American Cheerleader Magazine

American Cheerleader magazine is the only special interest national magazine for American teens who are interested in cheerleading. The publisher is Lifestyle Ventures. The magazine has a circulation of over 3 million readers. It's of most interest to female teens who are already on a cheerleading team or are trying out for one. The magazine is eight years old and is published bimonthly.

American Cheerleader contains articles on developing cheering skills, expert advice, hints and tips from coaches and top ranking squads and training strategies. It also covers the cheerleader fashion scene of uniforms/ footwear and everyday apparel. Celebrities who are former cheerleaders share their success stories in every issue. Plus there is also useful information on fundraising activities. Health, safety or nutrition and beauty & style advice rounds out issues.

The stars of the magazine are the cheerleaders themselves. Most covers feature a smiling perky cheerleader who is the Cheerleader of the Month. Covers and articles show girls of different ethnic and racial backgrounds and reflect some of our country's diversity. Celebrities do not generally appear on covers. Recently guy cheerleaders started appearing on covers but not solo. The inclusion of male cheerleaders on covers reflects the fact that more males are now cheerleaders. Covers are colorful, glossy and attractive. The cover cheerleaders are always wearing their cheering uniforms and are photographed on location.

The inside of the magazine is just as colorful as the cover to appeal to teen readers. Photography plays an omportant role in the magazine. The April issue has 136 pages. Roughly 74 pages are ads. This is more than half the magazine and is a typical amount for issues. Sometimes it is hard to tell the ads from the magazine's editorial content.

Although the ads are colorful, and for the most part directly related to cheering, they do overwhelm issues. Some are helpful to readers and list championship and contest schedules; others sell uniforms/shoes or other apparel and jewelry. There are beauty products and snack foods advertised also. The rest of the ads are for fundraising kits. Ninety-nine percent of ads are aimed solely at female teens who comprise the magazine's readership.

The Table of Contents is just inside the cover on two succeeding pages. I wish they were face to face. Several colorful action photos of cheerleaders adorn both pages. The pages are vibrant and filled with energy. The titles & page numbers of each section are printed in different bright colors to liven up pages. The layout of the magazine is good; almost all articles are completed on succeeding pages. There is very little flipping of pages to finish articles. Issues are basically divided into Cheer Training, Beauty & Style File, News & Views, Features and often a Special Section or Supplement. Ocassionally an extra section appear.

The Cheer Training section is perhaps the most exciting section of the magazine. Every month readers will find the Coach's Clinic, Stunt School and Ready, Hit It! These articles show short routines, stunts or cheers/chants of different winning cheerleading squads. Sequences are shown in photographs and described clearly in text. My main complaint is that often team photos are dark since they are distance shots taken on location and include the whole team. This is especially true for Coaches Clinic & Ready, Hit It!

For example, In the April issue the Coaches Clinic uses 16 small dark photographs crammed on two pages to demonstrate a stunt formation of four groups on a Denver team. Readers really have to study the photograph closely to follow the routine. The same problem is in Ready, Hit It. Here eighteen small photos of a cheer routine crowd two pages. Although the photos are small at least they are on facing pages so the cheer can be seen in its entirety without flipping pages. The Stunt School section does better using several sequential close-up shots of cheerleaders demonstrating a neat stunt. Unfortunately the stunts are not concluded on facing pages.

Overall the sections are always colorful and useful for cheerleaders to read. There are good tips for spotters, bases and flyers in every issue. Basic tumbling tips also appear regularly. The chants are great for pumping up school spirit at pep rallies or games. I just hope that teams practice under supervision and don't attempt the stunts and pyramid formations on their own. The routines are effective and well choreographed.

In each issue Cheer Training usually has a Personal Trainer article with a fitness regimen. This is an important section for helping avoid injuries. The photographs are always close-up and clear. Step by step instructions are always included.

Usually it is a series of stretching exercises or a workout for particular parts of the body. The exercises are meant to develop and strengthen muscles for the demands of cheerleading. Even non-cheerleaders can benefit from them. I think it's great that the section suggests ways of varying workouts to use additional muscles and make exercising more fun. The workouts also suggest how to step up workouts a notch once readers have mastered the basics.

April has a 3-page jump-rope workout that covers all the essentials including: sizing up your rope correctly, warming up with rope turns, stretching exercises, jumping routines, cooling-down and final stretching. There are 13 additional suggestions for foot patterns to vary the workout. Other recent workouts have been on developing stronger backs and abs (April, 2001,) the shoulders and arms (Aug,) and power-building exercises to improved jumping (June.) There are also suggestions for including music during exercising - again to make it more enjoyable.

Many issues also have a section called Safety Savvy. Sometimes it appears under Features or other sections; sometimes it is a special report. In April, Safety Savvy is under Cheer Training and is a good 3-page article on shoulder injuries. October's issue has a great feature on safety "First Aid 101" - a 6-page pullout article that I saved. Unfortunately it isn't on stiffer paper or bound together into a handy booklet form. Although geared for cheerleading injuries, everyone can use the information provided. Other recent topics are on knee pain, ankle sprains, the mental side of rehab and common exercise errors. The magazine's Safety Savvy section is often written by a medical orthopedist.

In other issues, Safety Savvy becomes a health section dealing with topics such as anorexia, bulimia, menstruation problems, hoarseness and current health news for athletes. Mostly though, health advice is given in a section on nutrition called Smart Eating. Recent topics have been on choosing wisely at salad bars, healthy snack choices, the health value of yogurt and avoiding junk food. Good advice and information is always dispensed in the health, safety and nutrition articles. I wish all these topics were all included in every issue.

The Beauty & Style File always contains Gameday Beauty and Cool Stuff. Gameday Beauty usually has a contrived untidy hairdo that I don't really like. For April it a funky and fun look that some teens may enjoy. There is always a great close-up photo and step by step instructions for achieving the look. Personally I think a neat, simpler hairdo is in order for game day or competition. The interesting thing I noticed is that the top ranking teams all sport simple hairdos.

Sometimes the make-up on the cheerleader is overdone. It's okay for competitions but I hope teens don't copy the look for school. Other beauty advice includes care of skin, hands and feet. In April there is a colorful 2-page section on home manicures. Tips and suggestions for products are given; prices are reasonable. Female cheerleaders will like the section; male cheerleaders won't.

Cool stuff is a one-page theme section that offers unique ideas for teens to wear or use. They are usually loosely related to cheering and geared for females. There is generally a good range of prices. Teens can substitute less expensive sources for higher priced products. The April issue shows fashion ideas for socks, shoes and accessories - mostly in tones of blues and purples.

Other issues highlight desk accessories, animal prints, loungewear, electric hair products (dryers, curlers, and straighteners) and rain gear. The section is seasonal and stylish. Around the holidays there are gift ideas; in the summer-cheer camp gear or swimsuits; in August-back to school stuff; fall and winter issues carry seasonal fashions. I especially liked a recent Cool Stuff page on teen products all costing under $10-to fit teen budgets. Although the selections are good, basically Cool Stuff is thinly veiled advertising. But cheerleaders themselves model the fashions, not professional models which is refreshing.

The April issue also has a nice roundup on the hottest new crop of spring 2002 uniforms and the latest sun wear for Nationals. Contact information is listed at the back of the magazine but there is no information on prices - probably because of variables such as customization costs and quantity discounts. Sometimes this section also is a Special Section like the Annual Cheer Shoe Guide.

News & Views is usually comprised of interesting short pieces on all the latest cheering competition news. Sheila's Sidelines, Backtalkback, What's Going On? We Did It; Cheer-O-Scope (horoscope) and Fly Girls are in this section. Find out about winning championship teams, cheering for charities, recruiting sites, your horoscope and other issues. I think that too much of every issue is devoted to winners of competition.

Sheila's Sidelines is the editor's letter. In this issue Sheila talks about a topic that she covers each April - the dreaded tryouts. She introduces the timely article "Tryouts in a Pinch" which is a 14-day countdown to tryouts with 25 helpful tips for improving performance. There are more photos here of the Cheerleader of the Month. The letter is always well written in a warm friendly tone.

Backtalkback is the department for readers' letters. Most the girls who submit comments praise the magazine for its encouragement and advice or have questions about getting more information. Letters are generally very short because most are sent through e-mail. The quick read section is only a half page.

April's Fly Girls has a collegiate-level pyramid formation that is illegal at the high school level. The magazine clearly states that right on the picture. The main photo fills the page and two small sequential photos are also included. It's a colorful way to end the issue. It gives high school cheerleaders something to look forward to when they reach the college level. Naturally, there is no instruction for how to accomplish the pyramid formation since most readers are on the high school level.

Features always include the Cheerleader of the Month cover article with official entry form and the Squad of the Month article. Other regular topics are on tryouts, cheering contests (including official ballots), college cheering scholarship/coaching information, nutrition, highlights on a guy cheerleader (It's a Guy Thing,) fundraising ideas and celebrity pieces on former cheerleaders - male and female. Features are well written, entertaining and motivational. Most features run about 2-4 pages and are filled with colorful photographs or illustrations. They are mostly quick reads and entertaining.

The features that highlight college level cheering are especially helpful to high school cheerleaders. So are the articles that teach cheerleaders how to manage study and practice sessions. Many cheerleaders probably use the information on camp jobs to land employment. There are also articles about the usefulness of other activities in developing cheering skills like dancing, skating and basketball. The celebrity articles usually tell how cheering helped the popular celebrities become stars and are inspirational to teens. In April, readers learn what it means to cheer at West Point and the U.S. Naval Academy.

Many issues also have Special Sections or Supplements. April's issue has one called, GUIDES TO GO BY. It includes the very useful 5-page Annual Cheer Shoe Guide which contains an extremely useful chart listing over 40 styles with information on brand, model name, price and construction and if the style can be color customize to match uniforms. Prices are reasonable ranging from $18-$70. There are photos of 11 styles with information on fit, comfort and stability. Teams will appreciate that some new styles now permit further customization using original designs, mascots or symbols. There is an additional chart on nearly twenty dance sneakers.

April's issue also includes The 8th Annual Camp Guide. This guide is a 10-page comprehensive directory of a wide variety of cheer camps around the country. It gives concise information about programs, curriculums, instructors' qualifications, benefits for coaches, location, cost, sessions, special deals and contact information. These camps are a great way for students to receive intensive instruction in a fun atmosphere. Sleep-away, commuter, private camps can all be found here for all levels of ability. There is a good range of prices. By using different colors & sizes in the print, the information is easily read and neatly laid out for teens to peruse. The guide is very timely. Coming out soon will be the magazine's publication "The American Cheerleader Coach's Handbook 20002," the most comprehensive camp and competition guide for $7.95.

Past issues of American Cheerleader magazine for the 2001-2 year have carried Special Sections on college preparation, scholarships/cheer programs, fabulous fundraisers, revving up school spirit, workouts, back to school preparation and try-out training. The Ocboer 2001 issue has an exciting three article Special Section on Preparing for College. It explains the advantages to cheerleaders for attending a 2-year college first and then applying for a squad at a four-year college. The three articles gave teens lots to ponder. The very worthwhile Special Sections are more detailed and longer than articles in the rest of the magazine

Girls 7 to 12 might enjoy the sister publication American Cheerleader Junior. This magazine introduces younger girls to cheering. Cheer hopefuls learn cheers, jumps and chants plus warm up activities. It also includes crafts and gift ideas to make for the squad. Find puzzles and games inside. Behind the scene visits to camps and competitions are fun for pre-teens to read.

Visit American Cheerleader's colorful Website for extra articles on cheering, contests, message boards, polls and shopping. The Website is easy to navigate. Although a few back issues are available, you must be a magazine subscriber to access them. More recent back issues are unavailable. You can subscribe to the magazine on the Website, www.americancheerleader.com - 6 issues for $14.95. This is a saving of 37% off the newsstand price.

For a better deal, use the enclosed post card inside issues and receive 6 issues for $9.95. For a still better deal, subscribe through magazinevalues.com right on the Epinions.com site - 6 issues for $4.95. Newsstand issues cost $3.99 US or $4.99 Canada. The April issue will be on newsstands until May 6th. Our office receives a complementary subscription to American Cheerleader from the publisher for our reception room.

To sum up, I think American Cheerleader magazine is a wonderful way for teens to learn some new chants, cheers and stunts. Cheerleaders will receive great tips and advice from experts. The magazine is entertaining educational and interesting to read. The editorials are well written and informative. There's lots of information on training strategies and workouts. It is a good source for fundraising information and cheering uniforms. It's refreshing that non-celebrity cheerleaders grace covers and demonstrate routines. I don't find anything objectionable in the fashions, editorials, articles or advice columns.

I agree with the magazine's philosophy that cheerleading has now become a sport and that teens need to train extensively. It is not just about wearing cute short uniforms, waving pom poms and attracting guy attention. Cheerleading has changed greatly since I was a cheerleader in high school. It now demands more training, stamina, muscle development and skill.

My negative thoughts are that ads overwhelm the magazine. The magazine could also contain even more coverage on chants, cheers and stunts and less coverage of competition winners in every issue. Perhaps there should be more content for male cheerleaders. There is little in the magazine for them now. Most of the photos and covers are of female cheerleaders. Few males would want to subscribe to the magazine. I see progress in this direction with the new It's a Guy Thing section and the inclusion of male celebrities who were former cheerleaders. Girls enjoy reading about the guys also. I'd like to see the magazine publish more than 6 issues yearly.

If you have a budding cheerleader in your family or one already involved in cheerleading, check out this magazine. Much of the information is not available elsewhere. It isn't perfect but it's the best there is on the new trends in cheerleading.