The Ultimate Guide to Cheer Tryouts for Coaches

How to Run Cheer Tryouts as a Coach

This post has tips on how to plan and run cheer tryouts as a cheer coach. Cheer tryouts are an exciting and nerve-wracking time in the cheer season. Take this as an opportunity to meet new athletes and witness how much your returning cheerleaders have grown since the last season!

Creating a plan for cheer tryouts will help you feel prepared for a successful cheer season!

For a complete packet, check out my Editable Cheerleading Tryout Score Sheets and Packet.

Step 1: Plan the Cheer Season Before Cheer Tryouts

Before hosting cheer tryouts, create a plan for your entire cheer season to set you up for success. This includes meeting with administration, coaching staff, creating a contract, calendar, and more. Check out my post about Cheerleading Pre-Season Planning before Cheer Tryouts

Step 2: Cheer Tryout Setup

Choose cheer tryout dates & reserve facilities. Reserve facilities for the parent meeting, cheer tryout clinics, cheer tryout evaluation, and new team meeting.

Reach out to judges for cheer tryouts. Ask cheer coaches, past cheerleaders, teachers, etc. to come sit on the judges panel at cheer tryouts.

Decide on material to teach at cheer tryouts. Choose the cheer, dance, band dance, and jumps that you plan to evaluate at cheer tryouts. Teach this material to the athletes at cheer tryouts.

Create a cheer tryout score sheet. Create a score sheet that covers the material that the athletes will be performing at cheer tryouts.

Advertise cheer tryouts. Create flyers to hang around school and share the cheer tryout information on social media.

Step 3: Host a Mandatory Cheer Tryout Parent/Guardian Information Meeting

The Cheer Tryout Parent/Guardian Information Meeting is the most important meeting of the cheer season. Introduce your coaching staff and give a presentation outlining the commitment and expectations of your cheerleading program. Hand out a Cheer Information Packet & the Cheer Application. If you are looking for a cheer information packet and cheer tryout application, check out this: Editable Cheerleading Tryout Score Sheets and Packet.

I cover this topic in more detail in my blog post: Check out my post all about the Mandatory Cheer Tryout Parent/Guardian Information Meeting.

Step 4: Cheer Tryout Clinics & Evaluation

Cheer tryout clinics are the practice days before the cheer tryout evaluation day. At the cheer tryout clinics, you or your graduating seniors can teach a cheer, dance, and jumps to athletes that are trying out. Once it is time for cheer tryout evaluations, you can have athletes tryout in groups or individually.

Check out my post all about High School Cheer Tryouts and Evaluation.

Step 5: Host the New Cheer Team Team Meeting

Congratulations! Take a picture of your new cheer team. The New Cheer Team Meeting is when you give your new team important paperwork to prep them for season.

Here’s what to give your cheer team:

• Cheerleading Contract (have them sign and return it to you that day)
• Calendar for the entire season
• Fundraising information
• Communication plan – however you plan to communicate with your team. (Google classroom, GroupMe code, etc.)

Have an amazing cheer season, Happy Coaching!