Farmington Competition Cheer Teams Team Information

Transcription

1 Farmington Competition Cheer Teams Team Information Pee Wee, Elementary & Middle School A Farmington Community Education Program

2 Cheers! *\0/* Welcome to the Farmington Competition Cheer Team program! We are a Farmington Community Education program that gives girls and boys entering Pre-K through 12 th grades the opportunity to experience competitive cheerleading! Athletes learn a routine consisting of jumps, dance, tumbling, cheers, motions, stunts and pyramids and compete against other teams in the metro area. Competition Cheer take many aspects of different sports (gymnastics, sideline cheer, acrobatics, dance, weight lifting, etc) and combines them into an action packed routine! We are excited to be entering our 3 rd year as a program and have already earned many accomplishments on and off the competition floor. Athletes learn to work as a team, improve individual and team skills, communication, leadership, self confidence, self esteem, time management, etc. Our on the floor accomplishments include many top finishes for all levels of our teams, including UCA National Finalist, State & WOW National champions for our Varsity team! Teams We are excited to have the following teams this season all are open to girls and boys: PEE WEE (4 years 1 st grade) The team will practice on Monday evenings from 6-7pm starting September 8 January 12. They will perform at local competitions only. Tuition is $115 for the season. An optional tumbling class will be offered outside of practice. ELEMENTARY (2 nd 6 th grade)* This age level will practice on Wednesday evenings from 6-8pm starting September 3 January 21*. Tuition is $265 for the season. An optional tumbling class will be offered outside of practice. MIDDLE SCHOOL (5 th 8 th grade)* This age level will practice on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6-8 starting August 5 January 22*. Tuition is $390 for the season and can be paid in full or via a payment plan. An optional tumbling class will be offered outside of practice. VARSITY (7 th 12 th grade) The team practices on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays 7-9pm starting August 4. Tumbling classes are included in Varsity tuition. The team may have the opportunity to travel to Walt Disney World to compete at a National competition in early February (pending school board approval and accepting a bid/invitation). Tuition is $930 for the season and can be paid in full or via a payment plan. Nationals cost is an additional $850 (approx) and due in early winter. Please contact Coach Jen for more information on the Varsity team. *Orange/Black Split Teams Due to demand, we may split the Elementary and Middle School age levels into multiple teams Orange and Black. Athletes will be evaluated and placed on a team based on many factors including, but not limited to: ability level, skills, potential, parental acceptance of additional fee, etc. Both teams at each age level will practice at the same time. Orange teams will compete at 2 additional competitions (Mall of America and WOW Factor Nationals in Minneapolis), have practices the weeks of January 26 & February 2, and will have an additional fee of $185. Orange and Black will compete at some of the same events and we will try our best to not have them compete directly against each other. *Parent financial approval and understanding of the additional commitment is required in order for an athlete to be placed on an Orange team. Tumbling Classes Varsity is the only team that has tumbling classes included in their tuition. Tumbling instruction may not be a regular part of Pee Wee, Elementary and Middle School team practices. Teams may do some tumbling at practice but it will mainly be in the context of the routine. The optional tumbling classes are the best way for an athlete to gain the tumbling skills they want. Registration is available through Community Education (Community Ed reserves the right to cancel classes if participation minimums are not met). Athletes do not need to attend every session. Mondays (monthly sessions: August, September, October, November, December & January) *Elementary 6-7pm *Middle School 7-8pm Tuesdays (August, September, October November 11, November 18 December & January) *Pee Wee 6-7pm Wednesday, August 20 ISC South Gym *6:30pm New Parents Informational Meeting *7:15pm Returning Parents Informational Meeting FCCT Kick-Off Night Come meet the coaches, get fitted for a uniform, buy optional apparel and learn about the season!

3 Uniforms All teams will be purchasing new uniforms this year (our old ones have been discontinued by the manufacturer) and will be the same uniform for the entire program. All uniforms are yours to keep. Athletes will be sized at our Kick Off Night on Wednesday, August 20. Payment must be made online by August 29. Girls Uniform Cost - $105 Boys Uniform Cost - $105 Includes: Top, skirt with attached briefs and a bow Includes: Shirt and pants Optional Items will be available for purchase/ordering: program t-shirt, warmups, parent clothing, shorts, etc. Cheer shoes are required for Varsity, recommended for Middle School and optional for Elementary and Pee Wee teams. Purchase of cheer shoes will be the parents responsibility. Practices All practices will be held in the South Gym at the Instructional Services Center/Gateway Academy. The address is 510 Walnut Street and is 2 blocks north of Farmington Elementary. In order to help create a safe learning environment, we ask that athletes follow these rules: 1. Wear appropriate clothing nothing extremely baggy, slippery, with pockets or hoods, strings or belts, etc. 2. Wear appropriate shoes Athletic/cheer shoes for PW, E & MS. Cheer shoes are required for Varsity. 3. NO jewelry! This is an industry wide safety rule. 4. No gum. 5. Hair out of the face and in a pony tail if possible. Bangs that fall into eyes must be secured. 6. Nails must be trimmed. Competition length is not longer than the fingertips when looking at your palm. 7. Arrive on time and ready to participate with a good attitude. 8. Bring a labeled water bottle to practice. 9. NO stunting or tumbling without a coach present. 10. Only athletes and coaches are allowed in the gym Parents are allowed to stay through practices but must remain the hallway or in the teachers break room only. If parents become a distraction, we will close practices so that the athletes can stay focused and we can keep everyone safe. Please remember that the ISC/Gateway Academy is an actual school and to respect the items, workspaces, etc. of students, teachers and support staff in the building. Attendance Competition cheer is a unique sport in the fact that we don t have athletes sitting on the bench waiting to play/perform - we utilize everyone on the team during the routine! (Varsity may be the exception to this). Each athlete depends on 3-4 other people in their stunt group in order to practice. If someone is missing, stunt groups and pyramids won t be able to practice. Therefore, please understand that we need everyone at practices in order to give everyone a good experience, learn, improve and to keep everyone safe. Please contact your teams coach prior to practice to report any absences. Other Information Transportation Transportation to all events will be the responsibility and liability of the parents. Coaches are not allowed to transport athletes. Lettering/Awards Members of the Varsity team will have the opportunity to earn an athletic letter from the high school. Athletes on the Pee Wee, Elementary and Middle School teams will receive an award and certificate the end of the season. Other awards may be available throughout the season and at the banquet. Disciplinary Action Negative attitudes, behavior, and disrespect to coaches and/or teammates will not be tolerated. If this occurs, it will be first dealt with by the coach and the cheerleader. If there is no change, a parent/athlete/coach meeting will take place. If there is still no change, there will be grounds for dismissal from the team. Banquet An end of the year banquet will be planned for all teams in February/March. Planning will begin in early winter, please consider helping with this event.

4 Safety Cheerleading has inherent risks of injury by the very nature of the sport. Every effort is made to prevent injuries, but we cannot guarantee that athletes will not get hurt. Injuries such as broken bones, sprains, strains, concussions, etc. are within the realm of possible injuries. Parents are responsible for all medical costs and assume all liability for accidents. Please read carefully the Waiver and Concussion Management information you agree to when registering with Community Ed and the Medical Release/Emergency Contact form you provide to your coach. In the event an injury occurs, we need your help in trying to reduce the amount of time it takes to recover. Follow all medical advice given by your doctor. Please make sure the injury is being taken care of by the athlete at home and at school. Injured athletes must have written permission from their physician in order to return to participation in practice/competitions, etc. Emergency Procedures In the unlikely event a medical emergency occurs, the following procedure will be followed: 1) First Aid will be administered, including calling 911 if needed. 2) You will be contacted using the contact information you provide on your Medical Release Form. 3) In the event that we are unable to make contact with you, we will contact the emergency contact names, medical staff and hospital that you have listed on your Medical Release Form. Due to these reasons, it is of utmost importance that we have current medical information on file. The program will follow all rules established by the competition host and will follow all rules established by AACCA/NFHS. A copy of these rules can be found at Regarding stunting; athletes are selected for specific roles based on several factors including size, experience, focus, ability, cooperation, dependability, work ethic and comfort level. Safety is the number one consideration when selecting stunt groups. FAQ What is included in the cost? Competition cheer can be an expensive sport, but we keep our operating costs to a minimum while balancing the best experiences and opportunities for the athletes. All athlete competition entrance fees, coaching costs, facility costs, Community Education fees, etc. are included. Varsity s fees also includes tumbling classes, nationals t-shirts and some of the coaches nationals costs. Items not included in tuition are uniforms, optional apparel and optional tumbling classes. Orange level teams will have an additional fee to cover extra competitions. Why do some teams overlap their grades? For many reasons! By rules, we are allowed to have 5 th & 6 th graders be on either the Elementary or Middle School team and 7 th & 8 th graders on the Middle School or Varsity team. Athletes in those grades are able to choose the team that will best suit their needs, abilities, financial situation, schedule, maturity, etc. Please talk to one of the coaches if you want help choosing the best team for your athlete. What if a specific team doesn t get enough interest or fills? Each team has a minimum and maximum number of athletes. If the minimum is not reached, Community Education and Coach Jen will contact those parents to discuss other options. If a team fills, a wait list will be created. If this happens, we strongly recommend adding your child to the wait list. Spots have opened in the past and we will try our best to accommodate all interested athletes. What do we need to bring to the first practice? Every athlete needs to turn in the Medical Release/Emergency Contact form at the first practice. Also bring a water bottle (labeled), tennis/cheer shoes, workout appropriate clothes and hair secured in a ponytail. Communication Communication will be provided mainly via . Competition Day-of-Event details will be ed at the beginning of that week. Information can also be found on the following: Facebook: Farmington Competition Cheer Teams Twitter: FarmCompCheer FCCT Website: Community Ed Website: Community Ed Office: Coaches Contacts: Jen Kroshus (Pee Wee & Varsity) jen.kroshus@earthlink.net Betty O Hare (Elem & Middle School) bettyohare@q.com Anne Leonard (Elementary) anneleonard@charter.net Courtney Seegmiller (Middle School) ccseegmiller@gmail.com Lauren Meltvedt (Varsity) meltvedtl@gmail.com

5 FARMINGTON COMPETITON CHEER TEAMS CODE OF CONDUCT I hereby pledge to be positive about my cheerleading experience and accept my responsibility for my participation by abiding to this code of conduct. 1. It is my choice to participate in this program. I will inform my coaches of any physical injury or ailment that may affect my safety or the safety of others. 2. I will demonstrate good sportsmanship by showing respect, courtesy, and positive support for all cheerleaders, coaches, officials and spectators and at every practice, competition or other event. 3. I will treat all individuals equally regardless of their race, creed, color, sex, or ability. 4. I will attend all practices, competitions and events and will arrive on time, ready to participate. I/my parents will notify my coaches ahead of time if I will be late or if I cannot attend due to sickness or other reason. 5. I will do my best to listen and learn from my coaches, captains, and veteran cheerleaders. I will follow the rules and policies of the team, program, school district and state. 6. I will treat my coach with respect and will honor any decision that they make regarding me and the team. 7. I deserve to practice and compete in an environment that is free from drugs, tobacco, and alcohol. I will refrain from the use of these substances and also expect my fellow teammates to do the same. 8. I will encourage my parents to be involved with my experience, team and program. 9. I will not encourage or participate in any behavior or practices that would endanger the health and well-being of my teammates or peers. 10. I will not encourage or participate in bullying any athlete in this program or any student in general, whether it s with words, gestures, written communication or text messages. I will not bully anyone through social media, such as Twitter and Facebook. 11. I realize that I am a representative of the team, program, school district and cheerleading in general. I will be mindful of my actions and language. 12. I understand that if I fail to abide by the code of conduct listed above, that I will be subject to disciplinary action which could result in removal from practices, events, competitions and/or the program. Should I be removed from the program or decide to quit the team, I will not be reimbursed for any payments made thus far.

6 Competitions/Performances The following are the competition and performance dates. Competitions are generally morning and early afternoon events. Please leave the following dates open on your calendars: Pee Wee Team Elementary Black Wednesday, October 8 CE Football Exhibition Farmington Sunday, January 25 Crimson Challenge Maple Grove HS Elementary Orange Wednesday, October 8 CE Football Exhibition Farmington Saturday, January 24 UCA Spirit of America Mall of America (afternoon) Sat & Sun, Feb 7 & 8 WOW Factor Nationals Minneapolis Convention Center Middle School Black Thursday, October 9 CE Football Exhibition Farmington Sunday, January 25 Crimson Challenge Maple Grove HS Middle School Orange Thursday, October 9 CE Football Exhibition Farmington Saturday, January 24 UCA Spirit of America Mall of America (afternoon) Sat & Sun, Feb 7 & 8 WOW Factor Nationals Minneapolis Convention Center Varsity Saturday, Oct. 25 Lakeville North Invite Lakeville North HS Saturday, November 1 UCA Regionals Minnetonka HS Saturday, December 6 UCA Regionals Des Moines, IA Sunday, December 14 Midwest Championship U of M, Minneapolis Saturday, January 3 Tonka Freeze Minnetonka HS Sunday, January 4 Tonka Critique Minnetonka HS Saturday, January 10 South Suburban Conference Prior Lake HS Saturday, January 24 UCA Spirit of America Mall of America (afternoon) Thurs-Mon, Feb 5-9** UCA NHSCC Nationals Orlando, Florida *exact dates TBD