Cheerleading Cheers

Energetic, Lively and Fun

At the core of any great cheerleading squad is a repertoire of energetic cheers.  When coming up with new cheerleading cheers for your squad, make sure the cheers are first and foremost lively and motivating enough to pump up the crowd.  Your squad needs a good selection of cheers that can be applied to certain situations, such as when your team scores a major upset goal or when the other team blows an important play. 

Get This Party Started! 

A good squad needs a number of cheerleading cheers to get players and fans ready at the beginning of the game, such as this one, called ‘Are We Ready to Get Started’.  This is a call and response chart which requires a leader, who chants the lines labeled one, while the rest of the squad chants the lines labeled two.  

1- Are we ready to get started?

2- Yes we are

1- Are we ready to get started?

2- I said yes we are.

1- I said a S a T a S-T-A-R-T let’s go!!

2- a S a T a S-T-A-R-T let’s go!!  

The final two lines can be repeated as many times as your squad sees fit.  We usually repeat them three times before moving on.  This cheer is great for encouraging audience participation since it is short and simple to remember.  

We Rule, You Drool

Cheerleading squads also need a number of cheerleading cheers to disparage the opposing team, especially for games played on home turf.  This cheer, known as ‘Down by the River’, uses the image of stringing the other team’s mascot up on a line as a source of inspiration.  This cheer is also done in the call-and-response style, with the squad leader performing the lines labeled one and the others performing the lines labeled two. 

1- Down by the river

2- Down by the river 

1- Took a little walk

2- Took a little walk

1- Met a little (insert name of opposing team’s mascot)

2- Met a little (opponent’s mascot)

1- Had a little talk

2- Had a little talk

1- Threw him in the river

2- Threw him in the river

1- Hung him by a line

2- Hung him by a line

1- We can beat (say name of opposing team)

2- We can beat (opponent)

1- Any old time

2- Any old time

All- Go team!!  

The last line may be replaced with any motivational line for your team that you desire.  Have fun when coming up with actions for this cheer.  For example, three cheerleaders can act out the meeting of the mascot down by the river, with one as the mascot and two as the members of your squad that throw it in the river and hang it up.  

Here’s another cheer called California Oranges, complete with actions, that also makes fun of the opposing team.  This cheer is performed by all members of the squad.  The corresponding actions are in brackets after each line.

California oranges (put your hands above your head in the shape of a circle)

Texas Cactus (put your hands on your hips one at a time as each word is said)

We think (point to your chest with your thumbs)

Your team (point towards opponents)

Needs some practice (do three jumping jacks, one with each word)

Throw em in a highchair (get down on one knee)

Feed em with a spoon (mime action of feeding a baby with a spoon)

Come on guys/girls (stand up)

<use whichever word corresponds to the gender of the players>

Let’s kick em to the moon! (perform a high kick)
 

Click Here to Check Out The Complete Cheerleading System.