Soaring High: The Average Height Of College Cheerleaders

Cheerleaders get thrown up pretty high in the air so they must be pretty light. But how tall are college cheerleaders?

As a cheerleader aficionado, I’m able to tell you the difference between good cheerleaders and bad cheerleaders, since I have spent so much time studying the sport. 

I’ve seen well over 1,000 cheerleaders audition and I can tell you the average height, while standard, is not important when determining the value of a good cheerleader.

College Cheerleading

College cheerleading is cheerleading at the collegiate level. College cheerleaders attend sporting events to motivate the team playing by inspiring the crowd through their use of jumps, flips, stunts, dances, and routines. 

College cheerleading is considered way more competitive than highschool cheerleading since some colleges offer cheerleading scholarships to talented cheerleaders on the cheerleading teams who go on to pursue careers in gymnastics, dance, or the entertainment industry. 

College cheer coaches usually tend to start recruiting for cheerleaders in highschool, picking out the highest tier cheerleaders before they get to the highest cheerleading level. 

College cheerleading is usually a mix of male and female students with male students helping female students fly in the air. 

Cheerleaders, who are normally college students,  are often seen as ambassadors for their schools, and are expected to maintain high standards of personal conduct and academic achievement.

Cheerleading coaches are usually looking for individuals who perform well during game day as well as perform great at national competitions. So performance is key to becoming a great college cheerleader. 

College cheerleading is often considered a stepping stone to becoming a member of the NFL cheerleaders. 

NFL Cheerleaders are considered professional cheerleaders and are among the elite levels of cheerleading. 

Height Requirements

For college cheerleading, there typically is no height requirement to land a spot on the team.

While some positions on the team are occupied by a certain height range, this doesn’t mean your height automatically excludes you from fulfilling a certain position. 

As well, during the tryout process you won’t be evaluated on weight requirements either. 

Even for all star teams, coaches are looking more for tumbling skills than they are weight and height requirements. 

Tumbling skills are important, since tumbling skills are what make up the majority of the routines. 

If you are capable enough to complete the routines and stunts without any fault, your height won’t matter to the college coach as long as you can complete the task. 

In college cheer, you are performing for a huge audience, so the ability to maintain cool under pressure is just as much as a positive as your height. 

If you’d like to be a flier, but are worried about your height, take your weight into account too, as this will be a factor.  

Being a college cheerleader isn’t just about being a certain height or weight, but it’s more so about your ability to complete the routines, do the stunts, and motivate the crowd and team to victory. 

Other Factors That Decide Your Success

There are many other factors that can determine your ability for success in college cheerleading. The cheerleading coaches will first look at your strength. 

If you are a taller cheerleader, you may have more strength making you good for a bottom position that supports the lighter cheerleaders. 

With this strength you can support your teammates during acrobatic stunts that allow for aesthetic and crowd pleasing movements. 

If you are a shorter cheerleader, you have the ability to be thrown in the air and do flier activities like flips and handstands. 

Your height in this situation will allow you to become more versatile in your abilities and add on to the stunts you can perform. 

If you are a male cheerleader, you more than likely have more strength so you can do more catches and support positions. 

If you are more dedicated towards leadership, you can run routines and make sure individuals stick to their roles during those routines. 

When you are enrolled in college programs other than college cheer, you can become a team leader in academic achievement and time management. 

There are tons of other roles that can lead to your success. There are lots of ways you can add value to the team besides just being a certain height. 

So if you are worried about your height disqualifying you from getting a certain spot on the team, don’t fret, because you are able to add value in lots of other ways that the team is sure to appreciate. 

What Do College Cheer Coaches Look For

College cheer coaches are looking for someone who is dedicated to the sport. College coaches want someone who is able to be taught, not someone who thinks they know everything. 

A person who thinks they know everything is the worst addition to a team, since they are unwilling to be a team member. 

A team member is someone who remains teachable, but at the same time, willing to dedicate themselves to the craft of learning what they’re being taught. 

For example, someone who is willing to learn a routine from scratch, learn it quickly, memorize it, forget everything else they know, and commit to practicing the current routine they are working on instead of bringing up ideas for how routines could be better. 

Cheer coaches at colleges are looking for someone who can at least do the basic flips and stunts that are required of cheerleaders. 

There’s no point in training the basics, so if you don’t know the basics down pat yet, learn them as soon as possible since cheer coaches want you to have the basics down without question. 

A college coach is looking for someone who is a team player, willing to help other team members with issues they are having. 

There’s no point in competing with your team members. A coach will want you to help other team members in their times of need instead of scoffing or making fun of them. 

Lastly, a coach will want your dedication to the sport, but also your dedication to school. 

They will want a full rounded student who aims to become successful in life, and not just good at cheerleading but bad at other areas of school like academics or clubs. 

Key Takeaways

• The average height for college cheerleaders is between 5’2 and 5’8.
• College cheerleading is competitive since scholarships are involved. 
• There are no height or weight requirements for college cheerleading.
• College cheer coaches look for dedicated individuals who are team players.
• College cheer is about motivating the team to victory.