SIRENS CHEERLEADERS COMPETITION GUIDE

Transcription

1 SIRENS CHEERLEADERS COMPETITION GUIDE

2 INTRODUCTION Please read this general competition guide in conjunction with the pre-competition information ed the week prior to the event. It will contain additional information such as meeting times. Please contact Belinda via or phone if you have any questions or concerns, we want your competition and experience with Sirens to be enjoyable. This guide is written based on information provided from the competition providers we are using this year. Sorry it s long! But we get asked these questions and want you to have everything you need at competition. Thank you. OUR MISSION AT COMPETITIONS The aim of attending competitions is to have fun with friends, practice our new or improved routines, learn to perform under pressure, develop our teams skills and see some great cheerleading from around Australia. It is to do our BEST and represent our club with pride! Winterfest gives our program great competition experience, constructive feedback and sets the tone for the rest of the season. It s always tough to be ready but is well worth the push and is a great season opener for our teams. Bring the Heat (formally CanCheer) is a great season opener for our teams who don t attend Winterfest and a chance to see other local Canberra squads compete. ACT Regionals allows us to showcase some of our routines to family and friends who are not able to travel to larger competitions and fosters a friendly, supportive environment. It also gives Sirens the opportunity to contribute to the growth of cheerleading in the ACT by collaborating with all the ACT Cheerleading clubs to put the competition together. AASCF NSW Cheer Battle is a two day comp and gives our high level teams the chance to compete in a two day competition with some of the best teams in NSW. It is a great opportunity to compete under pressure two days in a row. AASCF NSW & ACT State Championships is an opportunity for stunt groups and duo s to qualify for Nationals. It also provides vital feedback we can use to tweak our routines in order to put the best routines on the floor at AASCF Nationals. The competition season steps up a notch form here. Cheercon is the third and last ACT competition and the only offers a full size, fully sprung floor. It is a great opportunity for all our teams to showcase their Nationals ready routines to those family and friends that are unable to travel. AASCF Nationals celebrates everybody s commitment to Sirens and all the hard work our athletes, families and coaches have put in throughout the year. You can perform your routine one last time and see some quality cheerleading from around Australia and overseas! AASCF Pinnacle is a bid only event held the day after Nationals. Teams have to win a bid throughout the season at other AASCF competitions. It is The Best of the Best and is a prestigious event. If any of our teams win a bid in 2018 they will be attending.

3 COMPETITION DATES COMP DATE TEAMS AASCF Winterfest Sydney June Level 2+ competitive teams, stunt groups, dance duo s and dance teams (excluding progression teams and HH duo) Bring the Heat (formally CanCheer) Canberra AASCF Battle Cheer Sydney ACT Regional Cheerleading Canberra AASCF NSW & ACT States Sydney CheerCon Canberra June 24 July August 12 Sept 7-9 September 22 Level 1 & 2 competitive teams, stunt groups, dance duo s and dance teams Level 3,4 & 5 cheer teams only (teams compete twice) NB training last weekend of school holidays Semi-competitive teams, Level 1 & 2 competitive teams, stunt groups, dance duo s and dance teams South Coast competitive team/s All competitive cheer teams stunt groups, dance duo s and dance teams Semi-competitive teams, All competitive teams, stunt groups, dance duo s and dance teams AASCF Spring Carnival Sydney DCE Nationals Wollongong October October Adult, Level 2+competitive teams and dance teams NB training maybe scheduled in the second week of school holidays for competing teams. Semi-Competitive teams Sirens Pep Rally Canberra November 18 All competitive cheer, dance,stunt,duo s. AASCF Nationals Gold Coast November All competitive cheer and dance teams, and all stunt/dance duo qualifiers AASCF Pinnacle Gold Coast November 26 All qualifying teams who win a bid!

4 VENUES (correct at time of publication according to event providers) AASCF Winterfest NSW, AASCF NSW Battle Cheer Edition, AASCF NSW States, AASCF Spring Carnival Sydney Olympic Park Sports Hall, Olympic Boulevard / Grand Parade, Sydney Olympic Park, NSW, 2127: Bring The Heat (formally Cheercon) AIS Arena 26 Leverrier St, Bruce ACT 2617 ACT Regional Cheerleading AIS Arena Leverrier St BRUCE ACT CheerCon Competition Tuggeranong Southern Cross Stadium, 22 Cowlishaw Street, Greenway, ACT 2900:

5 DCE National WIN Entertainment Centre Corner Crown &, Harbour St, Wollongong AASCF Nationals & Australasian Pinnacle. Gold Coast Convention Centre Gold Coast Hwy, Broadbeach QLD 4218 PLANNING Exact timings for different divisions are not available until the running orders are provided by the event providers. This is usually a week prior to the event with drafts sent several weeks out. We can usually tell you a few weeks out as to which day a particular division is most likely to be on to help with your travel and family arrangements. These things are beyond our control and we understand sometimes it is hard to plan, so we suggest setting aside the entire weekend.eg Friday night travel to an interstate competition and potentially Monday morning if the team competes late on a Sunday night (generally you won t need both times set aside though). We also recommending booking flexible accommodation to allow for changes. ACCOMMODATION AND TRAVEL Families manage their own travel and accommodation as we have numerous families with different performance times and plans. Most families drive to competitions in Sydney and fly to AASCF Nationals. It is useful to stay within walking distance of a venue to avoid parking fees however you may find cheaper accommodation elsewhere (eg accommodation in Parramatta for Sydney comps). Please post in your team s Facebook group or chat with other parents at The Cove if you d like to arrange to stay together. We love it when families help each other with road trips or shared meals, thank you for helping create a strong cheer family! CATERING The competition venues usually provide expensive junk food, so please plan ahead so you can eat healthy food so you have the fuel your body needs for athletic performances and potentially long weekends. Athletes should ensure they are appropriately fuelled for their performances (e.g. a banana at their meet time) and drink water rather than fizzy, sugary soft drinks.

6 SPECTATOR FEES Information on spectator fees will be available closer to the events. It is recommended to prepurchase tickets to AASCF NSW States and Nationals via their website (or keep an eye on their Facebook page for the latest info), as these are big competitions sometimes with long queues. Tickets can be bought on the day at all competitions and there are often multi-day passes available for a better rate. If you receive a multi-day wristband as your ticket please remember to leave it on between comp days. WRISTBANDS There will be several available times to pickup athlete wrist bands from a Sirens coach over the competition. These times will be announced after the final running order is available. Generally this is at the same times as team meet times, at the front of the venue. We encourage you to attend an earlier team meet time to pick up your wristband and watch some of the competition if it suits. Please do not contact coaches to come give you a wristband outside these times as coaches are busy with teams - you will need to wait for the next meet time. Please put your wristband on your left or right wrist as soon as you receive it. Leave it on for the entire competition (we don t get spares). MEETING TIMES Final meet times will be available when the event provider finalises the running order. We meet at the front entrance of all venues at all competitions. You are only required at competition for your own teams meeting time, performance and its awards presentation but we d love you to support other teams while ensuring you get enough rest. Sometimes at smaller local comps we may ask that our teams are there for the full time period to support their club. Please meet your coach competition ready with hair and makeup done, full competition uniform on, any strapping or braces on, and having been to the toilet. Ensure you are early to your meeting time as teams will move to the warm-up area very soon after that time. If you are driving straight to the venue from home (eg Canberra to Sydney) or you are often late or have small children to sort too, please plan to arrive much earlier and allow for unforeseen delays. The last thing we want is for teams to stress over missing team-mates! If an athlete is missing at a meettime the coaches will start working on an alternate plan to replace the athlete or re-choreograph parts of the routine to still allow the team to perform. Athletes crossing over are responsible for liaising with their coaches and parents to manage timings (this includes when draft running order timing come out - to avoid clashes). THE COMPETITION WILL NOT WAIT FOR ANYBODY. YOU MUST BE ON TIME! Generally, we meet at the front of the venue a minimum of one hour prior to the performance time. We ensure we have everybody and that they are correctly dressed before saying goodbye to parents and moving as a group to the warmup area. RUNNING ORDERS Final running orders are generally available one week prior to the competition. They will be ed to families as soon as we get them. When reading the running orders please ensure you do not not confuse warmup and performance times. Please note teams will meet BEFORE the warmup time given by the event provider. Competition programs can be purchased at most events however it is a good idea to bring your own copy of the FINAL running order. The MEET TIME is the most important thing to look at for all athletes.

7 SUPPORTERS Please go just a little bit crazy cheering for our athletes. It s great fun and very helpful to the athletes to see and hear you from the stands as they are about to perform! We highly encourage families to sit together during competitions. Please consider wearing your supporters tee or Sirens colours and bring your flag. We would LOVE if you are able to make a sign to support your athletes and/or his/her team and Sirens! INJURY Please note the only people who may stop a routine are the injured person, the coach or gym owner, or competition officials. If an athlete is injured during warmup or their performance, they will be given first aid and if needed they will be taken to the first aid area. This may not be an area accessible to parents at certain competitions. If is serious enough to go to the first aid area and you are unable to access this area please contact the coach and we will have somebody come collect you. The coach will let you know if an injury has occurred (except for very minor injuries we will wait until pickup after the performance). FIRST AID For emergencies please call 000. At competition if you have an injury please go to the first aid staff provided and let your coach know if they are not already with you. If you require first aid at a Sirens activity outside of the event please contact our designated first aid officers for that competition - they will have a small first aid kit with them. PHOTOGRAPHY AASCF provides each athlete with high quality photos and videos of all Sirens routines! Details of how to access these will be ed to families as soon after the event as we receive them. Other competitions do not provide photos etc. The general rule for competitions is that you can take photos and videos of SIRENS ROUTINES ONLY. Please take care not to obstruct others views (ie. don t stand on stairways or hold camera above head). We are not allowed to use flash. Also, we love it when our families film for usor take photos as we are often busy with teams however please only post the routines in the team page NOT on the supporters page. COMPETITION ETIQUETTE It is imperative that athlete and supporter conduct is of the highest standard. Please have a quick read of our program rules in our General Information Pack to refresh how we do things best. Athletes must be good team players, polite, organised and enthusiastic about their own and others performances. Sirens are positive, enthusiastic, committed and supportive. We support other programs efforts and we have a great reputation for friendly athletes! Advertising materials are not to be distributed (good luck notes for other athletes are fine). It is also inappropriate to attempt to recruit other athletes or invite them to our gym. Please do not talk to judges even if you know them as it puts them and us in an awkward position. Stunting and/or tumbling are not allowed anywhere, other than in the designated warmup mats or competition floor. During routines please respect others hard work and wait before moving about near the performance area (eg. remain seated until the routine is over). Please take care not to obstruct the judges view of our routines while you are spectating as this can detract from our scores. Please be modest when placings are announced, including allowing another squad to celebrate its achievement even if you know you have therefore placed higher.

8 Please ensure you support the efforts of ALL competitors by clapping for them during presentations, we have all worked hard to prepare for competition. Competitions CAN be stressful and busy, but with enough planning and consideration we can keep any sudden challenges to a minimum and everybody can have a great time. Here s some awesome examples of how we can be the most friendliest gym ever and ensure the best experience possible for everybody! If somebody needs help with their hair or makeup, offer them help AFTER you ve done yours, and gently remind them to be more organised next time with more practice. Take care not to obstruct others view ESPECIALLY THE JUDGES! If somebody has forgotten their food, offer to share yours. Ensure your athlete is supervised when not with their coach and is where they need to be in the correct uniform, early. Be respectful of other s need to use the bathroom/mirrors etc. Keep an eye out for Sirens athletes in case somebody looks lost etc. Adopt new Sirens supporters and help them find their way, sit together etc. Assist in addressing any personal issues as they arise so everybody can get along really well and be happy. Respect each others privacy and personal space, especially if you are staying together. Always treat people with kindness and understanding - we never know what they may be going through. PICKUP AFTER PERFORMANCES Teams will have a short talk with coaches immediately after the performance and in some cases when the option is available they will be able to watch their routine with their coach on video playback. Please collect your athlete from the meeting place (TBC for each comp - generally the front entrance) straight after their performance. REST Some competitions are very long days. There is no need to be there the entire time outside your meeting, warmup, performance and presentation time. Please rest when you can. MEDIA If approached by media representatives, athletes are encouraged to engage with them and use the opportunity to show how great our sport is. Key messages you may wish to remember include: cheerleading is a great sport for all ages and abilities and includes jumps, stunts, tumbling and dance. This competition is a great way to perform our best routines, while having fun with our friends. Sirens is a friendly competitive cheerleading program, with its own gym in Canberra, where anybody can learn to be a great athlete in a fun and safe environment. If you have a photo opportunity please represent Sirens and the sport of cheerleading to the best of your ability by ensuring your uniform is perfect and your poses appropriate. Please inform a coach of any media opportunities you ve had so we can follow up. ALCOHOL Alcohol is not to be consumed by athletes during the competition. Athletes or family members over 18 who wish to consume alcohol after competition must not be chaperoning under-age athletes, near under-age athletes, or wearing Sirens attire.

9 COMPETITIVE UNIFORMS Our athletes and families represent the Sirens brand and we expect a high standard of dress and behaviour to foster great team spirit and pride. Teams will wear the following competition uniforms: Mini pom - Piccolo Under the Sea uniform, white anklet socks, white cheer shoes, female hair will be in a high ponytail with Teal Sirens Competition bow facing forward. NB make-up is optional for Mini s although some lip gloss to make them feel special is great. Youth 1 Cadence - Under the Sea uniform, white anklet socks, white cheer shoes, female hair will be in a high ponytail with Teal Sirens Competition bow facing forward. Adult - Cabaret t adult uniform, lycra top, lycra capri pants (long pants for men), NEW teal bow (females) and cheer shoes, white anklet socks, spray tan. Junior 2 Harmony - Under the Sea uniform, white anklet socks, white cheer shoes, female hair will be in a high ponytail with NEW Teal bow facing forward. Senior 3 Forte Maroon bling uniform, hair in high ponytail with teal bow (females), white anklet socks, cheer shoes, white laces. Athletes aged 14 years +must be spray tanned or similar. Open 4 Encore NEW cropped L4 bling uniform, hair in high ponytail with teal bow (females), white anklet socks, cheer shoes, teal shoelaces. NB until the new uniform arrive Encore will wear the Maroon Bling Uniform. Please follow the midriff rule: athletes must cover up with their grey jumper, bling jacket or 2018 training tee unless moving as a group to/from warmup or competition performance (we are not allowed to hang around in midriff tops). Senior 5R - Anthem Cropped L5 Bling uniform, white anklet socks, white cheer shoes with teal laces, teal bow, hair in high ponytail, (teased for volume), athletes must be spray tanned or similar. Please follow the midriff rule: athletes must cover up with their grey jumper, bling jacket or 2018 training tee unless moving as a group to/from warmup or competition performance (we are not allowed to hang around in midriff tops). Junior Pom Treble and Open Pom Tempo - Tan jazz shoes (prefer no laces), pom uniform (leotard and shorts), teal bow, white poms, tan shimmer tights. Please follow the midriff rule: athletes must cover up with their grey jumper, bling jacket or 2018 training tee unless moving as a group to/from warmup or competition performance (we are not allowed to hang around in midriff tops). Treble hair will be in a ponytail. Tempo hair to be in a pony tail Junior Hip Hop Rhapsody - Kahki muscle tee hoodie with crop, white hi-tops with whitelaces (socks not visible), black plain ¾ tights (logos not visible), hair in high ponytail with hair bling securely fastened. SEMI-COMPETITIVE UNIFORMS All semi competitive teams wear Sirens lycra sublimated shorts, 2018 Sirens tee, teal bow, white cheer shoes and white laces. (recommended sirens sublimated crop under tee) Please wear nude coloured underwear under your cheer uniforms. Some uniform tops require specific bras to hide straps (you can also use clear straps). Uniforms are to be kept in good repair with shoes clean. Athletes are to have short nails and no jewelry (do not tape over it - remove it). Cheer shoes must not be worn outside. Please follow the midriff rule: athletes must cover up with their hoodie, bling jacket or 2018 training tee unless moving as a group to/from warmup or competition performance (we are not allowed to hang around in midriff tops). Athletes must not wear underwear, crop tops or sports bras around the competition venue without being appropriately covered. Athletes aged 14 years and up or on an Open or L5R team must have a spray tan (please note 14

10 year olds in junior teams only do not require a spray tan). Optional extras: we encourage you to wear your bling jacket between events or your Sirens tees or hoodies. Supporters are encouraged to wear our supporters tee or hoodie! Flags are available for purchase for any supporters who want to really get into the spirit! BAGS Please do not leave your bags in the change rooms or use them to reserve seats. When moving to the warmup area please ensure your bag is safe with a friend or take it with you. Remember some of us have the same bag so it s a great idea to decorate yours with bows so it s easy to find. It is a good idea to label ALL personal items with your name!!! CHANGE ROOMS Please be mindful other athletes will need to use the change rooms too. When you have finished using change rooms please vacate for others. Do not use hairspray or aerosol in confined spaces please as some athletes are sensitive to this due to asthma. MAKEUP GUIDE Please follow our instructions as closely as possible so we can achieve a uniform look. (NB Mini s need no make-up but some lip gloss to make them feel special is great). Males are not required to wear makeup. If you have not competed before you will need to practice well ahead of competition. It is a general guide that athletes aged 14 years and up be able to do their own make-up and are not to rely on others for help, however if you need help there are lots of talented teammates who can help but please allow plenty of time to do this before your meet time. We do not have time to be doing make-up and hair at the meeting point. Sirens make-up is a grey smokey eye, red lipstick, false lashes (over 14yrs and no sparkles). Materials: Foundation to match your skin tone (Open age athletes ensure this matches your spray tan) Foundation brush or foam pads/wedges Concealer (optional) Pressed powder Eye shadow (nude, black, white and silver/grey) and a brush or two Eye liner (liquid is longest lasting) Mascara (waterproof is safest) Eye brow pencil Lip liner in red/brown Maybelline Superstay 24hr Cherry Red lip stain (or similar) Bronzer Blush Primer (Open teams only) False eyelashes (14yrs up, no rhinestones etc) HAIR GUIDE Please follow our instructions as closely as possible so we can achieve a uniform look. Some teams occasionally change their hairstyle, please check with your coach by posting in the Facebook group. Males are not to wear bows. If you have not competed before you will need to practice well ahead of competition. It is a general guide that athletes aged 14 years and up be able to do their

11 own hair and are not to rely on others for help, however if you need help there are lots of talented teammates who can help but please allow plenty of time to do this before your meet time. We do not have time to be doing make-up and hair at the meeting point. Materials required: Hair brush Fine tooth comb Hair ties/bands Hair spray Bow Bobby pins Heat protecting spray (optional) Curling wand or straightener for curling Hair clips PRESENTATIONS Athletes must be in their full competition uniform for presentations (including hair, shoes, no jumpers etc). NO EXCEPTIONS. This is a great opportunity to continue our high standards and finish the competition properly. You are welcome to change out of your uniform after you compete however you will need to change back into it for presentations. If you are competing again or have competed in a different uniform close to presentations you can wear the second uniform. The coach will select two representatives from each squad to collect any awards. If a first place is received the entire squad goes up to receive the award and have a photo taken. Please take care to acknowledge everybody else s hard work by clapping during announcements (do not sit on your phone and forget to acknowledge other teams). Athletes are not to lie on the floor or each other. We know you are tired - you ll be right! RESULTS Results are generally available within a week after each competition. Coaches will go through score-sheets with athletes after we receive them. This is generally the training after the competition. CONTACT AND COMMUNICATION Our coaches work only part time for Sirens and as such are only available at certain times throughout the weekend. Sirens owner Belinda Dawson will be available for any texts or phone calls throughout the whole competition day/weekend. Please contact her for any emergencies or questions you may have She is always happy to help and no question is a silly question. (first time comp parents don t be shy, we are here to help). It is very important you have subscribed to our mailing list to receive the information you need: Please add sirens.belinda@gmail.com to your address book to avoid s going into your spam/junk folder. Please join your team(s) Facebook groups and like our main Sirens Facebook page for updates over comp weekends! The Sirens- Supporters group is also a really handy way to stay in touch with families from other Sirens squads over comp weekends:

12 PACKING LIST IDEAS Please always double check you have your correct uniform and shoes before travelling to competition. Important items should always be kept in your carry-on if you are flying in case your checked in bags are lost. We recommend you label your belongings (especially uniforms and training gear as we all have the same gear!). Full competition uniform(s) (shell or top / skirt or pants / liner / briefs) Cheer shoes, pom shoes, hip hop shoes, sandals to wear outside White ankle-length socks and/or tights, plus spares Competition bow(s) Poms (if required) Skin colour bras/underwear, clear bra straps (if required), plus spare straps Strapping tape, ankle/knee braces etc Double-sided tape (if req), safety pins Medications, puffers etc Sirens 2018 training t-shirt *We recommend you clearly label your clothing and merch Sirens shorts, jacket, hoodie and other gear Supporter signage! Makeup (lipstick, lip liner, foundation, powder, blush, eyelashes, eyelash glue, mascara, eyeliner, concealer, eyeshadow) Makeup brushes / applicators / cotton buds Makeup remover / baby wipes / baby oil Hair brush, fine tooth comb Bobby pins, hair ties Hairspray Hair styling tools (eg. straightener, curler) Nail clippers or scissors Water bottle Healthy snacks, lunches (expensive junk food and queues at comp), jelly beans Camera / tablet PC / phone and charger Bandaids, needle and thread, feminine hygiene products Ice gel and heat gel THE A-Z OF RANDOM HELPFUL TIPS Awesome. Everybody is awesome in some way. Tell them. Let s all have the best weekend ever! Butt. Your s might get sore after two days sitting on hard seats. Consider bringing a cushion. Chargers. Bring ALL of them! It s really handy to have a power pack in your bag too. Dad. AKA Cheer Dad or Roadie. Loads the bags, drives the car, listens to cheer music the whole way, unloads the bags, passes out the money and cheers the LOUDEST!. Treat him well. Earrings. Bring a little container for all your bling so you don t lose anything. Parent athletes have a plan for wedding rings! Food. Bring the healthy variety to comps. Don t eat 1kg of lasagne right before you compete. Glue. Keep your eyelash glue handy to re-stick cheeky lashes doing their own thing. Hair ties. Bring spares in case they snap. I spy. Play some games during road trips and really get to know your friends and something new and special about your family! Jump section. Often accompanied by hit hit hit PULL from the crowd. Don t be shy! K. Sometimes you just need to say K and do it, even if you don t like it ;-) Lollies. We may give them to your kids then give your kids back to you.

13 Mum. AKA Cheer Mum or Personal Assistant. Make up artist, hairdresser, food provider, seat warmer and your #1 fan. Treat her well. Nervous pee. Do it BEFORE your meeting time please! Overzealous supporters. That s us. Have fun! Pins. Consider purchasing some Sirens pins to swap with international athletes (it is a good idea to pre-arrange if you can). Questions on the day? Ask a coach! We re here to help. Running. From the cheer comp floor to dance comp floor. Sirens can do this in under 30 seconds, and then if need be we can compete level 5 group stunts in jazz shoes! Selfies. So many selfies. Share them with us in the Supporters group! Traffic. Plan ahead - check out potential roadworks and leave plenty of time to arrive in style. Uniform. If in doubt, bring it ALL! Somebody will forget something :-) Videos. Record all you great memories and consider putting a compilation clip together to remember the experience. Water. Drink enough, but not too much. See N. X marks the spot. Remember where you re sitting and where you left your bags! Take valuables with you. Sirens lanyards teamed with a small pouch are a great place to keep important things. YMCA. Learn it, you ll hear it often. Zzzs. Please rest when you can - these are big days! Thank you for your support and your time