Team tips will have your date drooling!

This year you have Valentine’s Day all planned out—the date, the restaurant, the romance—and now you can get the look, too! Thanks to Sephora Pro Team member Annie Mercer from Durham, NC, you’ll be equipped with a beauty arsenal so pretty (she even compiled your personal Sephora shopping list!), we guarantee Mr. Right will feel like one lucky valentine. For a seriously romantic V-Day look, Annie suggests keeping it fresh and pretty. “With a radiant and glowing look, your crush won’t be able to take his eyes off of you!” she says. “Avoid using harsh colors and textures. Light pinks ...

Time Out With…Breakout band Wishlist

Band Name: Wishlist Band Members Names: Lenée Passiglia (22), Jesse Passiglia (20), Desirée Coleman (19), Donté Coleman (14) Best Known For: Our original style of music: a great mix of pop/rock/authentic. Home Town: Rocky Point, NY Website: www.wishlistofficial.com [caption id="attachment_2298" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Lenée on the cover of AC!"][/caption] **After appearing as AC’s December 2008 Cheerleader of the Month and Cheerleader of the Year, Lenée Passiglia threw herself into working with her band (consisting of her brother and two cousins). Using the scholarship money she received from winning COY, she and her band, Wishlist, were able to pay for studio time and the creation of their ...

Johnna Petitte

From the sidelines of any West Virginia University football game, you can’t help but notice American Cheerleader’s February Cheerleader of the Month, Johnna Petitte. With her long, dark brown hair and friendly smile, Johnna is in person everything she appears to be at first glance and much more. Not only is she smart, talented and beautiful, but she’s also at times both quiet and talkative, inviting and an all-around sweetheart. “I’m the girl who’s always smiling,” she says. “You can ask anyone—I’m always smiling!” Behind that smile is a wealth of cheer experience that could rival many lifelong cheerleaders. When Johnna ...