The Truth About Cheer Tryouts (From Someone Who’s Been There)

I can still remember the nerves.

Standing there, watching my friends throw skills I didn’t have yet. Quietly calculating scores in my head. Wondering if what I could do would be enough.

Tryouts have a way of making you look around and compare. Who jumps higher. Who tumbles harder. Who looks more confident.

But looking back now, I realize something important:

What mattered most wasn’t the score I added up in my head.
It was how I showed up.

I knew I wanted to make that team. And instead of shrinking in comparison, I chose to show my heart. My passion. My leadership. I asked questions. I made eye contact. I listened. I was coachable.

And that matters more than athletes realize.

Preparation Starts Before You Walk In
Getting dressed intentionally.
Getting enough sleep.
Writing down goals and visualizing what you want.
Those small choices build confidence.

When you wake up and truly get ready for your day instead of rushing or dragging yourself through it your mood shifts. Your posture changes. Your energy rises.

You walk in different.
Tryouts are physical, yes. But they’re also mental.
The Nerves Don’t Go Away and That’s Okay

Even the most confident athletes feel nerves. The difference isn’t who feels them… it’s who controls them.

Your mind will try to fill in the blanks:
“What if I mess up?”
“What if I’m not good enough?”
“What if they don’t pick me?”
You have to answer those thoughts.
Tell yourself you can do it.
Remind yourself who you are.
Speak confidence over your own life.
If you don’t control your thoughts, they will control you.

Your Circle Matters
This is the week to lean in.
Tell your family you have tryouts coming up. Ask them to think of you. To pray for you. To send encouragement. There is power in knowing people are in your corner.
Your energy reflects who you surround yourself with.

If you’re around negativity, comparison, and doubt you’ll feel it.
If you’re around belief, strength, and support you’ll feel that too.

Choose wisely.
The Part No One Talks About
Here’s the truth most athletes forget:
You are being evaluated long before tryout day.
Your attitude in practice.
Your effort when no one is clapping.
How you treat teammates.
How you respond to correction.
Your work ethic in the off-season.
Coaches don’t just choose skills. They choose character.
And once you make the team?
That’s not the finish line.
That’s the starting line.
Making the team isn’t when you relax it’s when the real work begins. Leaders are built after the roster is posted. Champions are developed in the practices nobody sees.

So if you’re walking into tryouts this week:
Show up prepared.
Show up confident.
Show up coachable.
Show up as someone who is already acting like a teammate.
And no matter what the outcome is, walk out knowing you gave your best not just in skills, but in heart.

Because in the long run, that’s what truly sets athletes apart.

Lexy Humphrey