By Roxy Hayes-Brown
Cheerleading is a physically demanding sport that involves high-intensity movements, from tumbling and stunting to jumping and dancing. To ensure athletes perform at their best and avoid injury, a proper warm-up is essential. One of the most effective methods for warming up before cheer practice is the ballistic warm-up. At WILDCATS, we have intentionally chosen each element of our ballistic warm-up and continuously work to improve it as best practices evolve in our field.
We believe this warm-up is a vital component of a successful practice session, which is why it’s so important for athletes to arrive on time. Warm-up isn’t something to be skipped or rushed through—it is the foundation for everything that follows. Let’s explore why this warm-up is crucial for injury prevention, flexibility, skill enhancement, and mental preparation, and why being on time for the WILDCAT WARM-UP is so essential.
Injury Prevention:
One of the main reasons to incorporate a ballistic warm-up into cheer practice is injury prevention. A study published in the Journal of Athletic Training shows that a proper warm-up—including ballistic movements—helps increase blood flow, raise core body temperature, and prepare muscles, tendons, and ligaments for the intense physical demands of cheerleading. This preparation reduces the risk of injuries like strains, sprains, and muscle pulls, all of which are common in high-impact sports like cheerleading and can really impact an athlete’s season.
The key takeaway here is that by being on time and ready to warm up, athletes ensure their bodies are properly prepared for the physical challenges of practice. Skipping this step, rushing through it, or doing the exercises without intention can leave the body unprepared, increasing the risk of injury.
Source: Journal of Athletic Training - "Warm-up and Injury Prevention in Youth Sport"
Dynamic Stretching:
Ballistic warm-ups often include dynamic stretching exercises—active movements performed through a full range of motion. These stretches are key to improving flexibility, mobility, and joint stability, which are essential for performing cheerleading skills safely and effectively.
Dynamic stretching helps prepare the muscles to be more pliable and responsive, reducing the risk of overstretching or injury. But for dynamic stretching to be effective, it needs to be done at the start of practice, when the body is fresh. Being on time ensures that cheerleaders don’t miss out on these crucial benefits and can start practice with the flexibility and readiness needed for the rest of the session without causing unnecessary delay to their teammates.
Source: National Strength and Conditioning Association - "Flexibility Training"
Skill Enhancement:
Cheerleading demands explosive movements, power, and agility. A ballistic warm-up activates the nervous system and primes the muscles for these high-intensity actions. Research from the Journal of Human Kinetics shows that a well-designed warm-up routine improves neuromuscular coordination, reaction time, and muscle recruitment patterns. This means that by properly preparing the body through ballistic movements, cheerleaders can perform their skills with greater precision and efficiency on a more consistent basis.
When athletes arrive on time and engage in the full warm-up routine, they set themselves up for better performance throughout practice. Missing this warm-up can impact how well they perform routines—both in the gym during practice and on stage at competitions.
Source: Journal of Human Kinetics - "Warm-Up Exercises, Acute Effect on Neuromuscular Efficiency"
Mental Preparation:
Warm-ups are not just about preparing the body—they also help athletes mentally prepare for the challenges ahead. A ballistic warm-up helps cheerleaders focus, clear their minds, and get into the right mindset for practice and performance. This mental preparation improves concentration, alertness, and overall readiness.
When athletes are on time, they have the opportunity to mentally transition into practice mode, creating a focused and positive mindset for the session. Rushing or skipping the warm-up can leave athletes distracted or unprepared mentally, which can affect their performance and teamwork And also lead to preventable injuries to themselves and others.
Source: The Sport Psychologist - "The Effect of Warm-Up on Performance"
At WILDCATS, we’ve intentionally chosen the ballistic warm-up for its proven benefits in injury prevention, flexibility, skill enhancement, and mental readiness. By incorporating this warm-up into every practice session, we help ensure our athletes perform at their best while minimizing the risk of injury. However, for this warm-up to be effective, it’s crucial that athletes arrive on time and ready to participate. Skipping the warm-up or arriving late means missing out on all the physical and mental preparation necessary to perform at the high level we expect of these athletes and that they learn to expect from each other. Trust is key, and trust is built in part by arriving ready to work together toward shared goals.
Remember, before incorporating any new warm-up routine or exercise, it’s always a good idea to consult with a qualified coach or sports professional to make sure it fits your athlete’s specific needs and abilities. If you have any questions or concerns, we would love to hear from you! Please feel free to send an email at your earliest convenience.
Stay safe, stay strong, and keep cheering on!
