Types of Cheerleading

Cheerleading has two main types in Australia, Allstar and Sideline Cheer. Typically in Australia, Allstar is the most popular.

ALLSTAR CHEER

Allstar is the competitive athletic type of cheerleading, where cheer teams compete against each other. Allstar routines are typically 2mins 30seconds long and involve Stunts (Lifts), Tumbling (Flips), High Energy Dance, Jumps, and Sass. These teams are judged on how well they execute these skills and how difficult they are. The score sheet also assesses their choreography, how well they can perform their skills in sync and how entertaining the routine is.

Allstar Cheer training is typically indoors in a gym on a mat floor, similar to a gymnastics training facility. Most Allstar Gyms and Competitions use spring floors to reduce stress on athletes bodies when performing routines.

Here is an example of a Level 6 Allstar Routine.

SIDELINE CHEER

Sideline Cheer is typically what you see at sports games, they cheer on sports teams. Sideline Cheer can include elements like Stunts and Tumbling. But in Australia Sideline Cheer is mostly Dance with Pom Poms and Chants. Sideline Teams are there to hype up the crowd, entertain and support their sporting teams while competing.

Sideline Cheer will train in or outdoors depending on the team and the facilities available to them. Some teams may train on a field like you see in movies, others on a basketball court, in a dance studio, or in a gym like Allstar. It all depends on what elements they have in their routine.

Sideline Cheer can include teams like the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.

POM DANCE (ALLSTAR DANCE)

There is also another type that is not particularly cheerleading but gets mistaken as cheerleading called Pom Dance. Pom Dance is a high-energy dance style where pom-poms are used. Pom Dance routines are a version of very high energy jazz, with very concise hard hitting motions. Pom routines can also contain kick lines, leaps, turns, jumps and lifts and tricks but are mostly Dance. Pom Dance can also compete at Allstar Dance competitions against other teams.

Pom Dance Teams typically train and compete on a vinyl dance floor. Often, Pom Dance is attached to an Allstar Dance Program that is also attached to an Allstar Cheer Program.

Here is an example of a Pom Dance Routine competed at Junior Worlds:

SCHOOL/UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE CHEER

These teams tend to combine Allstar and Sideline. Some schools choose to spend more time on one then the other.

School/Uni/College Teams can do Sideline Cheer, cheering on their schools teams and hyping up/entertaining the crowd. They can also have routines similar to Allstar routines that they compete at competitions against other schools. At these competitions they are often also required to perform a chant to the judges/crowd prior to their allstar type routine.

In terms of their training sessions, school teams will typically train in the schools own facilities. If they are doing an allstar type routine they will usually either train on their own mats in their schools gym or hire space in an allstar gym. If doing sideline they could potentially train in any of the locations listed under sideline.

Allstar, Pom Dance & School Teams can all compete at Local, State, National and International Competitions.

We will go into further detail in future blogs breaking down each type of cheer and their levels.

Here at Infinity Athletics we offer Allstar Cheer and Pom Dance, we also often help School Teams as well.