In Partnership with Game Day Taking Your Sideline Traditions To The Competition Floor
What Is Game Day?! Game Day is a competition that celebrates traditional cheerleading! It gives teams a forum to compete in categories that reflect what they do on the sidelines to engage crowd involvement and demonstrate school traditions! Categories!Band Dance, Situational Sideline/Time-Out Cheer, Fight Song
What Is Game Day? Create Awareness of what cheerleaders do Extracurricular activity and safety Emphasize leadership roles in schools Stay true to mission and vision Traditional sideline roles in schools Create opportunities, not limitations Sideline to performance floor Opportunity for involving multiple spirit and student groups Keep expenses for schools minimal
Program growth Benefits of Game Day increased participation Return to the competitive floor Point of entry is easier for teams Increased positive game presence Teams focus on getting better on actual sideline New ways to succeed Opens up competition to teams not use to competing Reduced risk of injury Restriction of skills and de-emphasizes tumbling Does not require the following Extensive Choreography Music costs (still have the copyright issues to address) Heavily emphasize difficulty or individual skill thus potentially limiting participation and increase risk of injury
Why Now? With recent changes to competitive parameters, this retains the components of traditional cheerleading. The recent decline in the number of teams competing. Decrease in the presence of cheerleading teams at high schools. Decreased cheerleading presence at school and community events.
Game Day Categories What Game Day situation audio cues will squads respond to? Offense/Defense Game Situation: Squads will then perform a Sideline based off of a designated game situation cues Teams will not have audio cues for Band Dance and Fight Song. All teams will perform in the same order. All teams will perform in this order: You have an specific order to perform
Game Day Categories Preliminary and Final rounds exemplifying a team s best GAME DAY performances in three categories: Band Chant Crowd Leading Fight Song Game Day Practicality Crowd-leading engagement tools encouraged Signs Poms Megaphones Flags MASCOTS
Routine Components Band Dance Generally an instrumental version of a popular song like Sweet Caroline, Zombie Nation, Don t Stop Believin, Dr Who, etc. Ripples, line changes, etc. Crowd leadership is still required (yelling letters, colors or mascots over music) Similar to a sideline to music Only skills you can incorp are jumps and kicks Great way for a school to develop and start a new tradition for the school
Routine Components Situational Sideline Offensive or Defensive Situation will be given from the announcer Team reacts accordingly using signs, poms, megs and/or flags Need to utilize crowd leading tools in an organized manner to helps the crowd Trying to use all tools in a hectic way would take away from what crowd leading tools should add Repeats and ends after a verbal command or a set, designated number of times This section can blend into your Timeout Cheer (just like you would on the sideline at a game)
Routine Components Time-Out Cheer Incorporating signs, poms, flags, etc Easy to understand and easy to follow words Signs and poms should assist the crowd in determining sides, words, etc. Stunts should be used to elevate your message to your fans and should not be used to entertain them Difficulty is NOT a part of the score specifically, so make sure that skills are 100%! Need to be in solid position to cheer, energy and stunt while holding signs, poms, etc Skill restrictions help to keep the practicality the main focus and also allows for easier point of entry for teams new to competition
Routine Components Fight Song Usually a school s own fight song or one from a major university Sharp motions to music Ripples, line changes, etc. Skill Incorporation Difficulty is NOT a part of the score specifically, so make sure that skills are 100%! Need to be in solid position to cheer, energy and stunt while holding signs, poms, etc Again another great opportunity to develop and start a new tradition for a school
Routine Components Between Sections Transition should be smooth Natural energy and spirit at all times Proper placement of props (helps to emphasize organization on the sideline) Spacing Restrictions in place to keep it practical for what would happen/work on sideline
How Are Teams Judged Teams are judged on execution, crowd effectiveness, energy, and overall performance Deductions are still in place for Game Day and crowd-readiness and perfection is CRITICAL
Game Day Scoresheet
Game Day Scoresheet
Why Game Day? It s fun and it s easy - You can either use existing great sideline traditions or create new ones for both your home crowd and GD routine It s inclusive - Cheerleaders can be excellent on the sideline without necessarily needing the same skills as required by all-music scoresheets It s an additional opportunity - Game Day is not replacing your cheerleading competitions - it s adding an opportunity to use the competition as a forum for traditional sideline cheerleading
Questions, Comments, Suggestions? Steve Wright - Varsity Spirit State Director swright@varsity.com 866.652.1907