How to be a cheer mum

I have been the mum of a cheerleader for 15 years, and in that time I have learnt what to do and what not to do to make it the best experience for your child.

While I do not claim to be the all seeing oracle of cheerleading parents, I do feel confident in my advice having now seen it from the angle of coach and mum.

First of all, be on time. Be where you should be when you should be there. Seems simple, but things happen and if you are going to be late, let someone know.

Advocate for your child, but not too much. Trust the coaches, and if your athlete comes home feeling disheartened about their place in a routine, or how many times they got critiqued, let them know that wherever they are in the routine, their coach has a reason for it. There isn't one single spot on that mat that is less important than another.

So you were a flyer last year and this season you have been placed as a base...it's where you can best help your team. Your coach told you the same correction 3 times, so listen and fix it. If you have chosen the right gym for your child, you must trust that they know what they are doing. We have all been guilty of thinking well my baby should be at the front, my daughter isn't point jumper, why not?! Quite simply if you have chosen the best team for your child, one that fits her capabilities and personality, then you need to back up their coach.

Do not get distracted by what other parents are doing. They are doing what is right for their child, and your athlete is a completely different person.

Make sure your child knows when they sign up for competitive cheer, just what they are signing up for, (and that you do too!) There are going to be parties, school events, holiday clubs, shopping trips, family days that they just might have to miss out on. When you sign your child up for competitive cheerleading, expect that there will be extra rehearsals, costume fittings, and times classes run over. It's all for a purpose, and if you or your child aren't serious enough about the sport, don't sign them up. That's it, just don't sign them up.

Do not let your child try out for a team they have no intention of taking a place on. This is a biggie! Programs build teams around they children who attend try-outs, so if they are just trying out because their friend is, or as a backup incase they don't get into their first choice, think twice. Also, if your athlete gets offered a place, remember, there is another child out their who got a rejection email.

Do not message/call/email your coaches after classes have finished, or before normal working hours the next day. They/we work hard and give everything we have to our athletes. We do not need to be getting a message at 10:30pm asking what colour trainers to wear at tomorrows exhibition just because you can't be bothered trawling through your emails to check what they said.

Don't be bitchy. This seems simple, but when you are stood outside class, and other parents are being derogatory about someone else's child, or what the coach has said ( it happens to all of us) don't join in. If you see a team bite it at competition and they are against your team, don't laugh, or cheer or make a remark, we're all here for the same reason, and next season when your child wants to move teams because her friends are, but the coach heard your remark and doesn't want that negativity on her team.... don't say I didn't tell you so!.

Teach your child that they aren't always going to win. There is no team in the

world that is always going to win at a cheer competition, and you have to show them how to behave when they don't.

Do not throw a fit, don't blame the choreo/music/coaches/other athletes. Don't say that the team they were against should not have been in that division. Don't tell your athlete the judges were wrong!

IF the judges made a mistake, your coaches will pick it up and question your score, after all, surprisingly to some parents, judges are human! They do miss things and make mistakes sometimes!

I guess basically what I am trying to say is don't be a... well, you can fill in the rest of that sentence however you wish!

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