So you got picked as cheer captain! Your heart is racing with joy and maybe a bit of worry too. Being captain means you’ll need to talk to your team often. You’ll pump them up before games, help them through hard times, and lead them to be their best. Good speeches can make your team feel strong, brave, and ready to win. Bad speeches? Well, they can make your team feel lost and sad.
Getting up to talk in front of your team can feel scary. But don’t worry! With the right words and some practice, you can give great speeches that make your team feel amazing. Your words have power. The tips below will help you use that power to be the best cheer captain you can be.
Cheer Captain Speech Ideas
These ideas will help you speak to your team in ways that make them feel special, strong, and ready to shine. Each idea can be changed to fit what your team needs at that time.
1. The “We Are Family” Speech
Your cheer team is like a second family. Talk about how each person brings something special to the team. Share how the team is stronger because each member has their own skills and gifts.
Family means having each other’s backs no matter what happens. Tell your team that win or lose, you all stick together. This speech works well at the start of the season when you’re trying to build team spirit.
2. The “Look How Far We’ve Come” Speech
Start with stories about how your team looked at the first practice of the year. Talk about the falls, the missed steps, and the times when nothing seemed to work right.
Then switch to how amazing the team is now. Point out the hard stunts you can do, the sharp moves, and the big smiles. This speech is perfect after a few months of practice when your team might be feeling tired.
3. The “One More Time” Speech
Sometimes your team will feel too tired to keep going. They might want to give up or take a break. This is when you need to push them – but in a kind way.
Ask them to try one more time. Just one. Tell them you know they have a little bit more to give. Share how proud you are of their hard work. This speech works during tough practices when everyone is ready to quit.
4. The “We Can Do Hard Things” Speech
Cheer is not easy! Talk about the bruises, the sore muscles, and the times you all wanted to cry. Mention how these hard times have made your team stronger and better.
Next, point to a hard stunt or routine you need to work on. Say that yes, it’s hard – but your team can do hard things. You’ve proven it before! This speech is great before trying something new and scary.
5. The “Game Day Energy” Speech
Right before a big game, your team needs to feel excited and full of energy. Start by having everyone take three deep breaths together to calm any nerves.
Then slowly build up the energy by talking faster and louder. End with a team chant that gets everyone jumping and ready to go. This speech should be short but full of fire and fun.
6. The “Each Mistake Makes Us Better” Speech
Nobody likes to mess up. But in cheer, falls and flubs happen all the time. Help your team see that each mistake is a step toward getting better.
Tell a story about a time you kept making the same mistake but then fixed it. Ask your team to see errors as teachers, not problems. This speech helps after a bad practice or when someone is being too hard on themselves.
7. The “Small Goals, Big Dreams” Speech
Big dreams can seem too far away. Break down your team’s big goals into tiny steps that feel possible. Talk about how each small win leads to big success.
Give each person a small goal for the day or week. Then tie these small goals to the team’s big dreams for the season. This speech works well at the start of practice when setting the day’s plans.
8. The “Our Team, Our Rules” Speech
Every great team has rules and values they live by. Talk about what makes your team special – maybe it’s kindness, hard work, or never giving up.
Ask your team to help make a list of team rules or values. When everyone helps make the rules, they’re more likely to follow them. This speech is good at the start of the season or when team spirit needs a boost.
9. The “Thank You” Speech
Being thankful feels good! Take time to thank each person on your team for something special they bring. Be very specific about what each person does that helps the team.
Don’t forget to thank your coaches, the school, and even the parents who drive everyone to practice. Gratitude brings people together. This speech is perfect for the end of a season or after a big win.
10. The “Pick Each Other Up” Speech
In cheer, we literally pick each other up. But we also need to pick each other up with our words and actions. Talk about how the team can support each other both on and off the mats.
Give examples of how to be kind and helpful to teammates who are having a bad day. This speech is good when you notice team members being mean or when someone is going through a hard time.
11. The “Every Voice Matters” Speech
As captain, you need to hear what everyone thinks. Tell your team that each person’s ideas and feelings are important. Let them know you want to hear from everyone, not just the loud ones.
Create a way for shy team members to share their thoughts. Maybe use a suggestion box or one-on-one chats. This speech works when you want to make changes and need input from the whole team.
12. The “Face Your Fears” Speech
Everyone has fears. Maybe it’s trying a new stunt, speaking in front of people, or letting the team down. Talk openly about your own fears to show it’s okay to be scared.
Then give tips for facing fears: take deep breaths, visualize success, or lean on teammates for support. This speech helps before trying new, scary stunts or before a big competition.
13. The “What Makes Us Special” Speech
Every cheer team has something that makes them stand out. Maybe your team has the best jumps, the biggest smiles, or the most creative cheers. Help your team see what makes them special.
Focus on your team’s strengths rather than comparing to other teams. Building on what you do well leads to more success than fixing weaknesses. This speech boosts confidence before seeing other teams perform.
14. The “Learn From The Best” Speech
Look at top cheer teams. What do they do well? Without putting your own team down, talk about what you can learn from watching the best of the best.
Pick one thing your team can try to copy from a team you admire. Keep it simple and doable. This speech works well when showing videos of other teams or after watching a competition.
15. The “We Win Together, We Lose Together” Speech
Winning feels amazing! But losing can teach us more. Talk about how both wins and losses belong to the whole team, not just one person.
No one person should take all the blame for a mistake, just like no one person gets all the credit for a win. This speech helps after a competition, whether you won or lost.
16. The “Energy Check” Speech
Sometimes practices get slow and boring. Do an energy check with your team. On a scale of 1-10, how is everyone feeling? If energy is low, try a quick game or fun cheer to pep things up.
If energy is too wild and unfocused, try a calming team circle or breathing exercise. This speech is really a quick check-in that works in the middle of practice when things aren’t going well.
17. The “One Team, One Dream” Speech
Teams work best when everyone shares the same goals. Talk about what your team wants to achieve this season. Make sure everyone is working toward the same dream.
Create a team motto or slogan that captures this shared dream. Say it together at the end of practices. This speech helps at the start of the season when setting goals.
18. The “Trust Fall” Speech
Cheer requires so much trust! You trust your bases to catch you, your flyers to stay tight, and your coaches to teach you safely. Talk about what trust means in cheerleading.
Do team bonding activities that build trust, like actual trust falls or partner stunts. This speech works well when trust seems low or before trying new partner stunts.
19. The “It’s Okay to Ask for Help” Speech
Being strong doesn’t mean doing everything alone. Tell your team it’s okay to ask for help with stunts, schoolwork, or personal problems. Asking for help shows wisdom, not weakness.
Share a time when you needed help and how asking made things better. This speech is good when you notice team members struggling but trying to hide it.
20. The “Crowd Connection” Speech
Cheerleaders are the link between the crowd and the game. Talk about how your energy affects the whole gym or stadium. Your job is to make that connection strong!
Practice making eye contact, using big voices, and having sharp movements that grab attention. This speech is perfect before games or pep rallies when your team will be in front of a crowd.
21. The “Find Your Why” Speech
Everyone has a reason they joined cheer. Some love to fly, others love to dance. Some joined for friends, others for fitness. Help each team member find their “why.”
When practices get tough, remembering why you love cheer can keep you going. This speech works at the start of the season or during a mid-season slump.
22. The “Positive Self-Talk” Speech
The way we talk to ourselves matters! Teach your team to replace negative thoughts (“I can’t do this”) with positive ones (“I’m getting better every day”).
Have everyone come up with a positive phrase they can say to themselves when things get hard. This speech helps when you hear team members putting themselves down.
23. The “Clean Slate” Speech
Bad practices happen. Bad competitions happen too. Sometimes you need to just wipe the slate clean and start fresh. Give your team permission to let go of past mistakes.
Try a symbolic activity like writing down what went wrong and then throwing the papers away. This speech helps after a really bad day when everyone feels upset.
24. The “Strong Body, Strong Mind” Speech
Cheer needs both physical and mental strength. Talk about how taking care of your body with good food, water, and sleep helps your mind stay sharp too.
Share healthy habits that have helped you as an athlete. This speech works well during long practice days when everyone needs a reminder to drink water and fuel their bodies.
25. The “Legacy” Speech
What mark will your team leave on your school’s cheer program? Talk about the teams that came before you and what they passed down. Then discuss what your team wants to be known for.
Create a special tradition that future teams might keep doing. This speech is meaningful at the end of a season, especially for teams with graduating seniors.
Wrap-up
Your words as cheer captain have the power to lift your team higher than any stunt. The right speech at the right time can turn a bad practice around or push your team to try harder than they thought possible.
The best speeches come from your heart. Use these ideas as starting points, but add your own stories and feelings. Your team will respond to your honesty more than fancy words.
Good luck, captain! Your team is lucky to have you leading the way.