I facilitated a fun (I hope!) workshop at Cheerfest ’26 today: Buliding Cheer Community. A nice group of us thought about our cheer experiences from start to present: how it’s been, the good, the bad, and the pom poms.

Here’s our topics from the conversation:

Table of Contents

Building Cheer Community

Polly Pixelbottom, Woodcrest University Cheerleaders
Saturday, 8 August 2026, 11am – 12:30 pm SLT

Introductions

First, introductions, let’s all say something about ourselves.

Chellie and Honey introducing themselves.

Second Life

Before we say something about our cheer squads, let’s start with SL itself. Can we all please say something about “Why SL?,” “What brought you to SL,” or “How did you find your way to SL?”

Your Squad

Great! Let’s finally say something about our squads. How did you find your squad? What do you like about it? Is it your first and only squad? Have you been in others?

Joining the Squad

Think back to when you were a potential new member. Did you Apply? Audition? Was there a Training process? How did you get to meet the other cheerleaders? How was learning how your squad worked? Were you excited? Were you nervous? What feelings were you having?

Are there things your squad did well, or perhaps could have done better, for you as a rookie cheerleader? And what about yourself? Do you feel as though you have reached the potential within your squad that you could have? Have you shared your feelings about the squad with anyone?

Squad Retention

How long have you been with your squad? How involved do you still feel? How are those relations that you made during your start with the squad? How have other relations developed?

List 3 things that keeps you coming back to your squad? Things that are meaningful. Things you get out of your squad. Things you give to your squad.

Here are a few possibilities:

People
Friendships
Meeting New Friends
Learning New Things
Experiencing Something New
Helping One Another
Having Fun
Things To Do
Shenanigans
Roleplay
Self-Growth
Doing Things With Friends
A Safe Place For Women
Support From Friends
Ability To Perform
Choreography
Competition
Winning, Prizes & Glory
Uniforms
Cool Dance Moves

Aly in her Angry Beavers Bandana, Polly facilitating with a megaphone, and Bliss with her giant “Let’s Go Beavers!” paw.

Values

Values are what motivate and fulfill you.

Here’s a list of some Values. Pick from this list, or other values of your own, and share in Local Chat the Three Values that you think most apply TO YOUR SQUAD:

Authenticity
Achievement
Adventure
Authority
Autonomy
Beauty
Boldness
Compassion
Challenge
Community
Competency
Contribution
Creativity
Curiosity
Determination
Fairness
Faith
Fame
Friendship
Fun
Growth
Happiness
Honesty
Humor
Harmony
Influence
Justice
Kindness
Knowledge
Leadership
Learning
Love
Loyalty
Openness
Optimism
Pleasure
Poise
Popularity
Recognition
Reputation
Responsibility
Security
Self-respect
Service
Spirituality
Stability
Success
Status
Tenacity
Trustworthiness
Unity
Wellness
Wisdom

Now from the same list, or your own, list the Three Values that you think are most important TO YOU.

How do Your, and Your Squad’s, Values align or not align?

What about these values speaks to the impact you want to make on the world? To the way you want to live your Second Life? What do your values say about you? How can you express your values in SL? How can your Squad express its values? Should values change or expand over time?

Mission Statement

Your squad asks you to write a Mission Statement. What do you write?

Second Life Intercheer Council (SLIC)

What activities do you, or could you, do with cheerleaders from your squad beyond cheer itself?
Do you know any cheerleaders from squads other than your own?
Can you think of activities you can do with cheerleaders from other squads?

Wrapping it all up!

What have you gotten from your squad? What have you given back to your squad? What are your parting thoughts about cheerleading with your squad? About cheerleading in Second Life?

Thank You!

Thank you for joining in our Building Cheer Community workshop! I hope you’ll make a new friend here at Cheerfest today. Or get to know someone better.