Just like a coin, there are actually two sides to cheerleading as well. If you want to get involved in cheerleading, you want to make sure that you are going to be on a team that fits your wants and needs.
First, you need to understand the key difference between the two types of cheerleading. The main objective of school cheer is to support the teams that play for the school. In high school and for recreation cheer I cheered for football and basketball. Usually school or recreation sideline cheerleaders will perform cheers, chants and possibly a small routine at half time. Competitive cheer is meant to develop a routine and perform it in competition with other programs. Usually the routine is two minute and thirty seconds long and is comprised of stunts, tumbling, jumps and a dance.
Some schools will have competitive teams that do also develop a routine and compete against other schools, but not every school has a team that competes. My high school did have a competitive team as well as a sideline team, but depending on where you live, it may or may not be fairly common for that to happen.
Before you commit to a team and become a cheerleader, make sure that you explore all the options in your area and check out the different kinds of squads. It is very important to find the right squad for you!
Beyond the Sidelines 