Youth football cheer pom pom lit blue-white, held by a smiling woman beside a clear stadium bag at night

Youth Football Cheer Ideas: 12 Ways to Make a Saturday Game Feel Like a Night Game

Twelve youth football cheer ideas, sorted by game-day moment, for coaches who want the squad seen from the top row, plus what they cost.

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The youth football cheer ideas parents remember are the ones they can see from the bleachers: a lit tunnel for the run-out, a color switch on every touchdown, a send-off at the last game of the day. Light-up poms do all three from one remote, at $120 a pair on 10 or more pairs.

Planning youth football cheer ideas around the whole Saturday

A youth football Saturday gives a cheer squad three windows: before kickoff, during the game and after the final whistle. Most squads have one routine and a handful of chants. The fastest upgrade is not more choreography; it is a few moments the stands can see from the top row. Pick four or five ideas from the list below, hand each one to a coach or team parent, and run the same ones every week until they become your squad’s tradition.

Every idea here works with ordinary poms. Several were built for light. With light-up pom poms made for youth and school squads switched by one remote, the run-out, the touchdown and the last game of the day look like a varsity night game, and that is what families post.

12 youth football cheer ideas, by game-day moment

Youth football cheer pom poms in green, blue and red mid color switch as dancers perform on a night field
When Idea Light-up version
Before kickoff The run-out tunnel: two lines the players run through Poms up, lit in the first team color as the players pass
Before kickoff Captains’ walk: two cheerleaders walk the captains to midfield One pom in each team color
Before kickoff Turn to the home stands and lead one call-and-response Every pom flips to white on the first word
Kickoff “Ready, OK” hold, poms high, until the ball is kicked All poms switch on together for the kick
First down Point toward the end zone on every first down A quick flash on MODE, back to team color
Defensive stop “Hold that line” wave down the sideline Poms ripple from low to high
Touchdown Touchdown jumps and the score count Switch to the second team color for the extra point
Timeout A chant battle with the home stands Raised pom one color, low pom the other
Halftime A 60-second mini show One color switch on the count
Fourth quarter The “home stretch” chant from the track Rainbow on AUTO for the last two minutes
Final whistle A handshake tunnel for both teams White, so both teams feel included
Last game of the day Line the exit as the stands empty, for photos Team color, held still for the cameras

The halftime row gets its own guide: youth football halftime show ideas a squad can learn in two practices.

How do you make a youth game feel like a night game?

Youth football cheer pom poms in white on a squad in end-zone formation, goalpost and full stadium behind

Ask for the late slot. If your league plays its divisions back to back on Saturday, the last game of a November day can finish near dusk. Ask the league scheduler which home game ends latest, then make that your squad’s big game: the lit tunnel, the color switch and the send-off all happen there.

In daylight, lit poms still work as metallic poms, so nothing is wasted at the 9 a.m. game. The light is what you save for the moments that count. If your league holds a jamboree, a playoff game under the high school’s field lights or an end-of-season party in a gym, that is the night to plan around.

Video still: @braypartyof5

Which ideas work for the youngest squads?

Keep it to holds. The youngest cheerleaders do best with three moves: poms up for the tunnel, poms high for the kickoff and poms still for the photo. The coach runs the remote, so nobody under 10 has to remember a button. Each pom weighs 7 oz, light enough for small arms through a whole tunnel. Adults do all the charging, by USB-C on the battery pack. Older squads take the chants, the timeout battle and the fourth-quarter rainbow.

Homecoming ideas for a youth football league

A youth league can hold its own homecoming. Pick the last regular-season home game, recognize the oldest players and their families at midfield before kickoff, and let the cheer squad build the tunnel those players run through. Choose one theme color for the day and switch every pom to it during the recognition, then back to team colors for kickoff. Our homecoming themes has color and theme ideas that scale down to a youth field, and pep rally ideas covers the Friday-before warm-up.

What will these youth cheer ideas cost?

Most cost nothing but practice time. The poms are the one purchase, and they are bought once: 14 cheerleaders is 14 pairs, or $1,680 at our team rate, and 20 is $2,400. Poms have no sizes, so the same set serves next season’s squad. Of the 54 teams that applied to us this fall, 36 asked for between 10 and 20 pairs. To raise it, see the youth cheer fundraiser ideas; to plan around a date, see ordering team poms for a date.

Start with the next home game

Pick the tunnel, the touchdown switch and the last-game send-off, and run them for three weeks. Look at our light-up LED pom poms and setup videos so the coach on the remote knows the buttons before game day.

Apply with your squad, the number of cheerleaders, your team colors and the game you want them for. We make the poms ourselves and will tell you plainly what fits your date. Team pricing is $120 a pair on 10 or more pairs.

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Frequently asked questions

What is your team pricing?

$120 a pair on 10 or more pairs. A youth squad of 12 is $1,440; 16 pairs is $1,920.

Can we get them in our team colors?

Yes. The coach sets every pom to your color by remote, and a pair can be split so each hand shows one team color.

How do they work on game day?

Charge them by USB-C before the game; a charge lasts 3 to 4 hours. The coach presses W for white, MODE to step through colors and AUTO for the rainbow, and every pom in range switches together.

Can we get them in time for our homecoming game?

Tell us the date when you apply. We make the poms ourselves and will tell you plainly what fits.

Do these ideas work at day games?

Yes. In daylight the poms work as metallic poms, and the tunnel and holds work the same. Save the light for the late game and the send-off.

Who should hold the remote on game day?

One coach or team parent who stands on the sideline near the squad, so every pom is in range when the cue comes.

See also: LED pom poms for every team, Pop Warner cheer pom poms, the cheer pom poms buying guide and LED poms on game day.

Pop Warner is a registered trademark of Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc. It is named here only to describe the leagues our readers coach in; it is not affiliated with and does not endorse Neon Cowboys.

Questions: info@neoncowboys.com.

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