Cheerleading Accessories - It's All About The Bows!

Big Bows:

This weekend was an exciting time in downtown Detroit. Cobo Hall hosted JamFest 2008 and CZ was there to get the latest in hair trends teams had to offer. To our surprise the hair styles were all similar but it was all about the bow that made each team unique. Shocking colors, crazy patterns, sequin, glitter and some really cool placements. Here are a few of the team looks we liked the best:

Cheer Curls Hairpieces:

When your team looks uniform with matching hairstyles it gives them that extra feeling of unity when they take center stage. There are many great places online to find cheer curls hairpieces! With this hairpiece it is easier for all of the girls, regardless of hair color, length, or type, to all match effortlessly and without any permanent changes.

High Ponytails All Around:

The ponytail hairstyle has been around for quite a long time. Ponytails are friendly to all hair textures, curly and wavy ponytails being as chic as smooth and straight. A ponytail does not require the styling time and effort of most hair dos, and is the easiest way for anyone to style. A trendy look at JamFest 2008 was a very high ponytail accented with hair bows properly placed in front. A little “in-your-face attitude” was shown when it came to hairstyles this season but from the stage they really did shine.

How To Do a Proper Ponytail:

Putting your hair up in the ponytail for a competition is easy, and takes only a few minutes. The mass of your hair is gathered into a single chunk. You choose how high or low to gather it and be sure your hair is damp for sleek results. Once you have collected your hair together, you then secure it with a covered elastic hair tie making sure not to have any breakage when taken out. Secure your flyaways with bobby pins that blend with your natural hair color. Using hairspray is optional depending on what type of hair you have, but a little extra hold never hurts, and this is also a great way to make glitter stick for a little extra sparkle. A ponytail can be placed anywhere on your head, one side or the other… high or low… be creative!!

Here is a helpful guide of bow placement options for your team.

If you think your team has a great competition look this season post a comment with links to your team pics.

Go to cheerzone.com and check out our great selection of hair bos and screamers!

Cheerleading Safety - Stay Safe While Cheerleading

Cheerleading has gone from an eye-candy sport for football players and sports jocks to an all out gymnastic type routine. Cheerleaders are now asked to perform highflying stunts that reach heights nearing twenty feet…sometimes more! With cheerleading injuries accounting for 55 to 65 percent of sports related injuries, safety is a concern for parents and spectators alike. Below are some tips you may find helpful when it comes to the safety of our cheerleaders:

1. Is our coach AACCA certified through the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators safety course and has our school conducted the appropriate background checks?

The American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators is the largest not-for-profit educational organization for cheerleading coaches. AACCA operates as an independent organization since it’s founding by Varsity Spirit Corporation. AACCA certification features safety awareness training with a safety test administered at the end of the training session. The AACCA Safety Course is required for all NCAA cheerleading coaches, and by school districts and states around the country. It should be required for yours.

2. Does our coach adhere to accepted practice and performance guidelines?

AACCA practice guidelines require direct supervision by a coach with practices held in a location suitable for the activities of cheerleaders (i.e., use of appropriate mats, away from excessive noise and distractions, etc.) Most states require adherence to the skill restrictions put in place by the National Federation of High Schools. Your program should be following these rules and procedures, which include restrictions on skills such as basket toss flips and pyramids, which involve more than two persons high.


3. Does our coach ensure that performance skills are taught in the proper sequence using skills progression training, with an emphasis on training all squad members in proper spotting methods?

Skills progression training ensures that cheerleaders build upon mastered technique when learning more difficult and advanced stunts or tumbling, i.e. cartwheel to round-off to back-hand spring. Spotters are responsible for assisting or catching the top person in a stunt with a priority to protect the head, neck, and shoulders of the top person coming off of a stunt.

4. Does my child’s coach properly balance practice time between athletic training and spirit leadership instruction?

Cheerleading is an activity that builds self-confidence, leadership and communication skills and involves more than stunts and tumbling. Safety begins with leadership. Instilling these qualities in cheerleaders helps prevent accidents when all squad members hold safety as a priority. The stunts and tumbling involved in cheerleading should aid the cheerleader in generating excitement and participation by the fans. Performing difficult stunts only for the sake of athleticism should be avoided at games and reserved for competition venues with professional spotters and mats.

5. Does our squad have an emergency plan in place?

A comprehensive emergency plan is necessary to provide a quick and effective response to an emergency situation with specific duties assigned to all responders. A sample emergency plan can be found at http://www.aacca.org/content.aspx?item=Resources/EmergencyPlan.xml.

Cheerleading Apparel - Keeping It Warm! Cold Weather Fashion

It was all about keeping warm at this year's Birch Run Santa’s Championship Competition. With the weather so cold these next couple of months, squads are looking to keep warm in style. I decided to put together a list of my favorite fashions to keep warm this winter:

Olympian Warm-Up Set
One style from Birch Run that I recognized right away was the Charles River Olympian Jacket & Pant. This warm-up was worn by a cheer gym and customized with bright neon green tackle twill lettering that really stood out. I didn’t get a pic but here is what the warm-up looks like. So you can just imagine the possibilities with your team colors.


Endurance Warm-Up Set
Second on the list is a warm-up set that is a cheer teams must have whether you're a competitive, high school, or youth squad. This would the most economical choice. This is a very traditional unisex solid warm-up that comes in black, red, dark green, navy, dark maroon, and royal. It can easily be worn over your uniform with sizes ranging from youth small to adult extra large, so this $19.99/piece warm-up is great for any team on a budget. These warm-ups are also in-stock as well so if you need them quickly this should be your first choice for cold weather fashion.

Verve Warm-Up Set
Next up is the new Verve Warm-Ups set from Don Alleson available May 1st through yours truly. This set is great for girls wanting a more fitted look. Comes in black/white, red/white, dark green/white, scarlet/white, royal/white, navy/white, purple/white. and pink/white. This jacket can be worn over any cheerleading shell or bodyliner. Wearing the pants over your skirt is optional depending on how form fitting the skirt style is. What I like best about this style is the band along the pants backside area that can be lettered or embroidered with your team name. Letter the front of the jacket as well to have that whole “make an entrance, leave an impression” statement to all the other teams and fans.



Custom Uniform Warm-Ups Set
With these warm-ups you can mix match 10 different style jackets with any one of seven style custom pants. What’s great about these warm-ups is that they can be completely customized. You can match your uniforms color, striping, and lettering. Make sure to order these at the same time you order uniforms because due to the customization they will take approximately 8 weeks to produce. The wait is well worth what you’ll get in the end. The best part about these warm-ups is that they are available on our Custom Uniform Creator for you to edit and try out different looks. You can order just the warm-up or pair it up with a uniform. Get your whole team to create a look and then vote to see whose creation will be used for your team look this year. Cheer Coaches…this is a great way to take a little of the ordering stress off your shoulders and make it a fun team oriented activity.


Trendy Winter Accessories
Accessories such as fleece head warmers and spirit beanies are always in fashion, but this year we noticed a lot of girls wearing leg warmers and arm warmers to accent their team uniform colors. I made a short list of product images below that we like best. Some we carry some we hope to carry. Take a look and let us know which accessories you like best.






Head Warmers
































Arm Warmers





























Leg Warmers

Tights…a little on the whacky side, but sooooo cute!

Check out cheerzone.com for more great finds for keeping warm this season!