TRAINING TIMES 2020-21:
Wednesdays: 6-8pm
Thursdays: 8-10pm
Fridays: 7-9am
Sunday: 4-6pm
TRAINING
Training involves learning and developing skills, such as new stunts or tumbles, and building a competition routine. Our training sessions have a fast-paced, focused and fun atmosphere!
The Cambridge Lions work with Vogue Athletics All-Star Cheerleading based near Cambridge. We also have links with Cambridge Gymnastics Academy and many of our athletes visit their gym to develop their gymnastics skills.
Both teams train twice a week. This season, our first team will travel once a week to Vogue athletics in order to utilise their sprung floor and other specialist equipment. The second team also spends some training sessions here, especially in the lead up to competition.
COMPETITIONS AND PERFORMANCES
Before the first competition, the Cambridge Lions usually have a showcase where both teams get to show off their routines that they have been preparing all season to friends and family. This is a great way to practice performing to a crowd before hitting the competition floor and to raise the profile of cheerleading in Cambridge!
Every year we compete in two national competitions in Lent Term. During the 2022/2023 season we competed at Future Cheer University Nationals and BCA National Championships, taking place in February and March respectively. These are fun and full-on days where both teams' hard work pays off as they get to perform their routines to thousands of people.
We also support other Cambridge teams at their varsities and perform at a range of events, including May Balls!
POST-COMPETITIONS
Once competitions are over, we continue to train with relaxed sessions where athletes can try out whatever skills they want to! We organise fun sessions such as "Bring a Boy to Cheer" where athletes can bring along friends to try out cheerleading in a chilled environment.
Every Easter Term, we run Cuppers which is an inter-collegiate competition. Athletes from different Cambridge colleges form teams of both cheerleaders and non-cheerleaders and train for a few hours before showing off their mini routines. The last Cuppers winners were the Pembroke Martlets, who impressed the judges with their creative routine!
SOCIALS AND EVENTS
Along with training hard, the Cambridge Cougars love their socials! Our Social Secretary organises a variety of events throughout the year, including nights out, swaps, formals and end of term/season celebrations. Our Welfare Officer also organises a number of fun welfare-oriented socials, including film and pizza nights. All socials are open to both teams which means we all become a cheerleading family very quickly!
We also have links with a number of clubs in Cambridge which means the Cougars always have tickets to nights out. After every Varsity we visit Sunday Lolas, which is one of the biggest nights of the season where we get to celebrate our competition successes and take over the dancefloor!
