Tryout Preparation: Why It Starts Way Earlier Than You Think

The Secret to Cheer Team Culture that Runs Itself

If you've ever felt like the bad guy as a coach, this episode is going to completely change how you think about team culture and why your athletes keep bringing the drama. IN THIS EPISODE: Coaches, this one is for you. Before we get into a single skill, a single stunt, or a single competition routine this season, we need to talk about the foundation that determines whether all of that work actually holds together: team culture. Not the feel-good version of culture that gets talked about at camp. The real, practical, written-down version that takes you out of the bad guy seat and puts the accountability where it belongs. The secret to solving team drama is not a personality trait you either have or do not have as a coach. It is a system. When you increase clarity around what is and what is not allowed on your team, drama drops. When you enforce rules and expectations consistently, motivation goes up and culture gets stronger. The athletes who are genuinely here to build something will respond to structure. The ones who do not are showing you exactly who they are. In this episode, I walk through the framework I believe every coach needs before the first athlete walks through the door. From how to handle lineup changes without the fallout, to why writing things down changes everything, to what it actually looks like when a culture becomes self-sustaining without you having to hold it together every single day. KEY TAKEAWAYS: * When you increase clarity, you decrease drama. Most team conflict is a communication problem, not a personality problem. * Every rule and expectation needs to be defined in writing before the season starts, signed by athletes and parents, and referenced consistently throughout the year. * Removing "I didn't know" from the equation removes an athlete's ability to feel personally targeted by a consequence. * Lineup decisions become drama-free when the criteria for being on and off mat are established and agreed upon before the season begins. * A written athlete code of conduct gives everyone, including athletes, something concrete to reference when they want to bring a concern forward professionally. * The goal is a culture that runs itself. When structure is in place, the culture does the enforcing and you get to step out of the villain role entirely. ABOUT HYBRID CHEER: Hybrid Cheer isn't just a training program — it's a revolution in cheer for everyone. I founded Hybrid Cheer as a former gymnast, college cheerleader, and USA Weightlifting-certified coach to help athletes bridge the gap between raw talent and elite execution. No matter your age or skill level, you deserve top-tier training. We focus on technique, strength, and skill development to help you hit harder, stunt smarter, and train like a collegiate athlete. We don't just teach skills. We build athletes. CONNECT: * Follow Hybrid Cheer on Instagram @hybrid_cheer [https://www.instagram.com/hybrid_cheer/]  * Follow me on Instagram @bondejohnson [https://www.instagram.com/bondejohnson/] * Online Traininghybridcheer.com [http://hybridcheer.com]

How to Get Ready for Cheer Tryouts So You Can Make the Team

Welcome back to Bonde on Cheer, the podcast where we have honest conversations about coaching, training, team culture, and long-term athlete development in cheerleading. IN THIS EPISODE: Most athletes walk into tryout prep thinking about one thing: their hardest skill. In this episode, I break down why that short-term thinking is exactly what gets athletes cut, hurt, or stuck in a rut mid-season. The mental component of tryouts is what will trip you up before the physical ever does, and confidence is not hype. Confidence is ownership. I walk through the full training protocol I use at Hybrid Cheer, from a three-day strength and conditioning structure to a two-day cheer-specific training split, and explain why working everything up to your current skill level before pushing past it is the approach that actually produces results. RESOURCE MENTIONED: Get Bonde's Free 12-Week Workout Plan for Cheerleaders: https://hybridcheer.com/12-week-workout [https://hybridcheer.com/12-week-workout] KEY TAKEAWAYS: * Why confidence at tryouts has nothing to do with ego and everything to do with experience and preparation * The three-day strength and conditioning structure every cheerleader should follow, including push, pull, and conditioning days and what those actually look like * Why the biggest training mistake in cheer is going straight to your hardest skill and what to do instead * The full tumbling warmup progression I use with every athlete, from handstands to handstand pirouettes and why each step matters * The hard truth questions to ask yourself before throwing a skill at tryouts * How to communicate to a coach that you are working a skill without gambling on tryout day * The stunting training protocol for tryout prep, including the universal count system and how to run progressions without falling into the pit of despair * Why the tortoise always wins, and what that means for how you approach your entire season ABOUT HYBRID CHEER: Founded as a former gymnast, college cheerleader, and USA Weightlifting-certified coach, Bonde Johnson built Hybrid Cheer to help athletes bridge the gap between raw talent and elite execution. No matter your age or skill level, you deserve top-tier training. At Hybrid, the focus is on technique, strength, and skill development to help you hit harder, stunt smarter, and train like a collegiate athlete. We don't just teach skills. We build athletes. CONNECT: * Follow Hybrid Cheer on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hybrid_cheer [https://www.instagram.com/hybrid_cheer] * Follow Bonde on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bondejohnson [https://www.instagram.com/bondejohnson] * Online Training: https://www.hybridcheer.com [https://www.hybridcheer.com]

Tryout Preparation: Why It Starts Way Earlier Than You Think

Welcome back to Bonde on Cheer, the podcast where we have honest conversations about athlete development, team culture, coaching, training, and the lessons learned from years in the gym. IN THIS EPISODE: I'm breaking down what tryout preparation actually looks like and why the two-week grind mentality misses the point entirely. If you think tryouts are a first impression, think again. Coaches already know who you are before you walk through the door, and that means the real work starts long before tryout day. I cover what coaches are actually watching for, why clean skills will always beat difficult ones, and why strength and conditioning is the most underrated tool in your training arsenal. KEY TAKEAWAYS: * Why tryout preparation starts the day after last season's tryouts end, not two weeks before the next one * Why cleanliness always beats difficulty and what a coach sees when you throw a shaky skill you can barely replicate * What coaches are actually looking for beyond the skills, including attitude, coachability, and how you treat other athletes in the room * Why blank slate athletes with good fundamentals are often more valuable than highly skilled athletes with bad habits * Why strength and conditioning is still far behind where it should be in cheerleading and how building those habits consistently will make you a more coachable, more teachable athlete * What a successful tryout actually looks like, and why enjoying the process matters more than you think ABOUT HYBRID CHEER: Hybrid Cheer isn't just a training program, it's a revolution in cheer for everyone. I founded Hybrid Cheer as a former gymnast, college cheerleader, and USA Weightlifting-certified coach to help athletes bridge the gap between raw talent and elite execution. No matter your age or skill level, you deserve top-tier training. We focus on technique, strength, and skill development to help you hit harder, stunt smarter, and train like a collegiate athlete. We don't just teach skills, we build athletes. CONNECT: * Follow Hybrid Cheer on Instagram @hybrid_cheer [https://www.instagram.com/hybrid_cheer/] * Follow me on Instagram @bondejohnson [https://www.instagram.com/bondejohnson/] * Online Training hybridcheer.com [http://hybridcheer.com]

I Said I'd Never be a Cheerleader (Bonde Johnson on How He Built Hybrid Cheer)

I Said I'd Never be a Cheerleader (Bonde Johnson on How He Found His Calling) Welcome to the very first episode of Bonde on Cheer — the podcast where we have honest conversations about athlete development, team culture, coaching, training, and the lessons learned from years in the gym. IN THIS EPISODE: I'm sharing the story behind Hybrid Cheer — from a kid who swore he'd never be a cheerleader, to building a global cheer training brand. I walk you through my journey from multi-sport athlete to gymnast, CrossFitter, Olympic weightlifter, and eventually FSU cheerleader (thanks, Mom), and explain how a deep love of coaching and a gap in the industry led me to build Hybrid Cheer from the ground up. I'm also laying out the vision for this podcast: a candid, evolving conversation about what creating real standards in cheerleading could and should look like. KEY TAKEAWAYS: * Why I was so resistant to cheerleading and what changed my mind * How my background in strength & conditioning, sports nutrition, and Olympic weightlifting shaped my coaching philosophy * The gap I kept seeing no matter where I traveled and how it motivated me to build Hybrid * What this podcast is (and isn't). It's not "this is the right way, full stop." It's the evolution of building a standard in real time * How every other sport has clear standards, and why cheer needs the same ABOUT HYBRID CHEER: Hybrid Cheer isn't just a training program — it's a revolution in cheer for everyone. I founded Hybrid Cheer as a former gymnast, college cheerleader, and USA Weightlifting-certified coach to help athletes bridge the gap between raw talent and elite execution. No matter your age or skill level, you deserve top-tier training. We focus on technique, strength, and skill development to help you hit harder, stunt smarter, and train like a collegiate athlete. We don't just teach skills — we build athletes. CONNECT: * Follow Hybrid Cheer on Instagram @hybrid_cheer [https://www.instagram.com/hybrid_cheer/] * Follow me on Instagram @bondejohnson [https://www.instagram.com/bondejohnson/] * Online Training hybridcheer.com [https://hybridcheer.com/]