It is always a good idea to have a few pep rally cheers in the arsenal of a good cheerleading squad. The cheers below can be used if your squad lacks special cheers for these events. Don’t be afraid to change the words around to make them unique to your school.
Samples of Pep Rally Cheers
A pep rally is always an energizing event, and it presents an opportunity to use unique cheers that might not always fit a specific sporting event. Keeping that in mind, here are some cheers you can use to boost school spirit.
Others are best used at rallies that focus on special events, while some are still general enough to use at games.
A Class Spirit Cheer
Pep rallies are ideal venues for cheers that highlight individual classes, which is a nice change from just promoting the team. You can use this cheer to spark a spirit competition. A class that performs its cheer loudest wins. You will need to teach each class their response beforehand, but a simple line or two is easy enough to learn.
Class Battle Cheer
What kind of spirit do you have, cheerleaders? Cupped hand to ear
The entire crowd: We’ve got spirit! The crowd (points at them)
Cheerleaders: Freshmen, stand up and tell us what you’re thinking! (motions for the crowd to stand up)
(Pointing at crowd) Freshmen: There’s no doubt about it, freshmen rock
We will shout it so loud you won’t be able to ignore it! The right K, the left K
Use the following finishes for each of the other classes after the first three lines of the cheer.
(Ready position, touchdown) Sophomores: Sophomores are great, there’s no debate about it.
It’s better to listen to our cheer, ’cause we know we rate! There are broken T’s, low V’s, T’s, and high V’s.
It’s cool to be a junior because we rock it old school (ready position, low V, air guitar)
The rest of you can drool while we cheer! Jumping with toes touching
The seniors rule the school, yes we do. (Daggers at the ready)
Compared to the rest of you, we have way more spirit! (tumbling section, depending on the tumbling skills of your squad members)
School Spirit Cheers
Here are a few cheers that emphasize school spirit in general.
Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum
Yes, we have heard what’s going on, (cup hand to ear and turn in circle)
But you can’t beat the Vikings. (Points at visitor section and lowers into a crouch)
(jump to feet, broken T, right L) We don’t play just for fun
Holding your right arm straight up in a punch with one finger raised to indicate that the team is number one, we won’t stop till we’re number one (left L)
Fe, fi, fo, fum (step half a step forward with each word)
(Insert your own team name here.) Blue Devils are sounding the warning drum! Using two invisible drum sticks, pretend to play the drums
Fum, fo, fi fe (stagger half a step back with each word)
We can’t let the Eagles (Or, insert another team’s name.) stop our winning streak! (left diagonal, right diagonal)
Do You Hear It?
Sometimes the pep rally is so impromptu that you do not have time to create a theme. It can be very effective to use a general cheer to enthuse the crowd in these circumstances.
Is it audible to you? (Step forward with right foot while cupping right hand to right ear)
What is the spirit of the Panther saying to you? Move your arms into a T as you step back with your right foot
We say Go, you say Panthers (point to chest with both thumbs, point to crowd with forefingers).
Cheerleaders: Let’s go! (pointing to the crowd)
Panthers, crowd!
Say “Go, Panthers!” three times (repeat)
It’s now in your ears! The right K, the left K
There is a spirit in Panthers! Herkie jump (herkie)
Now when you hear the sound (broken T, broken T, right hand to right ear, low V)
Turn in a simple circle and get on your feet (raise your arms to motion the crowd to stand)
Cheerleaders: Let’s go! (pointing at the crowd)
The crowd yells “Panthers!”
Say “Go Panthers” three times (repeat).
Let’s go Panthers! (Finish with a jump of your choice)
Cheers for Specific Pep Rally Events
Homecoming
In most schools, homecoming is marked by a very special pep rally. As you rev up the team for victory, it’s nice to mention this fact in one of your cheers because it’s usually where the prom queen and her king are announced for the first time.
It’s homecoming day (ready position, clap, clap, clap)
It’s reason enough to cheer just for that. (bow and arrow to the right, bow and arrow to the left)
Salute our King and Queen (right hand, left punch, right punch)
We are the winning team! Let’s prove it to our opponents! (front lunge, standing position with arms in T, tumbling finish)
Championship
A winning season approaching its finale deserves a special cheer.
Throughout the season, we fought hard (raise fists as if ready to fight)
Therefore, (daggers, low touchdown)
Our team made it to the finals, (low clasp, lift clasp to chest height)
Because our scores were so pleasurable. (T, diagonally to the right)
No matter what, we won’t give up. Diagonally to the left
(right L) We won’t be whipped.
By the end of the game (left L),
It will be a championship win for us! A touchdown is scored and a kick is made with the right leg (touchdown and kick).
Introduce the Band
The marching band is also responsible for raising school spirit, so it never hurts to give them a little recognition!
Greetings, Tigers (ready position, T)
What do you mean by (low V, T, high V)?
We have the best band (right K, left K)
It’s the best in the whole darn country! Lunges to the right and left
Play trumpets, trombones, drums and more (pretend to play a trumpet and then play the drums)
Listen to them play because they know the score! (jump with toes touching)
Get Input from the Entire Squad
You can use these themes as inspiration for fresh pep rally cheers, as you can see. Don’t be afraid to try out new cheers with your squad. It is not uncommon for mediocre cheers to turn into great ones when other members contribute their ideas. New cheers should be created in a cooperative manner that makes everyone feel invested and involved.
Give your cheers a little extra visual impact by choreographing some great moves and maybe even some stunts. It’s important to remember that your audience is both watching and listening so make sure you give it all you’ve got!