SPIRIT PROGRAM ~ GENERAL INFORMATION The primary purpose of The University of Wyoming Spirit Program is to support the UW Athletic Department and all Cowboy and Cowgirl Athletic Teams. Members of the Spirit Program can be seen at all home football games, men s and women s basketball games, volleyball games, wrestling meets, and various other athletic contests. In addition to this support, members of the UW Spirit Program serve as public relations ambassadors for the University of Wyoming and are often seen as the face of UW Athletics. As public relations ambassadors, the Cheerleaders and Pistol Pete make numerous appearances at University activities and community events. SPIRIT PROGRAM ORGANIZATION The UW Spirit Program consists of two cheer teams and a mascot team. The cheerleaders and mascots work hard to get the crowd involved, lead cheers, and entertain fans at UW athletic events. It is our belief that by leading our fans in a positive manner, we can help lead the Cowgirls and Cowboys to victory. The All-Girl Cheer Team cheers at all home football games, all home wrestling meets, approximately ½ of the home volleyball games, and approximately ½ of the home men s and women s basketball games. The Co-Ed Cheer Team cheers at all home football games, approximately ½ of the home volleyball games, and approximately ½ of the home men s and women s basketball games. Mascot Team (3-4) All-Girl Cheer Team (12-16) Co-Ed Cheer Team (12-16) The mascot, Pistol Pete, appears at all home football games, all home volleyball games, all home wrestling meets, all home soccer games, all home men s and women s basketball games and approximately one to two home events for every other UW sport. Travel to away football games, football bowl games and post-season basketball tournaments, is limited to a maximum of twelve cheerleaders and one mascot that are chosen by the Head Coach. Two to four alternates may be selected for each cheer team and one to two apprentices may be selected for the mascot team. Cheer team alternates cheer at all home football games, but take on an alternate role (stepping in when positions become available) for all other games. Mascot team apprentices shadow performing mascots at games and act as a handler until they are prepared to perform on their own. All alternates and apprentices are expected to participate in practices and strength and conditioning sessions as well as performances, appearances, camps and fundraisers as determined by the Head Coach. Alternates, walk-ons and apprentices receive no scholarship for their participation on the team. BENEFITS Cheer Team - $1,000/year scholarship* (captains receive additional $500); Mascot Team - $500/year scholarship $500 GPA bonus for all team members with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher at the end of the year Two tickets to each home football game, basketball game, volleyball game and wrestling meet Uniforms, warm-ups & practice clothes provided by UW Athletics Per diems or meals during travel to away games Yearly athletic awards including letter jackets and senior rings Academic support through the Athletic Department s Office of Academic Support A sports medicine trainer assigned specifically to the Spirit Program Full time access to the complete athletic training staff including a nutritionist and a full team of specialty doctors Sport specific workouts with the Spirit Program s personal strength and conditioning coach While the benefits of cheering at UW are pretty great, we are seeking candidates that enjoy cheering and are excited about using their own talents and skills to build others up and cheer them on.
SPIRIT PROGRAM ~ CHEER TEAM RECRUITING The Spirit Program is overseen by the University of Wyoming Athletic Department. All members of the program are treated as student-athletes and have many of the same requirements (without NCAA regulations). Cheer and mascot team members can be selected in one of three ways: 1) Recruit (Cheer Team Only) a. Receive an offer to join the team based on current skills and performance b. Can begin the summer before a prospective team member s senior year in high school c. Offers can be made between January and May 2) Tryout (Cheer & Mascot Teams) a. A traditional cheer/mascot team tryout with material being taught and judged in a tryout format b. Will take place in April or May 3) Walk-On Tryout (Cheer & Mascot Teams) a. An on-the job tryout with walk-ons taking part in practices while coach s assess skills to determine if a placement on the team will be made b. ONLY takes place if there are still positions available on a team c. Can occur anytime from pre-season practices through the school-year d. Similar to alternates, walk-ons do not receive scholarships RECRUITING PROCESS (cheer teams only) If you are interested in being recruited for the upcoming school-year, please complete the following steps: 1) Apply to the University of Wyoming a. Admissions information can be found at: http://www.uwyo.edu/admissions/ 2) Complete and mail the following documents from the recruiting packet along with a recent 4x6 full body photo: a. Recruiting Questionnaire (2 pages) b. Medical History and Insurance Information (2 pages) 3) Print off the Coach s Recommendation form in the recruiting packet and give to a current coach to complete and mail to UW (this form should be mailed directly to UW from the coach completing the recommendation) 4) Send in a demo video that highlights your current cheerleading skills a. You may either MAIL a video on a high quality DVD or email a link to your online video b. If you MAIL a video, make sure to label the DVD with your full name ~ the DVD will not be returned c. If you email a link, make sure the link is on a public access site that does not need a registration d. Make sure you are clearly visible and you note who you are throughout the video e. The video should include all of the following skills: i. Standing and running tumbling ii. Several stunting sequences consistently highlighting your strengths iii. Jumps, including but not limited to, toe-touch, right and left hurdler, pike iv. Cheer and dance motions v. Crowd leading technique f. The video should show you at practice, at games and at competition (if applicable) i. Please do not send an entire video of practice or only a competition routine send a little bit of everything we want to see you in a variety of settings g. The video should be no longer than 5 minutes in length 5) Once we have received and reviewed your Recruiting Packet and your video, someone from the UW coaching staff will contact you to inform you of your status. Further steps that may be taken could include: a. Request for more information b. UW coaching staff contacting previous and current coaches c. UW coaching staff attending practices, games or competitions d. Email from UW coaching staff suggesting areas for improvement before consideration *The recruiting packet includes all necessary forms and can be found on the Spirit Program website. **There is no deadline for sending in the video or Recruiting Packet, however, offers may be made as early as January.
SPIRIT PROGRAM ~ CHEER TEAM TRYOUT process The 2013-2014 UW Cheer Team tryouts will be held in the spring of 2013 (exact dates TBA). *All candidates must tryout in person. Video tryouts will NOT be accepted. Tryouts are stressful by nature, and while it is important for us to see how you perform under pressure, it is also important to provide a safe environment for everyone. For this reason, you will be receiving evaluations and scores during the entire weekend. Remember, we re looking for the total package, not just an elite stunt or tumbling pass. Stunting & tumbling Stunt evaluation and scoring will take place in a practice-like environment, on cheer mats. You will have the opportunity to stunt with several partners/groups. Stunts we will ask to see may include: Co-Ed Stunts All-Girl Stunts Step in to chair, hands or extension Extension with cradle Toss to chair or hands Liberty, heel stretch, arabesque or scorpion Toss to extension or target Half-up or full-up to extension Single-leg extended stunts Single based extension or liberty (3-man stunt) Half-up or full-up to extension Release stunts (tick tock, tuck ups, etc.) Cradle, single twist or double twist dismounts Cradle, single twist or double twist dismounts Tumbling evaluation & scoring will take place during the tumbling practice time on cheer mats and also during the Individual Tryouts on the hardwood floor. Tumbling we will ask to see may include: Standing Tumbling Running Tumbling Standing back handspring Round-off, back handspring Standing back handspring series Round-off, back handspring series Standing back tuck Round-off, back tuck Standing back handspring, back tuck Round-off, back handspring, back tuck or layout Standing full Any twisting running tumbling Don't let these lists scare you! We certainly don't expect everyone to have ALL of these stunting & tumbling skills. In fact, we encourage you to show up even if you don t know what something is. We are also looking for potential! Preparing for Tryouts If you are planning on attending the spring tryouts, start preparing now! Make sure you have applied to UW. You cannot tryout if you have not been accepted to the University! Tryouts are NOT a time to learn new skills. Work on your tumbling skills, take extra stunt classes, apply to the University, organize your information needed for the tryout packet, attend college clinics you can t be over prepared! Walk- on TRYOUT If there are positions open on any of the teams, interested students should contact Coach Powell to inquire as to what the walk-on requirements will be at that time. No matter the time of year, all students going through a walk-on tryout will be held to the same requirements and expectations as all other team members. Similar to alternates, walk-ons do not receive scholarships. TRYOUT PACKET Must be completed and turned in 2 weeks prior to tryouts Will be posted on website in 1/2013 $25 Registration Fee Completed Application w/ picture Medical History/Insurance Information Medical Release/Assumption of Risk Coach's Recommendation (min of 1) UW Transcript or Acceptance Letter
SPIRIT PROGRAM ~ requirements & expectations Before you TRY-OUT OR BEGIN THE RECRUITING PROCESS, we expect you to Apply to the University of Wyoming Complete all required paperwork including a tryout or recruitment packet, a medical release/assumption of risk form and a medical history/insurance information form Have a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA Be prepared to make a full year commitment from May to April (summer commitments will vary) o 2 weeks of summer practice & summer camp (July or August) o Various appearances during summer (not required, but it s always good to attend if you can) o Pre-season practices begin 1-2 weeks before school starts o During the school year, expect about 25 hours per week of practices, games, conditioning, tumbling, appearances, & study hours o Cheer at games during at least one holiday break Before we offer you a position on the team, we expect you to Be accepted to the University of Wyoming and have a commitment to attend o Inform the UW coaching staff once you have been accepted by providing either a copy of your official UW acceptance letter or a copy of your UW unofficial academic transcript Be in good health with the ability to perform all skills you have demonstrated on your video and/or in person Maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA through the end of the current school year Once you are on the team, We expect you to Maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA during your time at UW Be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours at UW during both fall and spring semesters Abide by all NCAA, MWC, University of Wyoming, UW Athletic Department and UW Cheer Team Policies Attend all scheduled practices (class schedules must be worked around practice schedules) Complete a physical with our team doctors and have a medical history and medical insurance card on file with the UW Sports Medicine Office Represent yourself, your team, and UW in a positive light Attend all classes and ask for help if needed Believe that you can help the team win by leading our crowd in a positive way Maintain a given level of physical fitness as prescribed by the Head Coach and /or the Athletic Department o Cheerleading requires great strength, endurance and flexibility. UW Athletics promotes a healthy lifestyle and appropriate body weight that is essential for all athletic activities, including cheerleading
SPIRIT PROGRAM ~ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ~ page 1 How will I be assessed throughout the recruiting process? Throughout the recruiting process, UW coaches will assess your skills by video and in person and they will interview many people including you, family members, friends, teammates and coaches. Coaches will also attend practices, games and competitions to see you interact with others and ultimately decide if you are a good fit for UW and vice versa. How will I be scored at the spring tryouts? Cheer tryouts will be scored in the following areas: fitness testing, stunting, tumbling, cheer & dance technique, and personal interview. Mascot tryouts will be scored in the following areas: interview, fight song, skit: theme, creativity, appropriateness, prop usage, character development, and overall impression. The scoring process and score sheets/evaluation forms will be reviewed during the warm up period on day one of tryouts. Can my family and friends come and watch tryouts? Most sessions of the spring tryouts are open to the public. Once the individual tryout portion of tryouts begin, we will ask all spectators to clear the arena. Can I tryout for two teams? You CAN tryout for both the All-Girl and the Co-Ed cheer teams and the coaches will place you where they think you will fit best. You CANNOT tryout for both a cheer team and the mascot team. The schedules conflict too much. Do you offer scholarships or out of state tuition waivers? All full-time cheerleaders who successfully complete the season will receive a $1,000 scholarship. We currently do not provide out of state tuition waivers. Can I send in a video tape if I am unable to make spring tryouts? We DO NOT accept video tryouts. You must go through the recruiting process, attend the tryouts in Laramie, WY in the spring, or wait to see if there are positions available when school starts and go through a walk-on process if you want to be a part of the UW Spirit Program. Do the teams compete at nationals? The cheerleaders and mascots have competed in the past, but competition will be decided on an annual basis. Are there height and weight requirements to be a part of the cheer team? We do not maintain a height and weight requirement. Do I need to have a physical completed by a physician? If you make the team, you will be required to complete a physical from our team doctors before participation in any practices or events. For recruiting and tryouts you do not need to complete a physical, but you need to turn in the Medical History/Insurance Information form and the Medical Release/Assumption of Risk form. Can graduate students and/or freshmen be a part of the UW Spirit Program? Yes, all full time students who carry a full course load are eligible to be a part of the program.
SPIRIT PROGRAM ~ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ~ page 2 How many people tryout for the cheer team? The number of individuals that tryout for one of our teams vary from year to year. On average we have at least double the amount of positions that are open. (If there are 30 positions, we would expect between 50-60 candidates.) How many recruits will receive offers from UW? There is not a pre-determined number of recruits we will accept on the team. We could extend as few as 3 offers or as many as 20. It all depends on the skill level and the number of positions we have available for that year. What's the time commitment of being a part of the Spirit Program at UW? Cheerleaders can expect to devote about 25 hours per week to cheer related activities. On average, there are three 2-hour practices per week, one-two games per week, two 1-hour strength & conditioning workouts, various appearances, and various study hours (dependent on your year in school and GPA). The competition team will have additional practices. Mascots can expect to devote about 10 hours per week to team related activities. On average there is one team meeting per week, one-two games per week, two 1-hour strength & conditioning workouts, various appearances, and various study hours (dependent on your year in school and GPA). What is the schedule like during holiday breaks? Practice is cancelled along with school during holidays. Games during these times are not cancelled. Cheer teams and mascots rotate cheering/performing at games during breaks to ensure everyone enjoys some time off. What if I still have a question about the UW Spirit Program? Contact Coach Powell at mpowell7@uwyo.edu or 307-766-4940 or check out http://www.wyomingathletics.com/sports/spirit-squad/wyo-spirit-squad-body.html