Cheerleader Oops

There you are in front of the entire school when your greatest fear is realized: you have a big cheerleader oops. Whether you loose your spankies, your uniform is fitted improperly and you end up showing more than you prefer or you fall on a stunt or while tumbling, a cheerleader oops moment can be embarrassing. It's important to remember that everyone has embarrassing moments, but for cheerleaders, those moments often come when you have an audience.

Although embarrassing, you can live through a "cheerleading oops".

The important thing to remember is that you're probably not the first cheerleader to be embarrassed over something that went wrong in a routine. In fact, here are some common "cheerleader oops" moments that many cheerleaders before you have survived:

• Losing a top while doing a routine
• Kicking a sneaker into the crowd and/or hitting someone with your flying sneaker
• Losing a skirt so you're cheering in your spankies
• Falling from a stunt
• Messing up a tumbling routine
• Throwing up on stage or during try outs (This actually happens a lot as nerves get the best of many cheerleaders.

So how do you handle a big cheerleader oops? First and foremost keep smiling and don't panic! Secondly, unless the "oops" is going to cause a serious safety issue, keep performing. The mark of an excellent cheerleader is one who is able to keep that smile on and work through her routine regardless of what happens. However, if you absolutely have to stop because something went wrong, there are a few tricks of the trade you can use to recover.

If you lose your skirt or you kick your shoe off, you're out of luck. You need to keep going because a cheerleading routine is dependent on everyone doing their part. If you stop to get your skirt or grab your shoe, you could put others in danger by not being where you're supposed to be when you're supposed to be there. Losing your top is a little different, and if you're wearing a skimpier cheerleading outfit, you'll want to wear a sports bra that is as modest as possible. This way, it's like cheering in your swimsuit. With that said, if you have to stop and fix something, the trick is to do it on the first count of eight counts. Keep moving your feet so you're in the right position, but use your arms to fix your skirt or top, and then rejoin the group on the next first count of eight.

Sometimes nerves get the better of a cheerleader and her big "cheerleader oops" moment comes out in the form of vomit. Rest assured that it happens, and actually happens somewhat frequently.

If you can avoid the vomit, the group should finish the routine. Try bunching together closer or going to a different side of the floor. However, if you cannot avoid it, the group needs to stop the routine and go on to something else (like a sideline cheer) while the mess is cleaned up. There are a few reasons for this:

1. Aside from being unpleasant, vomit on the floor can make the floor unsafe for moving dancers and cheerleaders. It's easy to slip; if you think vomiting on the floor is bad, vomiting on the floor and then having someone slip in it is even worse!
2. Since vomit is a bodily fluid, it has to be cleaned up using a certain method. If it is not cleaned up properly by a trained custodian, it actually violates a federal law.

Therefore, if you or someone vomits on the floor, it's generally better to move aside or stop.

Another common cheerleader oops is to fall off your pyramid or fall while cheering or tumbling. How you handle this depends on the severity of the fall. If you trip and are able to keep going, you should do so. Just pick yourself up, dust yourself off, put that smile back on and rejoin the group on the next first count of an eight count set. (Note: You don't have to rejoin on a first count, but it's generally easier.)

However, if a cheerleader falls and doesn't get back up right away, the routine should stop immediately. This is common sense, but what may be even greater common sense is to actually stay away from the fallen cheerleader. By staying away, you allow trainers, coaches and EMTs the room to safely and quickly assess the situation. Thankfully, most cheerleaders oops do not result in lasting injuries!

As hard as it is to keep smiling through a mortifying experience, rest assured that you can do it. Most mishaps during cheerleading are embarrassing, but quickly forgotten.

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