Parent Information Welcome to the Amherst Patriots Cheerleading Program. We hope that you and your cheerleader enjoy your experience this season. DRAW AREA AND AGE REQUIREMENTS The Amherst Patriots Cheerleading program is open to children from Amherst, Mount Vernon, Hollis, Milford and Brookline (and other surrounding towns that do not offer a Pop Warner program) ranging in age from 5 to 15. Cheerleaders must be at least 5 by July 31st. There are no try-outs. All eligible children are welcome. The Amherst Patriots are members of the Pop Warner Little Scholars. The spirit program is designed to allow the cheerleaders the opportunity to cheer for our football teams at all home and away games as well as compete in the NH Pop Warner State competition at the end of October and possibly Regional and National competition. The Amherst Patriot squads will be put together following the Pop Warner divisions based on ages from oldest to youngest. Cheerleaders will be assigned to the appropriate squad based on age and some consideration given for previous experience. We work to balance the squads in an effort to maximize the benefit to the cheerleaders. Tiny Mite, (ages 5 6 7) Mity Mite, (ages 7 8 9) Jr. Pee Wee Squad, (ages 8 9 10 11) Pee Wee Squad, (ages 9 10 11 12) Jr. Midget Squad, (ages 10 11 13) Midget, (ages 11 15) Cheerleading Registration and Fees: $150.00 This includes a vest, skirt to borrow. A charge of $225 is charged to any player for uniform not retuned or damaged. On-line registration will begin March 1 st. If you prefer to register on-line and pay by credit card go to the Patriot s website www.amherstpatriots.com and follow the link to registration. You may also pay by check and register in person at any information night or uniform fitting. (any customized apparel cannot be returned as part of registration refund Apparel not part of Registration and Fees: The following items will need to be purchased for game attire \ cold weather & competition by parents at the following cost at uniform fitting. Apparel items are required by all cheerleaders but do not need to be purchased yearly. Crop Tops $16.99 Brief Bottom $11.95 Sneakers $29.99 Warm-up Suite $69.00 Cheer Bag $7.99 T-Shirt $8.00 (Must be purchased every year) Game & Competition Cheer Bows & Breast Cancer Bow $30 (Must be purchased every year) White No Show Ankle Socks(Must be purchased every year any store location)
Refund Policy Amherst Patriots Refund Policy The Amherst Patriots recognize that there are times when a child signs up for a sport and later decides they do not want to participate. Obviously we do not want to penalize parents financially in this situation whenever possible. However, there are expenses that the Amherst Patriots pays on your behalf that cannot be refunded depending on when you or your child decide they do not wish to participate. This document lays out the timing of the refunds and the amount you can expect to receive. Tier 1 Prior to start of practice If at any time you wish to withdraw prior to the start of practice you can contact the Amherst Patriots treasurer and you can receive your registration fee back. There will be no refund for any Cheer Apparel. Tier 2 First week of practice If your child wishes to not participate after practice has begun you can contact the Amherst Patriots treasurer and you will receive 50% of your original registration fee back. There will be no refund for any Cheer Apparel. The reason for this amount is once practice has started we have already made a significant investment in your child preparing to participate including equipment ordering, etc. Tier 3 After the first week of practice If your child wishes to not participate after the first week of practice, we cannot give you a refund. The reason for this is that unfortunately at this point we have already spent the registration fee getting ready for the season. There will be no refund for any Cheer Apparel. Required Paperwork: All cheerleaders and parents must complete a Participant Contract and Parental Consent Form Amherst Patriots Volunteer Form (Only if your volunteering) Physical Fitness and Medical Release Forms must be completed and dated after January 1, 2014 and must be received by the Amherst Patriots by July 12 th. Each participant is required to submit (2) copies of their complete 2013/2014 Report Card. This also must be received by the Amherst Patriots by August 1 st NO EXCEPTION. Copy of birth certificate. ** Please note that original birth certificates will be required to attend regional or national competitions. They will be returned at the end of the competition. Please make sure that if your child is assigned to any squad other than Tiny Mite or Mity Mite you will be required to submit an ORGINAL BIRTH CERITIFICATE photo copies will not be allowed. Any paperwork not turned in at the time of registration must be sent to the Amherst Patriots on or received by August 1 st. Cheerleaders will not be allowed to take the field until all paperwork has been submitted.
The paperwork should be mailed \ Emailed to: Andrea Merenda c/o The Amherst Patriots Cheer P.O. Box 286 Amherst, NH 03031 Andrea.merenda@comcast.net Parent Participation IMPORTANT INFORMATION RULES AND GUIDELINES Thank you for taking the time to review this information. We look forward to a safe, fun, exciting season for all. GO PATRIOTS! Each participating player or cheerleader parent is required to volunteer for work shifts per each participating child on different squads during the course of the 2014 season. As a member of the NH Pop Warner, we are a non-profit organization. The success of our organization relies heavily on parental participation; exactly how many hours are needed will vary greatly upon on the size of your team. This participation requirement can be fulfilled by performing one of many necessary functions including concessions attendant, minimum play recording, scoreboard operation, home game announcing, home game chains attendant or game videographer. Please visit the website for more details. Volunteer positions will also be needed at the Cheerleading state competition. Communication Please refer to the team web site https://amherstpatriotscheer.shutterfly.com/ for all updates and changes. Each family will be responsible for checking the web site frequently as they will be responsible for any missed practices, games, or volunteer commitments. If at any time you or your cheerleaders have a concern and you are not comfortable going directly to the coach, please feel free to discuss your concerns with the Cheerleading Coordinator Andrea Merenda. Behavior and Discipline Cheerleading is a sport that requires the focus and attention of all team members to ensure the safety of all. Disruptive behavior of any kind will result in the coach giving a verbal warning for the first offense. If unacceptable behavior continues, the cheerleader will be asked to sit out and watch until they are ready to participate safely. Teasing, taunting, threatening or any other type of unsportsmanlike conduct will not be tolerated and may result in dismissal from the squad. Missing practice or game without calling head coach or assistant coach 24hrs prior will result in sitting out the next game. Missing several practices or games without calling will result in dismissal from the squad as either could have a pretty severe impact on their ability to compete. Many of the skills used during the competition are learned in during practice and are used during games and your child would be notably behind.
Going on Vacation in August It could have a pretty severe impact on their ability to compete. Many of the skills used during the year are learned in August, and your child would be notably behind. Additionally, the first two weeks are conditioning weeks where your child will receive 20 hours of conditioning in order to perform stunting. Missing all or part of those weeks can be significant. 2014 Game Information Attached is a tentative practice and game schedule. The schedule is subject to change and we will be participating in additional Invitational Competitions. We will release the dates as soon as they become available to us. The schedule for our games is determined by Pop Warner and is typically not distributed until the first or second week in August. Please understand that the Amherst Patriots have no control over the game schedule or when it is released. That includes game times, especially during playoffs. Some games could be scheduled on a Saturday or at night. We expect to have 4 home games and 4 away games. Currently, our first game is scheduled for TBD and we ll have games every Sunday through the last Sunday of October unless the football team makes it to the playoffs. The Pop Warner rules do require the cheerleaders to be present at all regular season and post season playoff games rain or shine. Cheerleaders are not required to attend National Football Playoffs. All games and play-off games are mandatory for Cheerleaders. We practice and have games during inclement weather. Never assume a practice or game is being cancelled. If you have questions or concerns about either practice or games please contact your head coach, cheer coordinator or Team mom 2 hours prior to practice or game time by cell phone to confirm. Do not send emails you must speak directly to a head coach, cheer coordinator or Team mom. You must contact the head coach or cheer coordinator 2 hours prior to practice time or game time by cell phone if your cheerleader is going to be late or not attend. Do not send emails you must speak directly to a coach or Team mom. Cheerleaders must arrive at least one hour prior to game time in full uniform, ready to cheer. Any cheerleader who arrives more than 10 minutes late may not be allowed to cheer for the first half of the game at the discretion of the Head Coach & Cheer Coordinator. If you have a conflict with this arrival time at any point, please discuss it with the Head Coach or Cheerleading Coordinator beforehand. GAME UNIFORM All cheerleaders will be required to purchase the following sneakers, crop top, briefs bottoms, competition & game bow and warm-up & cheer bag suit that they may keep. Uniform vests, skirts must be returned in good condition at the end of the season or you will be responsible for $225.00 replacement fee. Please wash uniforms in cold water only (preferably alone) and hang to dry. The uniforms cannot be dried in a dryer, dry cleaned or ironed The cheerleaders will not be permitted to eat anything or drink anything but water when in uniform. Snacks should be eaten before or after the game. The cheerleaders focus should be on the play on the field or the fans on game days. All cheerleaders must have ALL ITEMS with them during game times Vest Skirt Crop Top Briefs Bottoms Cheer sneakers
White NO Show Ankle socks Warm-Up Suit Hair must be pulled up and out of face with Game Bow White tank top only can be worn under vest WATER Bug Spray Sun Screen No jewelry (Medical Devices must be taped to the body) No plastic or metal hair accessories except for bobby pins and flat covered clips. No nail polish COLD WEATHER ATTIRE Complete Game Uniform items mentioned above in a Bag Gloves \ Mittens Rain Coat Please be prepared with the above items at all times during all games and practice times, for weather changes. All cheerleaders may be ineligible to cheer if any parts of the above mentioned uniform are missing and will enforced by coaches. PRACTICE UNIFORM Athletic sneaker Cotton form fitting short or pants Fitted cotton T-shirt or Tank Hair pulled up and out of the face (with a supply of hair elastics) Water! Bug spray and sun block NO jewelry (Medical must be taped to the body) NO plastic or metal hair accessories except for bobby pins NO nail polish NO hooded shirts/sweatshirts or any item with strings OPTIONAL APPAREL AND ACCESSORIES PURCHASES The following items will be offered during uniform fitting for and additional purchases for parents to purchase. These items are not mandatory just additional items being offered. Once original orders have been placed you will be able to purchase these items from the team Store on-line along with other customized apparel and accessories... Customized Amherst Patriot s Bag Tag Customized Amherst Patriot s Car Decal Amherst Patriots Cheer T-Shirt (no part of apparel packed) Amherst Patriots Cheer Sweat Shirts
Practice Schedule Pop Warner requires a minimum of 20 practice hours before the cheerleaders are eligible to do any stunting or participate in any games. The practice schedule is designed to give us ample opportunity to ensure that the cheerleaders are physically prepared to participate safely. Please plan to arrive 15 minutes prior to practice time, practice will start promptly. Being late for practice may result in an unexcused absence. We practice and have games during inclement weather. Never assume a practice or game is being cancelled. In September if we can secure indoor space during inclement weather we will do so. If this happens we will notify you via email ASAP. Absences may affect the role your cheerleader plays within the routine. It is extremely important that all team members attend all practices! Any cheerleader with 2 unexcused absences may be taken out of the competition or half-time routine. Illness, school related events, or prior commitments that the coach has been notified of at the beginning of the season (in August) will be the only excused absences. Every member of the squad affects the squad s ability to perform. Stunts cannot be performed without all group members present, dances cannot be performed with synchronized timing without all members present, and routines cannot be practiced without the entire team present. All practices are mandatory with the exception of school functions or illness. During the month of August, we do understand that family vacations have been planned that may prevent your cheerleader from attending practice. Please notify the coach in advance of the days your cheerleader will miss practice due to vacation. The coaches and team members will be working very hard on their half-time and competition routines, it is impossible to fully execute these routines without the entire squad present. The cheerleaders will have an opportunity to use the bathroom prior to practice. If you anticipate that your Tiny Mite or Mity Mite cheerleader will need to use the bathroom more frequently than that, please plan on staying for practice. Coaches and team Moms are not allowed leave the rest of the team to take them to the bathroom. Cheerleaders on the Junior PeeWee, PeeWee, Junior Midget and Midget teams must use the bathroom before practice they will not be allowed to leave the practice field to use the bathroom. Please let your head coach know if you anticipate this being a problem for your daughter. We understand issues/emergencies arise and of course we will allow your daughter to use the bathroom under these circumstances. Please arrive on time to pick up your cheerleader. The coaches and board members must remain at the practice field until all cheerleaders have been picked up so we ask that you arrive promptly to pick them up and we will end practice promptly at the designated time. All cheerleaders must be picked up from our practice field by a parent, guardian or other designated adult. A parent or guardian must come to the field to pick up their cheerleader. Cheerleaders will NOT be allowed to go to the parking lot alone. If you plan on carpooling you must notify the Head coach or Team Mom prior to practice by phone. We will not release your child without your permission. Above is required for the SAFETY of all cheerleaders, not having the above items could result in an unexcused absence. The coaches will not have extra items.