American Cheerleader

Your Tryout Cheat Sheet

Geragotelio shares several last-minute tips from high school, all-star, and college squad coaches to help all cheer hopefuls make the cut. These include coaches such as Candy Berry of Greenup County High School in Kentucky, Karl Buchanan of Impact Gym in Apex NC, and Craig Callaway at Cheer Techniques in Rockwall TX.

Featured Cheerleaders

Several cheerleaders from different schools are featured. These include Jordan Francis from Dalles High School in Oregon, Aisat Olarinde from Deerfield Beach High School in North Lauderdale FL, and Simon Smart from Stamford High School in Connecticut.

Cheer Shoes 2004

Several cheer shoes for 2004 are presented. These include athletic shoes from Adidas, Asics, Converse, Nike, and Reebok.

Try, Tryout Again

With a little determination and hard work, nothing can stop aspiring squad members from achieving their dreams. Giffen features the inspiring stories of several athletes and cheer enthusiasts, including Vanessa Valentin, Krystal Benavides, and Gina Gabriel, who never gave up from their series of failed tryouts.

Spirited Swap

In a television episode last September, designers Frank Bielec and Laurie Hickson-Smith and carpenter Ty Pennington kicked off the Trading Spaces show with a cheerleading skit in homage to Emmit Tyler and his wife Angie, who own Champion Gymnastics and Power Cheer Training Center in Louisville KY. In addition to the opening skit, the couple was interviewed in their cheer gym.

All-Star Coaches Unite!

The All-Star coaching industry has come along way in the last 10 years, because the coaches have such unique needs. A group of some of the most influential all-star coaches and gym owners have banded together to form the National All-Star Cheerleading Coaches Congress to represent coaches and make sure that competitions are sensitive to all-star needs. The goals of the group are discussed.

Back Talk Back

Wish &Amp; Hope

An obituary for cheerleader Hope Stout, who died due to a lingering bone cancer on Jan 4, 2004, is presented. Hope made a big difference on the lives of 155 other children, and was also instrumental in planning for the Celebration of Hope, a large-scale fundraising gala.

Sheila's Sidelines

Take Good Care of Yourself

Noone opines that the death of a New Jersey cheerleader performing during the Hula Bowl in Hawaii, stresses how important it is to adhere to the rules that the coaches and parents set for the team. Several pieces of advice for cheerleaders are offered, including following all squad and school rules, keeping constant communication with the chaperons, and aiming to be a role model to other members of the squad.

What's Going On

Meet N' Stunt

AthleticMeet.com has geared up a Web site for fitness enthusiasts. Founded by a group of triathletes, the program provides not only an arena in which members can search for potential friends, roommates, and love matches, but also allows them to scout out workout partners.

Triumph Over Tragedy

Walker briefly details the filming of Cheer The Brave, a made-for-television movie which deals with the aftermath of a 1997 fatal road accident that killed a University of West Georgia (UWG) coach and two cheerleaders, and seriously injuring several other team members. While still in the preproduction stages, most of the filming will take place on campus, and the current UWG squad will be featured as well.

Alaskan Squad Heats Up Annual Food Drive

Robin Eleazer, president of the Spirit Coaches Association, has challenged cheerleading teams with an additional task as they prepared for the Alaska State Cheerleading Competition in November by creating a food drive contest between squads benefiting the Food Bank of Alaska. The Anchorage Christian School won the contest, as they collected 2,708 lbs of food in about five weeks.

Cheer Parents Invade the Floor

American Cheer Power (ACP) has taken into parent division of cheerleading competition. ACP's Parent Cheer Challenge is a crowd favorite at its National and Open Championships. The mechanics of the competition are detailed.

Cheers

Three Cheers for Tylenol®!

The makers of Tylenol will award a total of $250,000 in scholarship money to students who are hoping to pursue a degree in health care at either the undergraduate or graduate level. The mechanics in qualifying for the student scholarships, as well as the experience of former cheerleader Brinkley Sandvall in being granted a $10,000 scholarship, are also presented.

Spirited Proposal

Star Struck

Cheer Up

Smith presents a preview of the motion picture Cheer Up, starred by Tommy Lee Jones and Christina Milian, which is scheduled for release on Jul 23, 2004. Several details of the movie's plot, casting, and pre-production particulars are highlighted.

Squad Of The Month

Ray of Light

Only in their second year, the Stingray Allstars of Kennesaw GA have already accomplished a variety of feats, boosting not only their own team spirit, but also the hopes and dreams of others in the community. In December 2002, the team hosted its first annual national competition, Cheer for the Cure, a benefit designed to raise money for children's cancer research.

Personal Trainer

Energy Boosters

Thompkins offers an exercise plan for a 20-minute session in order to boost a cheerleader's energy before a final competition.

Safety Savvy

Don't Cramp Your Style

Karageanes discusses five causes of cramps. She also offers tips on what to do when cramps and charley horses attack.

Eating Smart

Beating the Bad Habit Blues

Grimes offers tips on how to beat bad eating habits.

Coach's Clinic

Whoopsie Daisy

Cheerleaders from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville share some of their high-flying action moves. American Cheerleader found themselves doing a double take while watching these cheerleaders, coached by Joy Postell, at the 2004 UCA College Nationals.

Fab Fundraising

Best in Show

Otier discusses on hosting a pet jamboree to raise funds for a cheerleading team. He stresses that three to four weeks are needed to organize the event, including getting permission to use a suitable site, solicitation and storage of donated and loaned supplies and equipment, and getting sponsors and finding volunteers who will help out before, during, and after the fundraiser.

Cheerleader Of The Month

Sheena Hill, 17

Walker profiles 17-year-old cheerleader Sheena Hill. Top Gun All-Stars coach Victor Rosario took her under his wing, and she became part of his first team in a dynasty of champions. Now a senior, she hopes to continue cheering on the college level at the University of Florida, where she plans to major in psychology.

College Spotlight

Go Team 'O'

Jones highlights the spirited Sooners squad at the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa. She claims that without a doubt, these cheerleaders personify the die-hard credo professed in their beloved chant, and they're not shy about showing it.

Honorable Mention

8 Outstanding Cheerleaders

Giffen features eight outstanding cheerleaders from different schools. These include Drew Bewley from Barren County High School in Glasgow KY, Jeremy Carver from Boys Ranch High School in Texas, and Priyanka Gumaste from Cresskill High School in New Jersey.

Gameday Beauty

Spring Break Beauty

Bressler presents five steps to look beautiful on the beach. These include exfoliating, moisturizing, putting the right makeup, keeping nails neat, and self-tanning.

Drama Queen

Several tips on hairstyle setting and make-up for cheerleaders are presented.