pancocojams: "We Want A Basket" Stomp And Shake Cheerleader Cheers With A Focus On Examples Of Bleacher Cheers

WestWood Cheer, Nov 26, 2018
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This high school is located near Columbia, South Carolina
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Here's the words to this cheer that were given by @Ajthemanajthekid, 2022 in that video's discussion thread. (There are several other transcription attempts and corrections of those transcriptions).

"We want a basket a basket for who Redhawks Shoot 2 we want a basket A what a basket for who RedHawks shoot 2 for who shoot 2 , we want a basket a what a basket we want a basket wassup a basket for who RedHawks shoot shoot shoot shoot 2 let’s go "

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Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision - January 16, 2025

This pancocojams post provides a definition of the the term "bleacher cheers" (also known as "stand cheers") and presents some of my notes about the custom of high school stomp and shake cheerleaders performing cheers while they are seated or standing in the gymnasium bleachers (stands) while the basketball team they represent compete.

This post also presents four YouTube videos of bleacher (stand) cheer versions of the stomp and shake cheerleader cheer "We Want A Basket".

The Addendum to this post showcases an example of a floor/sidelines version of "We Want A Basket".

The words to some versions of these examples are also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for folkloric and recreational purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who originally created this cheer and thanks to all those who are featured in these videos. Thanks to the producers of these videos and the publishers of these videos on YouTube. Also, thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

The content of this post is presented for folkloric and recreational purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

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Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/06/examples-of-stomp-shake-cheerleading_73.html for Part III of the three part pancocojams series entitled "Words For Some Stomp & Shake Cheerleading Cheers". The links to the other posts in this series are on each post.

Also, click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/03/when-did-stomp-and-shake-cheerleaders.html for the pancocojams post entitled "When Did Stomp And Shake Cheerleaders Begin Performing Cheers While Seated Or Standing In Gym Bleachers?'.

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WHAT ARE BLEACHER CHEERS?

stomp and shake "bleacher cheers"* (also known as "stand cheers") are cheers that are performed by high school cheerleading squads or by other pre-university level cheerleading squad (usually high school squad) during a competitive basketball game. The cheerleaders represent and support their school's team by performing cheers while they are seated or standing in the gymnasium stands (bleachers). Depending on the city and state, the two cheerleading squads often "battle" each other during the basketball game by exchanging bleacher cheers.

*I prefer the tern "bleacher cheers" to the also used referent "stand cheers" because the words "stand" and "stands" have other meanings in general conversation, and in cheerleading.

In some videos of bleacher cheers, the front row of the cheerleading squad stands and performs immediately in front of the bleachers while the other members of the squad stand in the bleachers. This may have been the earliest form of bleacher cheer performances.

"Bleachers" (stands) are rows of benches without backs that are available for seating at indoor or outdoor sports events.

"Bleacher cheers (stand cheers) are characterized by the percussive bass sounds that the cheerleaders' sneakers (gym shoes) make while hitting the floor of the stands during those choreographed routines. Like all stomp and shake cheers, the cheers have a call and response pattern, with a designated cheerleading calling that particular cheer and the rest of the squad responding by saying the other words. The caller isn't necessarily in the front row or in the center of that row. Also, it doesn't appear that the caller is necessarily the captain of the cheerleading squad.

Before the custom of performing bleacher cheers started, stomp and shake cheerleaders were limited to cheering on the sidelines of the basketball court, periodically cheering for a short time on the court when the game was halted for some reason, and cheering on the court during half-time. The custom of performing cheers while seated or standing in the bleachers enables cheerleaders to cheer for their team and to battle the opposing cheerleading squad throughout the entire game. It's easy to see from the watching YouTube videos that bleacher cheers and, particularly bleacher cheer battles between the two cheerleading squads, add to the drama and intensity of the high school basketball game experiences that they are a part of.

YouTube includes some video demonstrations from 2013 of mainstream cheerleaders performing cheers "while seated". However, there's only a very small number of those cheers and I haven't come across any examples of mainstream bleacher cheers being performed during actual games. Also, there's no doubt that the performance of stomp and shake bleacher cheers is much more intense, rhythmic, dramatic, creative, and confrontational than the performance of mainstream stomp and shake cheerleading cheers.

Besides for YouTube video titles and besides for my pancocojams posts or comments on this subject, I haven't come across any other online mention of "bleacher cheers" or "stand cheers" (another referent for bleacher cheers). The fact that these cheers are being performed in bleachers isn't considered remarkable (with both meanings of that word) by people writing comments in what appears to be the early years of that custom in 2010 and 2011. Does that mean that bleacher cheers had been done earlier and people were used to seeing it?

Please share any information you have about when the custom of cheering in the bleachers (stands) first occurred in mainstream cheerleading and/or stomp and shake cheerleading. Remember to add the style of cheerleading and the city/state and school level that those cheerleaders are from. Thanks!

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WHEN DID THE CUSTOM OF PERFORMING CHEERS IN THE BLEACHERS (STANDS) FIRST OCCUR?
According to my online research and a few online (email) exchanges, I believe that the earliest university based stomp and shake squads appear to be Virginia State University's cheerleaders (1974) and Winston Salem State University's cheerleaders (1976).

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/05/overview-of-stomp-shake-cheerleading.html "When & Where Stomp & Shake Cheerleading Began (Some History Of This Style Of Cheerleading)" [new title] and click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/06/when-did-stomp-shake-cheerleading-begin.html "When Did Stomp & Shake Cheerleading Begin? (Online Comments & Website Statements)" for pancocojams posts about the history of stomp and shake cheerleading.

Both stomp and shake cheerleaders and mainstream cheerleaders perform some cheers in the bleachers. From my online research, it appears that performing bleacher cheers is done more often and is much more highly developed by stomp and shake cheerleaders than by mainstream cheerleaders. Also, performing bleacher cheers appears to be limited to high school and middle school stomp and shake cheerleaders. (I haven't come across any YouTube videos of or any mention of bleacher cheers being performed by university stomp and shake cheerleading squads.)

The earliest YouTube video of a bleacher cheer that I've come across is a 2010 stomp and shake video entitled "West Meck JV Cheerleaders" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t6_WnqthXw. (West Mecklenburg High School, colloquially known as West Meck, is a high school located in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States." from that school's Wikipedia page.
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It's possible that bleacher cheers were performed by stomp and shake cheerleading squads before 2010.

The earliest YouTube videos of mainstream cheerleading bleacher cheers are from 2013.
One example of those cheers is found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IA4iIELPKKk. However, the custom of performing mainstream cheers while seated may have started before 2013.

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WHEN WAS THE CHEER "WE WANT A BASKET" FIRST PERFORMED?
With regard to the "We want A Basket" cheer, click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep-UAvCcJWo&t=25s "EEC Cheer Battle Pt.2 (Basketball Cheers and Chants)" published by Two Sockz Productions, Jan 14, 2017 for a clip of Dudley High School Panther Cheerleaders (Greensboro North Carolina) performing 'We Want A Basket" ( 0.15-0.49) among other cheers. However, that cheer may have been performed earlier than that.

I also found an example of "We Want A Basket" beginning at 0.20 in this 2019 YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI1fbNtbJRo "Cheer Battle: POB Vs Olympic HS."

Please share any information you have about when the custom of cheering in the bleachers first occurred in mainstream cheerleading and/or stomp and shake cheerleading. Remember to add the style of cheerleading and the city/state and school level that those cheerleaders are from. Thanks!

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MORE BLEACHER (STAND) EXAMPLES OF 'WE WANT A BASKET"

These videos are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - N E W Cheer..WE WANT A BASKET .. BY VARISTY SQUAD

Audrey Schaener, Jan 24, 2017
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Here are the words to this example as it is given in that discussion thread by @lanaesrage4422 in 2019
"We want a basket , a basket , a hoop , shoot 2 , we want a basket , a what, a basket, a hoop , shoot 2 , a hoop , shoot 2 , we want a basket ( a what) , a basket , we want a basket (wassup), a basket , for who ? RedHawks, shoot , shoot , shoot , for 2, let’s go!"
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Although the title of this 2017 YouTube video refers to "We want a basket" as a new cheer, it's actually a modification of a much older cheer. Read this comment from a woman who wrote in that video's discussion thread in 2020:

@michellecollins430
" "We want a basket....A basket we want"

1970s"

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 - We want a basket cheer

Liberty High school Cheer, Nov 19, 2023

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #4 - We Want A Basket Cheer

@cheerleadingVideos, retrieved March 3, 2024
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Here are some comments about the words of this example from this YouTube short's discussion thread (Numbers added for referencing purposes only)

1. @WhoIsAmaya, 2023
"Shoot shoot shoot 2
A basket
We want a basket
A whatttt
A basket
A whaaat
A basket."

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Reply
2. @leeee1909, 2023
"I think after it's a whaaat a basket it hinknit restartes"

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3. @brothermouzone1307,2023
" @WhoIsAmaya ah shoot, ah shoot ah shoot😂😂😂"