It is almost every young girl's dream in school to become a cheerleader. In order to realize this dream, the first hurdle that needs to be crossed is the cheerleading tryout. In the tryouts, girls are judged on the basis of their flexibility, "moves" as well as attitude. Most aspiring cheerleaders develop cold feet when thinking about these tryouts. Although, let me tell you, becoming a success at these tryouts is not as difficult as it is made out to be! Useful Tips for Cheerleading Tryouts Tip # 1 The first thing that you should do, towards your preparation for a cheerleading tryout is to go and talk to your coach. Ask him what does he expect from a cheerleader, the kind of qualities he is looking for, etc. This should give you a clear idea of what you have to prepare for. Tip # 2 Get your body in shape. This is extremely important. Looking and feeling good is an essential part of becoming a good cheerleader and this can only be achieved if you exercise regularly, eat in moderation and are absolutely fit. Tip # 3 Practice, practice and practice. There is no replacement for it. Devote a particular amount of time everyday for practicing your cheerleading moves. A good idea here is to make friends with another cheerleading aspirant. This way, you will have a partner with whom you can practice everyday. Having a buddy will help in keeping up your motivation levels too. Tip # 4 One of the most useful tips is to work on your attitude. Develop your confidence and inculcate positive thinking. If you "think" that you are the "best", only then you can be the best. However, being confident in no way means that you should be rude to those around you. As cheerleading is a team activity, it requires you to get along with the other members of the squad. So, if your coach has organized certain practice sessions, prior to the tryout, be friendly with the other participants. You never know that your coach might be judging you on how well you can team up with others, at these practice sessions. If nothing else, one advantage of being friendly with the other cheerleading aspirants is that on the day of the actual tryout, you would have them for company and thus, may not feel so nervous as you would, if you are on your own. Tip # 5 The day before the tryouts, sleep for at least eight hours, so that you are all fresh in the morning. Dress up well before you face the judges. Your clothes should fit properly, at the same time, should be very comfortable. Wear your hair off your face. When you are waiting for your turn at the tryouts, practice deep breathing, by inhaling from your stomach and then exhaling slowly. This should calm you down and help you focus better! Tip # 6 When you are facing the judges for the first time, display your confident attitude by holding up your head, making eye contact and flashing a warm smile. Perform all your cheers and routines to the best of your ability. Even if you make a mistake, handle it with as much grace as you can and never ever giggle or feel embarrassed. Be very professional when performing in front of the judges. Do not try to overshadow the others. Instead, perform as a team with a lot of sharpness, grace, poise and precision. And most importantly, when you are out there performing, enjoy yourself, as it will shine through your body language. With these tips up your sleeve, you should be able to put your best foot forward. However, remember, whether you make it to the cheerleading squad or not, is not entirely in your hands. So, even if you do not make it to the team, do not be hard on yourself. Instead, concentrate on the next year's tryouts and start practicing for them, from this very moment. And if you make it this year itself, celebrate your success and be proud of your achievement! All the best!