WHAT IS CHEER?
Cheerleading is a team-based sport that combines stunting, pyramids, basket tosses, tumbling, jumps, and dance. Originally developed in the USA, it is now one of the fastest-growing sports in the UK — and it’s easy to see why: it’s fun, dynamic, and exciting.
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To perform a cheerleading routine, athletes need a wide range of skills. You might throw a teammate into the air one moment, then immediately perform a gymnastics tumbling pass the next. This variety means no two routines are ever the same, keeping the sport challenging, engaging, and fast-paced.
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Competitive cheerleading is highly athletic and is very different from traditional sideline (American Football) cheer. It does not involve pom-poms and focuses instead on strength, technique, teamwork, and performance. Teams compete a high-energy, two-and-a-half-minute routine at competitions across the country - and sometimes internationally - where a panel of judges scores each routine to determine the rankings.
STUNTS
Stunts involve athletes working together to lift, hold, and support teammates in the air. They require strength, balance, trust, and teamwork, with athletes performing different skills at different heights.
TUMBLING
Tumbling includes gymnastics-style skills performed on the floor, such as rolls, cartwheels, walkovers, handsprings, and somersaults. These skills can be done from a standing start or with a run-up and add power, athleticism, and excitement to a routine.
PYRAMIDS
Pyramids are structured formations made up of multiple stunts connected together. Athletes link skills, levels, and groups to create visually impressive shapes, showing teamwork, timing, and coordination across the whole team.
DANCE
Dance brings performance, rhythm, and style to cheerleading. It includes sharp motions, clean technique, and strong expressions that help tell the story of the routine and keep energy high from start to finish.
WHO CAN DO CHEER?
Everyone can!
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One of the reasons we love the sport at BCC is because of it's inclusivity; you don't have to be good at every aspect of cheer, you don't have to fit a certain body type, and you don't even have to have started it when you were very young. We accept all athletes aged 5+ regardless of age, ability, gender, and identity. It is an inclusive sport and some of our best athletes have had struggles in school, or started when they were teenagers, and a large number of our athletes over the years have had ADHD/ASD/Dyslexic etc diagnoses. It truly is the sport for everyone :)