Cheer Blog
We are passionate about educating our families about sport, health and nutrition. See our monthly blog to learn more and for a fun and easy read.
How Do You Have Fun While Staying Active? Welcome To #CheerLife!
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When commit to an activity you love that will help you reach for your fitness goals, you set yourself up to succeed. Challenging ourselves to be stronger or faster, to nail choreography, and to feel confident and comfortable in our abilities is second nature in #CheerLife. And that’s no surprise because our whole sport is about positivity! One of the reasons why cheerleading attracts athletes long-term is because we have a ton of fun while being active. You get to dance and do gymnastics to upbeat music, all with other people who are as excited as you are to step onto the blue mat for every practice and performance. That doesn’t mean it’s easy.
What’s In It For Athletes Who Chomp Down and Volunteer?
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Have you ever wondered why community service – also knowns as volunteering – Is a mandatory part of high school here in Ontario? Or why it counts as work experience on a resumé? Taking the time, your time, to volunteer supports and promotes vital resources in your community. Without volunteer power, there are a lot of things that just wouldn’t work in your hometown, if you think about it: sports teams, after school clubs, school field trips, fundraisers, food banks, the library, animal shelters, community centres, and festivals, just to name a few. The world needs volunteers!
The Importance of Sleep For Active Children
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Going about your day after a night of little or interrupted sleep is The Worst. The ENTIRE day. Thankfully, you don’t get days like this too often, but when you do you have to battle all day with a fuzzy brain and grumpiness. But do you ever just feel out of sync on a regular basis? Your regular night’s sleep might play a role in that. The Sleep Foundation suggests that children aged 6 through 13 need between 9 to 11 hours of sleep.
Cheerleaders Make Awesome Employees!
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Are you a cheer athlete preparing for a job interview? Cheerleaders, as you already know, make awesome employees. Here are some of the ways you can let your future boss know that cheerleading provides you with incredible transferable skills.
You Can Be A Cheer Athlete At Any Age!
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One of the best things about cheerleading – aside from everything – is that you can join the sport at any age! For some it’s a dream come true! But others are scared that it’s too late to do great. We’re here to calm your nerves and get you pumped for your very first class! Here is what you can expect when you’re new to cheer at any age.
Prepare to Meet Your Goals the Cheer Sport Shark Way
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Ask an elite athlete in any sport how they achieved success and they’ll tell you they had high expectations for their success and got where they are today by setting goals and working hard. Cheer Sport Shark athletes develop a set of goals as a team and individually, guided every step of the way by our coaching staff. What can you do to prepare to meet those goals?
How to Plan for Exercise in the Heat
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If it feels like a workout in hot, humid weather is way harder than in an air-conditioned gym, that’s because it is! Your body cools you down by increasing the flow of blood through your skin and by producing sweat. The hotter your workout environment is, the harder your body has to work to do that, and even the most highly trained athlete will feel the difference. But that doesn’t mean you have to avoid outdoor exercise in the summer. Here’s what you should know before you head outside.
Tips for Off-Season Athletes to Keep Busy This Summer
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For many young athletes, their season to shine takes place during the school year, with a grand finish somewhere around April or May. In August and September the fun starts up again, but what’s an athlete to do with a couple of months of down time?
New to Cheerleading? You’ve Got Lots to Look Forward To!
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Positive attitudes.
Cheerleading began as a way to pump up the crowd and the team at sporting events, and that positivity leads the way in competitive and recreational cheerleading today. You’ll hear coaches provide constructive criticism packed with support for the athletes mentally as well as physically, teammates lifting each other up through challenges and sharing the joy in individual successes, and families uniting as they band together on the sidelines during practices, competitions, and performances. The power of positivity in the cheerleading world is truly JAWsome!
Top Ten Reasons Being a Cheer Sport Shark is The Best!
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It’s hard to believe that another season of competition has almost come to a close, but that means it’s time for all of our gyms to burst with the excitement of May tryouts! If you’re new to our family or a returning Shark, spark some good cheer with these JAWsome reasons to be a Cheer Sport Shark!
What makes Cheer Sport Sharks the best place for kids?
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Cheer Sport Sharks have been active members of the cheerleading community since 2003. Over our many years interacting with athletes from across the country, we have had the pleasure to watch thousands of children blossom as they progress through their cheerleading goals with their team members and coaches. The transferable skills gained by Cheer Sport Shark athletes gain are abilities they can rely on right into adulthood. Here are a few reasons why we believe joining the Cheer Sport Shark family is a benefit to any childhood.
Tips for Athletes Coming Back to Training After an Injury
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Making a safe, strong return to sport after an athlete has been hurt requires physical rehabilitation as well as mental preparation. How your mind thinks about your next move is equally important as how your body works when you head back to the gym. It may sound strange when it was only your body that got hurt, but your body and mind are a team, so focus on making sure both are strong as you come back from an injury.
Why do we love oatmeal? Nutritional Tips for Athletes
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You’ve heard over and over again that it’s important to eat a healthy, balanced diet that includes lean proteins, healthy fats, fibre, lots of vegetables and fruit. And you’ve experienced how much easier it is to approach a training session with a positive mindset and leave the mat on a high note after a day of healthy meal options. But why?
A Day in the Life of a Cheer Sport Great White Shark
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You know them, you love them, and you want to be one! But do you really know what it means to be a Great White Shark?
Packing Tips for a competition day with Cheer Sport Sharks
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When you’ve got a competition coming up, start your packing list early so that you don’t have anything to stress about! Whether you’re a cheer sport athlete packing for yourself, or you’re packing on behalf of one, follow our tips so that on competition day you can focus on having fun.
The Only Three Words Your Shark Needs To Hear Before a Performance
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Someone once said that having a child is like deciding to let your heart walk around outside your body. And if you’re a cheer parent whose heart is about to walk into a big competition, you’re probably feeling the truth of that statement right now.
Can You Start Cheerleading as a Tween or Teen?
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In a word: yes! It is never too late to learn how to cheer.
Consider the Canadian National Co-Ed team, winners of the bronze medal at the World Championships this past April: of its 27 members, only six started cheering before high school.
Balancing Sports, School and a Social Life for Kids and Teens
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Youth and Teens who are part of competitive team sports learn early on how to balance a fulfilling schedule. They have practice, training, and performance plus school, family time, and a social life. Seems like a lot to take on, but a positive attitude and realistic scheduling can make it all possible. Often it’s the parents and guardians who face the greatest challenge.
The Advantages of Team Sports for Children and Youth
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You already know that physical activity is a great support for mental as well as physical health, and that participating in recreational and professional sports also provides boosted confidence and perseverance to the athletes.
How to get ready for a big performance
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Cheer Sport Sharks of all levels have the opportunity to perform in front of an audience, whether it’s in local competition, national, international, or for our family and friends. It’s such a blast to get up in front of a crowd and show everyone how much fun cheer sport is! The best way to have your best performance is to have fun.
Cheerleading Tryouts: Frequently Asked Questions
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As the excitement of Tryout season approaches, we often receive questions from new cheer families as well as experienced athletes who are new to our gym or advancing to a new level. We’ve collected several of the most frequently asked questions here.
Rest & Relaxation is Important for Your Health and Fitness
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No pain, no gain: it seems true enough. The right amount of stress is good for your body. You get a bit of an adrenaline rush when you push yourself to finish your workout or challenge your mind with a difficult book, but too much of a good thing can make it a bad thing. Too much pain, and (we think) you’ll lose the gains you’ve made in the past.
Welcome to the Team! Tips, Tricks, & Motivation for New Cheerleaders
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You did it! You tried out and you made it. Yay! We’re so excited about the new members of our Sharks family. It took courage to try out for a new sport (or come back for another season) and we want to sincerely congratulate you. (You’re awesome!) And what better way to welcome you to the team than to share some cheer wisdom.
Why an Athlete is NOT Defined by their level
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Take a look at these excellent tips!
Injury Prevention and Care
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Cheerleaders are athletes who push their bodies to the limit day in and day out. With the intense training that comes with our sport, sometimes comes injuries in many different forms. With the competition season, just around the corner, now is NOT the time to get hurt. And to be honest, there never is a good time to get hurt. But when injuries happen the focus needs to be on getting better properly and fully, not quickly. We talked with Tanya Doerr, a Registered Physiotherapist and Owner of CheerMed Rehabilitation on Injury Prevention and Care to help athletes and parents stay smart for the cheer season.
Competition Day Tips for Tiny & Mini Athletes
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The time is near for our first competition of the season! We asked Coach Jo to help give parents the upper hand when it comes to competition day for the cutest Sharks we have – our Tiny and Mini teams! Coach Jo is a pro when it comes to this age group and she has years of knowledge to share to help make cheer and competitions fun and stress free! Get to know more about Coach Jo and what tips she has to make your cheer life with a tiny or mini shark just that little bit easier!
Stay cool with our Winter Camps
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Registration is NOW OPEN for our three amazing winter camps at Cheer Sport Sharks!
Join us over the winter break to continue to develop your tumbling skills for the New Year or to fall in love with something new. We have three great camps to choose from whether you are brand new to cheer or a cheer veteran.
Competition Season
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It’s almost the most wonderful time of the year. COMPETITION TIME! All of the hard work, the many hours of practice, the sweat and tears all come down to two and a half minutes to showcase the best that you can do. It sounds stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. Competitions are about more than winning and trophies. They are about showing everyone what you have worked so hard for and what you and your team can do when you work together!
Halloween Night with Sharks!
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Come join us for a spooky night of open tumbling, a Halloween themed movie and activities.
