To write a cheer, start with a clear purpose, such as offense, defense, school spirit or greeting the other team, then write a few short, rhyming lines that are easy to shout and fit an eight count rhythm. Include your team name or colors, add a line the crowd can answer, match strong motions to the key words and test the cheer out loud until every word is clear. The best cheers are short, positive, easy to learn in one practice and easy for fans to join.
Cheer vs chant: know what you are writing
Cheerleaders use two main kinds of spirit material, and it helps to know which one you are creating before you start.
| Chant | Cheer | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | One or two short lines, repeated | Several lines, performed once through |
| When used | During play or short breaks | Timeouts, halftime, quarter breaks, pep rallies |
| Movement | Simple, repeated motions | Choreographed motions, jumps and sometimes stunts |
| Crowd role | Crowd repeats along with the squad | Crowd often answers call and response lines |
| Example style | Go, fight, win, [Team], go fight win | A longer piece with a build up and big ending |
Types of cheers by purpose
| Purpose | Focus | Key words to use |
|---|---|---|
| Offense | Scoring and moving forward | Score, go, push, drive, touchdown, basket |
| Defense | Stopping the other team | Hold, stop, block, defense, stand |
| Spirit | School pride and crowd energy | Pride, loud, colors, school name, together |
| Greeting | Welcoming the visiting team | Hello, welcome, glad, good luck |
| Sport specific | Moments unique to a sport | Spike, ace, takedown, goal, free throw |
How to write a cheer step by step
- Pick a purpose. Decide whether the cheer is for offense, defense, spirit, a greeting or a specific moment in a specific sport.
- Brainstorm words. List your team name, mascot, colors and action words linked to your purpose.
- Find rhymes. Pair your key words with easy rhymes, such as fight and tonight, or score and more.
- Write four to eight short lines. Keep each line to a few words so it can be shouted clearly.
- Count it in eights. Say each line out loud while counting to eight to make sure it fits the rhythm squads use for motions.
- Add crowd participation. Include a call and response, such as the squad shouting a team color and the crowd shouting the other color.
- Match motions to words. Use big motions like high Vs for big words and punches on words like fight or win.
- Test it out loud. Perform the cheer at full volume, then change any words that are hard to say or hear.
- Teach it and refine it. Teach the squad, watch it performed and make final adjustments.
What makes a cheer work
Short, clear words. One and two syllable words carry best across a gym or stadium. Long words and tongue twisters get lost in crowd noise.
Strong rhythm. Cheers need a steady beat that matches the eight count. If a line feels rushed or has an awkward pause, adjust the wording until it flows.
Simple rhymes. Rhymes help athletes memorize cheers quickly and help crowds catch on. Natural rhymes sound better than forced ones.
Crowd involvement. The best cheers give fans something to shout. Call and response lines, spelling out the school name or shouting colors all get the stands involved.
Positive tone. Cheers should build up your team, not insult the opponent. Positive cheers reflect well on your school and are more likely to be approved by coaches and administrators.
Cheer templates to get you started
Replace the bracketed parts with your own words.
- Spirit template: We are [Team], we are proud, stand up, [Team], and yell it loud!
- Offense template: Push it, move it, down the floor, come on, [Team], let’s score some more!
- Defense template: Hold that line, don’t let them through, [Team] defense, we’re counting on you!
- Color call and response: Squad shouts one team color, crowd answers with the second, repeated three times.
- Spell out: Spell your school name or mascot letter by letter with a motion on each letter, then shout the full name.
Adding motions, jumps and stunts
Once the words are set, add movement. Start with sharp, simple motions on each count. Save bigger moments such as jumps or a stunt for the last line so the cheer builds to a strong finish. Any stunts should be legal for your level, approved by your coach and performed only where proper surfaces and spotting are available. For sideline cheers performed during games, keep choreography simple enough to perform on short notice.
Worked example: building a defense cheer
Here is how the process looks in practice for a fictional team called the Hawks. The purpose is defense during a football game. Brainstormed words include Hawks, hold, stop, line, defense, red and gold. Easy rhymes include line and time, stop and top, and through and you.
The first draft might read: Hold that line, Hawks, hold that line. Stop them now, it’s defense time. Red and gold won’t let them through. Hawks defense, we believe in you. Said out loud against an eight count, each line fits comfortably, the key words are short, and the rhymes feel natural. To add crowd involvement, the squad could shout red and the crowd answer gold before the final line. Motions might include punches on hold, a T on line, a low V on stop and a high V on the final you, with a jump to finish.
Testing it at full volume might reveal that believe in you is harder to hear than it looks on paper. A simpler option such as we’re counting on you, or keeping the shorter line alone, could make the ending clearer. Small edits like these are normal and usually make a cheer much stronger.
Writing cheers for different sports
Each sport has its own rhythm, so cheers work best when they fit the game. Football offers long breaks between plays and at timeouts, which suits full cheers with jumps. Basketball moves quickly, so short chants during play and brief cheers during timeouts work better. Volleyball has frequent short pauses between rallies, which suit quick, punchy chants tied to serves, blocks and kills. Wrestling calls for very short chants between whistles that do not distract wrestlers or officials. Soccer often has fewer natural breaks, so squads rely mainly on chants. Thinking about when the cheer will actually be performed helps you choose the right length and energy level.
Getting your cheer approved
Before performing a new cheer, share it with your coach. Many schools and athletic associations have sportsmanship guidelines, and coaches want to make sure every cheer is positive, appropriate and consistent with the squad’s image. Coaches may also want to check that motions and any stunts fit the squad’s skill level and the rules for your program.
Common cheer writing mistakes
- Writing lines that are too long to shout clearly.
- Using forced rhymes or awkward words just to make a rhyme.
- Ignoring the eight count so motions do not line up with words.
- Including negative or insulting lines about the opponent.
- Forgetting to give the crowd a part to shout.
- Adding complex choreography before the words are finalized.
- Never testing the cheer at full volume.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a cheer be?
Most cheers are four to eight short lines and can be performed in under about 30 seconds. Chants are even shorter, usually one or two lines repeated.
Do cheers have to rhyme?
Not always, but rhyme and rhythm make cheers easier to remember and easier for crowds to join, so most successful cheers use at least some rhyming lines.
Can cheerleaders write their own cheers?
Yes. Many squads write original cheers. Just have your coach review them to make sure they are positive and fit your program’s rules.
