Those familiar with All Star cheerleading certainly recognize that it is a dynamic sport that combines the most exciting elements of gymnastics, dance, and traditional cheerleading.
Teams work hard to create routines that are not only fun to watch but also score well at competitions.
One important aspect of improving a team’s performance at various points over the course of a season is the concept of “upgrading” a routine.
Upgrading a routine generally refers to making it more difficult and impressive.
Cheer judges look for skills that challenge the athletes while also demonstrating teamwork and creativity.
When a team decides to upgrade its routine, it might add new skills, increase the complexity of stunts, or improve the choreography.
Each of these changes can have a significant impact on how a routine is scored during competitions.
One primary way to upgrade a routine is by incorporating more advanced stunts, including in their pyramid.
Stunts – and particularly the pyramid – are a core part of cheerleading, where athletes are lifted into the air to create eye-catching formations.
For example, if a team has been performing basic stunts in their pyramid, they might upgrade it by introducing more complex skills (such as some type of a twisting dismount to a specific component of it).
These advanced skills require not only strength but also precise timing and coordination among the team members.
When a team successfully performs these upgraded stunts, it showcases their abilities and can lead to higher scores from judges.
Upgrading a routine can also involve improving the tumbling sections.
Tumbling is the portion of cheerleading that includes skills like flips, cartwheels, and handsprings.
By adding more difficult tumbling passes, such as additional handsprings, tucks, layouts, “fulls”, etc. wherever possible, the routine becomes more challenging.
For instance, a team that previously performed simple back handsprings in one pass might work on adding a higher level skill at the end of it (depending on what would be considered Level-appropriate).
This greatly enhances the excitement and difficulty of the routine, making it more appealing to judges and spectators alike.
In addition to stunts and tumbling, the choreography, or the transition movements performed between stunts, play a vital role in the overall routine.
Choreography helps to tell a story and keep the audience engaged.
When teams upgrade their choreography, they often add new transitional moves or change formations to make the routine more visually appealing.
For example, instead of simply moving from one stunt to another, teams might include creative floor work or some type of synchronized dance section.
Upgraded choreography can highlight the strengths of the team while keeping the routine fresh and exciting.
Teamwork is also a crucial aspect of upgrading a routine.
When coaches decide to make enhancements, they carefully assess each cheerleader’s strengths and weaknesses.
This helps them determine what skills are appropriate for each person in the team.
Everyone must know their role and work together to achieve the upgraded routine seamlessly.
Communication and practice are essential, as each member needs to understand their part in executing the more complex skills.
Practice after upgrading is as equally important part of upgrading a routine as the actual action of the upgrading.
With new skills and choreography, teams need to invest extra time in rehearsal to master these changes.
This dedication to practice not only improves the athletes’ abilities but also strengthens their relationships with one another, creating a closer-knit team.
As the team works together to refine their upgraded routine, they learn important lessons about hard work, determination, and trust.
The process of upgrading a routine helps teams stand out in competitions and shows their commitment to excellence.
Upgrading not only improves scores but also fosters teamwork, practice, and personal growth among athletes.
Through the effort put into upgrading routines, teams can truly showcase their talent and passion for the sport, making every performance an exciting experience for both athletes and their audiences alike.
