Lately we’ve gotten quite a few emails from readers who tried out for their school teams and didn’t make the cut. And their question is always, “What should I do now?”
My answer is this: Don’t give up! Use this summer to improve your skills and give it another shot next time tryouts roll around. I know it can be scary, but it can also pay off big time.
Believe me, I’ve been there. Here’s a secret: I didn’t make the squad my freshman year of high school. And let me tell you, it was absolutely devastating. My best friend, Beth, and I had been the captains of our junior high team (two years in a row!), and we both felt like we’d completely aced tryouts. But when the results were posted, our names—gulp!—weren’t on the list. I’m not going to lie: We freaked out. I mean, how could we face entering high school without cheering? We bawled, we hugged and both sets of parents let us stay home from school the next day. And while Beth and I spent the next day together puffy-eyed and PJ-clad, we also hatched a plan. Even though we couldn’t cheer for our school, we were still going to cheer.
We called up a handful of other talented girls who hadn’t made the cut either and asked them if they’d want to form a squad with us and go to cheer camp. Two short months and a whole lot of practices later, we headed to camp, where we had a blast, scored a bunch of blue ribbons and, more importantly, felt like cheerleaders again.
In the fall of freshman year, I joined the high school gymnastics team to hone my tumbling skills, and Beth and I both ran track to stay conditioned. We’d also get together to practice motions and jumps and to learn new dances from my older sister, a varsity cheerleader. When spring tryouts rolled around again, we were ready—physically and mentally. This time around, we weren’t going to take anything for granted, which made us try twice as hard to impress the judges. Our year of hard work paid off: Beth and I became the very first sophomores in the history of our high school to make the varsity team. So the moral of the story is, if at first you don’t succeed, try out, try out again!
xoxo, Marisa
Now that I shared my experience, do you have a re-tryout success story? Tell me what happened!
About Marisa Walker
4 responses so far ↓
Kendal May 18, 2010 at 9:11 pm
hey AC … i used all of your try-out tips from the magazines , i was very nervous because i made it last year and it way my returning year … and the coach decided if you did not get a score of an 85 you would not make the team … last year i made a 74 !!! so when i got home i immediatly went to my stash of american cheerleader , i sat there and read all of the try-out specials , one thing that helped me was the mind block becuase i have the roundoff backhandspring until about a month and a half before try-outs and i start to freak out and change my techniques to my old bad habbits so that helped … and i was feeling more confident as try-outs happened … and i made the team again ! the monday after try-outs we all wore a dress and took a team picture and i went and asked my score … and i had a 93 !!! it was the boost of confidence in the little tips from your magazine that helped me thankyou sooo much american cheerleader !
love always ,
kendal johnson (great bridge middle school cheerleader 2009-2010 2010-2011)
Jessica May 19, 2010 at 4:07 pm
I’ve done alot of cheering in my life: 1 year jv, 3 years on varsity, 2 years all-stars, and 2 years college. But I had a bit of a rough start. When I was 12 I tried out for jv for the first time at my new school and got alternate, which basically means ‘you’re good, but not good enough.’ I was pretty upset; all my closest friends had made it. However when it was time to tryout for varisty I got to work. Weeks before the tryouts I was stretching out, doing splits and perfecting my jumps. I really worked my butt off and it paid in the end, I made the squad!
The best advice I can give to old cheerleaders and hopefuls is to never get lazy. Don’t think that just because you made it one year doesn’t mean you’ve got it in the bag for the next. I know too many girls who had that philosophy and they found themselves in the stands rather than on the field. Every year I did the same workout. Even when I knew I was the best, there was always room for improvement. Another recomendation I have: competition cheerleading is getting bigger and bigger and honestly I had more fun competing than I did cheering on the field. Also most gyms that participate also have cheerleading classes that you can join to improve your stuff. Good luck and don’t let one bad tryout get you down!
DULCE May 21, 2010 at 5:11 pm
Hi me encanta ser animadora en mi university aunke no es igual que en the usa pero me encanta grax por esta magazine
sarah May 24, 2010 at 6:19 pm
My tryouts started last Thursday and continue on until this Thursday! I’m really excited but EXTREMELY nervous because my doctor thinks I tore my miniscus and I am unable to run, because he is afraid that it will tear it more! He advised me not to try-out, but thats just out of the question! I’m scared my coach will doc me points for not being able to run! Though i am a veteran of 2 years on JV, 2 years varsity competition (and 2 titles with it), and i cheered 6 varsity football games last year because the other backspot was hurt! I hurt it cheering last year but went on anyways. I’m wearing my brace 24/7 and get an MRI Friday! How else can I show her that I’m good enough for varsity?!? I’m doing 110% at everything else, but i’m still scared and don’t want to cheer JV as a Junior!
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