In Evolve Articles

Teamwork is the critical factor in cheerleading. For a team to work effectively, there needs to be faith in each other’s ability and a LOT of mutual trust. Without teamwork, a squad made up of the most talented athletes in the world would struggle to ‘HIT’. So if a strong team bond is the most important factor in cheerleading, how can this be developed?

A strong team bond cannot be forced

Developing a bond between team members starts with countless hours of training, with each session drawing team members closer together; teamwork builds subconsciously. Before long members assist each other to overcome personal challenges, increasing their bond.

The real ‘magic’ happens once a mutual goal is established between the team. This goal could be ‘hitting zero’ at their next competition, or simply improving on their performance from last time. Each individual form part of the team; each work for each other to achieve the team’s goal. As the team works towards their goal, athletes gain satisfaction from seeing their team mates improve and achieve. They also get to have a lot of fun the in process!

Cheerleaders train and compete in an extremely team-oriented environment. A routines’ overall effectiveness and success is reliant on each athlete’s ability to ‘do their part’. For example, a flyer, who could be held in the air for almost half of the routine, cannot successfully execute her skills if her bases aren’t there to support her. There are some strong arms making it possible for the flyer to do her bit for the team!

A team with a strong team bond continually challenge and encourage each other to push beyond their comfort zone to learn and perfect new skills and abilities. This benefits the team’s overall ability to reach their goals. As coaches, it is a great source of satisfaction to see team makes encourage and support each other to reach their potential.

When watching a cheer routine, you can see individual athletes feeding off the performance of one another. At these moments, a heightened sense of drive can be noticed as teammates go the extra mile to benefit the overall team performance. At Evolve, our motto is ‘cheer your heart out’ – this is exactly what we are all about!

We believe that the key to building great teams starts with building an environment where all athletes feel safe and supported. Positive interaction between team mates is encouraged to build mutual respect and foster a strong team bond. As this bond grows and competition time nears, we set goals with the team and are clear in communicating how each athlete’s role is crucial in achieving the team’s goals.

We believe that learning teamwork in the gym from an early age gives athletes a great set of skills which help all throughout life. Learning how to work as a team is an invaluable skill for children to learn, as it is a critical social skill in most aspects of life outside the gym.

There is no short cut or quick fix to building teamwork. It takes a commitment from each athlete to work together to help their teammates and their team achieve their goals. At Evolve we aim to help athletes understand that while they are valued and their development is important, they cannot improve ‘on their own’ and contributing to the team’s success is the best way to personally develop.

Cheerleading is a unique sport. Athletes in a team form a tight-knit bond which comes with countless hours of training and competing together; sharing every high and pushing through every low together to help each other be the best they can be.

Whether it be, in sport, work or schooling the accomplishment of reaching a common goal as through teamwork is extremely rewarding for all involved. As a coach, there is no greater reward than seeing a team working together to get the best out of each other, putting the team first to achieve their goals.

At Evolve, we offer teams for all ages and skill levels. We strive to keep our teams within a similar age rate as we believe athletes of similar ages and stages of development will find it easier to find common interests and build closer relationships which helps form closer-knit teams. Our spacious and fully-equipped facility in Cranbourne West (opposite Marriott Waters shopping centre) in the City of Casey is a great place to train. Our friendly and experienced staff and coaches strive to make everyone feel welcome!

As a family owned and operated gym founded by three sisters, we believe cheerleading is a sport for everyone and encourage anyone who may be interested in trying cheerleading to contact us to arrange a free trial class. This trial class is a ‘live’ class with their potential team mates. This way potential cheerleaders can see what All Star Cheer is all about!

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