From the Coaching Floor

Tips, Strategy &
Championship Thinking

Real talk from 20+ years on the competition floor. Coaching insights, program-building strategy, and everything in between.

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Featured Post · Choreography

How to Build a Routine That Actually Wins — Not Just Looks Good

Coach Jason Tiede ✦ April 2025 ✦ 8 min read
Most coaches design routines that look impressive in the gym. The best coaches design routines that score on the sheet. There's a big difference — and it comes down to understanding exactly what judges are rewarding at each level.
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All Posts

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Choreography
August 20266 min

Choosing an All-Star Cheer Choreographer for the New Season: What Actually Matters

Booking choreo for the new all-star season? How to vet a cheer choreographer so your routine scores — not just looks good in the reveal video.
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Competition
August 20266 min

Get Expert Routine Feedback Before You Compete: Cheer Video Review Explained

Learn how expert cheer video review works, what to send, and how timestamped score-sheet feedback finds the points you're leaving on the mat before you compete.
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Program Building
July 20267 min

Using Monthly Scorecards to Track and Grow Your Cheer Program

Stop running your cheer program on memory. How monthly scorecards turn athlete progress, retention, and coaching into data you can actually act on.
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Coaching Tips
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Cheer Skills Camps That Actually Move the Needle: Tumbling, Stunting, Technique

What separates a cheer skills camp that builds real skills from a fun day in the gym. How to run tumbling, stunting, and technique camps that show up on the floor.
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Choreography
June 20266 min

School Cheer Competition Routines: NFHS-Compliant Choreography That Scores

Build a school cheer routine that's NFHS and state-association legal and still scores. What coaches need to know about compliant competition choreography.
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Competition
July 20267 min

Score Sheet Strategy: Maximizing Execution Points and Cutting Deductions

How to read the cheer score sheet, win execution points, and cut deductions before you compete. Real strategy from a 20-year championship coach.
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Choreography
July 20266 min

Pom & Lyrical Choreography: Scoring With Artistry and Performance

How pom and lyrical routines win: build artistry, performance, and clean technique into choreography that scores. Coach J breaks down what judges reward.
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Choreography
June 20266 min

Prep Team Choreography: Building Competitive, Age-Appropriate, USASF-Legal Routines

Build a prep routine that's competitive, age-appropriate, and USASF-legal. What program owners need to know about prep choreography that actually scores.
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Choreography
June 20266 min

How to Choose a Cheer Choreographer for Your All-Star Team

A coach's guide to hiring the right all-star cheer choreographer — what to vet, what to ask, and how the right routine turns into placement.
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Program Building
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How to Grow Your Cheer Program Without Hiring a Full-Time Director

You don't need a $60K salary to get elite-level program strategy. Here's how smaller gyms are competing with the big dogs — and winning.
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Coaching Tips
February 20255 min

5 Things Judges Notice in the First 30 Seconds of Your Routine

The first half-minute sets the tone for every score on that sheet. Are you starting with your strongest foot forward — or wasting your best moments?
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Athlete Development
January 20257 min

Building a Team Culture That Actually Performs Under Pressure

Championships aren't won on skill alone. The teams that peak at the right moment share something most coaches overlook — and it starts in practice, not at competition.
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Competition
December 20244 min

The Pre-Competition Checklist Every Coach Needs (But Most Don't Have)

20+ years of competition days taught me one thing: chaos at a meet is almost always preventable. Here's the system I use with every program I work with.
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Choreography
November 20245 min

How to Choose Music That Actually Scores — Not Just Sounds Cool

Music selection is one of the most underrated decisions in building a competition routine. The wrong song can tank your execution score before the first skill.
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Program Building
October 20246 min

Athlete Retention: What Actually Keeps Kids Coming Back Season After Season

Growing from 30 athletes to 180 didn't happen by accident. The biggest driver wasn't skill — it was how athletes felt walking into the gym every day.
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