What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think cheerleading? Pom poms! Right?
Pom poms and cheerleading are inseparable, just like bread and butter. You could have bread on its own, but nothing beats the good old bread and butter combo!
Whether you are using pom poms for sideline cheer, performances or competitions, a perfect pair or pom poms can instantly brighten your look! It is one of the most spirited props you can have as a cheerleader. Here are 5 reasons why you should get the perfect cheer poms to go with your beautiful cheerleading outfit!
1. Get the Crowd to CHEER with you
“Let’s Go U-S-A, Red White and Blue!”
Beside team names, cheer chants often include team colors, which can be strong features of a team’s identity. And what better way to tell the crowd which color is in your chant than to use a fluffy ball of color? It is absolutely the most effective prop to get the crowd to shout “RED” when you hold up the red poms, “BLUE” with the blue poms and so on.
2. Impress the Judges
Did you know that cheering your chants is scored in the International Cheer Union (ICU) World Cheerleading Championships? In team cheer divisions, “Cheer” is worth 10 (out of 100) points of the scoresheet, which is also applicable in many countries’ judging system. So, lead your crowd to cheer as loud as they can by using bright and shiny pom poms, paired with some amazing stunts and tumbling, and you’re on your way to get that PERFECT 10 from the judges!
3. Join the Cheer Pom Division
Besides exciting stunts and tosses, cheerleading also includes the elements of dance and jumps. Even better, there is a specific division where teams are scored solely based on those elements, which is the Cheer Pom division! The name of the division may differ among countries but essentially, the rules require every athlete to hold pom-poms for the routine. How impressive is it that cheerleaders are able to tumble, jump and turn with pom poms in their hands? (And be synchronised? Wow!) Get your hands on a pair of non-fraying pom poms and you are ready to train for the Cheer Pom division!
University of Minnesota Cheer Pom Team
Source: https://tv.varsity.com/articles/6070819-2018-uda-college-pom-division-breakdown
4. Easy to keep
Pom poms are generally fluffy with many strips sticking out, and they look like they would take so much space when you want to put them away after a competition. However, if your pom poms are of good quality, you can stack them on top of each other without damaging the pom poms. You don’t have to worry about the strips of the pom-poms getting tangled or torn off. This is a great feature especially for teams that travel frequently because the last thing you want to worry about while packing is how to bring your props onto the bus or plane. Simply use a luggage bag to bring them onboard!
5. Long-lasting
A good pair of pom poms may have a great color and is easy to handle, but a GREAT pair of pom poms is most importantly long-lasting. Given that team colors rarely change, investing in good quality props will save your time and money in the long run. Pom poms are often shaken vigorously and tossed around, so it is likely that handmade ones would not survive too long. Imagine buying the materials and making pom poms every year! Wouldn’t it be more convenient if you could keep the same pom poms for a few cheer seasons?
Now you know how the perfect pom poms can benefit your team, click https://shop.cheeraspirations.com/collections/props to get your hands on them! There are so many types of pom poms you can choose from and you can even customize the colors, sizes and materials that suit YOU!
Fun fact:
The origin of pom poms can be traced back to Scandinavia from the age of the Vikings (800-1066). It can be seen on the top of a hat-like helmet in a statuette of the Viking God Freyr, discovered in Sweden, 1904.
Helmets with pom poms spread across Europe and the pom pom colour and size signified rank and became a source of pride for soldiers. It was even on the helmets of French Napolean soldiers!
Check out the pom pom on the statuette’s helmet and also the French Napoleonic helmet below!
A statuette of Viking God Freyr
Source: Wikipedia
French Napoleonic Shako Helmet
Source: Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/French-Napoleonic-Shako-Helmet-Banding/dp/B07QX654BY)
