Male college cheerleaders

[Anonymous]

When you go to a college football game (or watch on tv) and you see the guys running the perimeter of the field holding a flag--the guys that do that, are they part of the Cheerleading squad? Or something else?

Is it competitive to get to be one of those people, or just being a male cheerleader in general? Is it mostly just about strength?

I'm thinking specifically about some of the top 25 ranked college teams, if that makes a difference.

[Anonymous]

Yes, they are usually part of cheer team. Unlike female cheerleaders that have been cheering most of their lives, many male college cheerleaders have never done cheer before college. It is mostly about strength (and balance and stamina). They do a lot of weight training throughout college because they are continuously lifting and holding weight for their partner stunts. It's not necessary for male cheerleaders to know tumbling. But if they do, it's a bonus.

It's not competitive for males to make a team...I've known several to walk on at big universities who have never cheered before. But, obviously, super super competitive for females.

[Anonymous]

Yes, those are usually the male cheerleaders. It depends on the program as to how competitive it is. University of Kentucky is going to be a lot harder to join than say a smaller less athletics minded school

[Anonymous]

Seems like being adorable must be a top qualification for the role.

[Anonymous]

Watch the show Cheer on Netflix.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seems like being adorable must be a top qualification for the role.

Except for lifting 125lb with two hands.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, those are usually the male cheerleaders. It depends on the program as to how competitive it is. University of Kentucky is going to be a lot harder to join than say a smaller less athletics minded school

+1 Hawaii and Kentucky are going to be very, very competitive and male cheerleaders are going to be required to have a gymnastics or stunting background.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, they are usually part of cheer team. Unlike female cheerleaders that have been cheering most of their lives, many male college cheerleaders have never done cheer before college. It is mostly about strength (and balance and stamina). They do a lot of weight training throughout college because they are continuously lifting and holding weight for their partner stunts. It's not necessary for male cheerleaders to know tumbling. But if they do, it's a bonus.

It's not competitive for males to make a team...I've known several to walk on at big universities who have never cheered before. But, obviously, super super competitive for females.

If you want to be at a top program as a male you need a cheer background--high school, club, or junior college. Most of them are two sport athletes (like wrestling plus cheer).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, they are usually part of cheer team. Unlike female cheerleaders that have been cheering most of their lives, many male college cheerleaders have never done cheer before college. It is mostly about strength (and balance and stamina). They do a lot of weight training throughout college because they are continuously lifting and holding weight for their partner stunts. It's not necessary for male cheerleaders to know tumbling. But if they do, it's a bonus.

It's not competitive for males to make a team...I've known several to walk on at big universities who have never cheered before. But, obviously, super super competitive for females.

If you want to be at a top program as a male you need a cheer background--high school, club, or junior college. Most of them are two sport athletes (like wrestling plus cheer).

And they tend to be short, FWIW

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, they are usually part of cheer team. Unlike female cheerleaders that have been cheering most of their lives, many male college cheerleaders have never done cheer before college. It is mostly about strength (and balance and stamina). They do a lot of weight training throughout college because they are continuously lifting and holding weight for their partner stunts. It's not necessary for male cheerleaders to know tumbling. But if they do, it's a bonus.

It's not competitive for males to make a team...I've known several to walk on at big universities who have never cheered before. But, obviously, super super competitive for females.

If you want to be at a top program as a male you need a cheer background--high school, club, or junior college. Most of them are two sport athletes (like wrestling plus cheer).

And they tend to be short, FWIW

Actually, at Hawaii (along with Kentucky, one of the best programs) many of the guys are 6'0 and up. The reason why is you want the bases of the pyramid to be tall (and uniform in size) because it looks much more visually impressive (a pyramid/toss looks way more impressive when the female is starting from higher off the ground).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, they are usually part of cheer team. Unlike female cheerleaders that have been cheering most of their lives, many male college cheerleaders have never done cheer before college. It is mostly about strength (and balance and stamina). They do a lot of weight training throughout college because they are continuously lifting and holding weight for their partner stunts. It's not necessary for male cheerleaders to know tumbling. But if they do, it's a bonus.

It's not competitive for males to make a team...I've known several to walk on at big universities who have never cheered before. But, obviously, super super competitive for females.

If you want to be at a top program as a male you need a cheer background--high school, club, or junior college. Most of them are two sport athletes (like wrestling plus cheer).

And they tend to be short, FWIW

https://hawaiiathletics.com/sports/cheerleading/roster

They're tall actually.

[Anonymous]

Kentucky doesn't post heights but the men are tall. You want tall guys and short women to make your stunts the most impressive.

[Anonymous]

George W. Bush was a Cheerleader at Yale.

[Anonymous]

The level of explosive strength and coordination needed for stunts on a team that competes at the top levels means you have guys who wrestled and played football at a high level before. Those are sports where you combine power/strength with very precise moves and coordination.

[Anonymous]

Former cheerleader here. One of my favorite instructors was on the NC State team and he was an ex-football player. He said he couldn't stand not being on the field on game day.

That was long ago. These days, everyone on the top teams has a cheer background prior to college. Lots of top schools have tryouts in the spring/summer for incoming students.

You have to be able to tumble and stunt already for top teams. Less competitive teams will teach newbies.