by Susan Smalls

Created on: August 18, 2009

The herkie is one of the most basic jumps in cheerleading, and every cheerleader should know how to do one. In fact, herkies are often judged during tryouts, so most aspiring cheerleaders know how to do them before even making the team. The jump itself is not difficult to learn, but it is a skill, and as a skill it takes time and practice to perfect.

The first step in learning how to do any jump is stretching. It is very important for cheerleaders to stretch and warm up their muscles before practicing so that they do not pull anything. Although it is important to stretch all the muscles in your body, another good stretch for this specific jump is to sit on the floor in the herkie position and try to touch your toes. This is also good for beginners because it allows them to become familiar with the jump while still on the ground. This way they know how their legs should perform in the air, which will help to lessen the risk of injury.

The herkie position involves the strongest leg, as well as the most flexible, being straight out in front of you. The other leg is bent beneath you. While sitting on the floor in this position, reach for your toes to improve flexibility. It is also a good idea to practice posture and arm positions. Your back should be straight while performing the jump and your head should be up. Hips should be rolled under to sit up as straight and tall as possible. My coaches have always called this riding high in the saddle because it's similar to riding horses with perfect posture.

There are several different arm positions that can be performed with the herkie, so you need to decide what works best for you and your team. Arms could simply be in a high V, (where your arms are straight up forming a V shape), a T (where your arms are straight out to the side, making your body look like the letter t), or one arm could go on your hip, with the other arm in a touchdown (your arm is straight up by your head). If the third option is chosen, the arm on your hip should be the same as the leg that is bent beneath you.

Now that the basic position for this jump is learned, it is time to perform it in air. The most basic prep for a jump involves an eight count prep. On 1,2, you clap your hands together and bend your knees. 3,4 your arms go in a high V and you go up on your toes to prepare for the jump. Some teams choose to take a prep jump on 3,4 instead of going on your toes, so these counts might vary slightly. On 5,6, your arms circle around in front of you, and you bend your knees to spring off the balls of your feet into the air and perform the jump on 7,8.

When landing the jump, make sure to land with a slight bend in your knees to avoid injury. Your feet should also be together when landing. And don't forget to have fun, point your toes, and smile!

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