Kirkwood Community College Cheerleading Handbook 2014-2015 Objectives The Kirkwood Cheerleading program is a student activity. As a student activity, its first and foremost responsibility to the student is to support and not compromise the student s academic career. Secondly, the program should aid the developing student participant into a responsible, mature and independent adult. The primary purpose of each cheerleader is to be a member of the team, which has as its goal to support intercollegiate athletics and Kirkwood Community College. That support is directed by the following fundamental purposes: to lead positive vocal support for the team, to solicit that support from the athletic activity known as cheerleading by performing tumbling, stunts, motions, jumps, and pyramids, to perfect this athletic activity for keeping the crowd s attention/direction focused on the field/court where the intercollegiate activity is taking place, for entertainment and competitive purposes, to create an atmosphere of enthusiasm and excitement at sporting events, thereby increasing attendance and raising the level of fan support, to serve as public relations ambassadors of intercollegiate athletics and Kirkwood, to uphold, reflect and project the goals and ideals of the institution, to appear at Kirkwood activities, functions, programs, charitable and public causes (not commercial/business purposes), and to promote intercollegiate athletics and Kirkwood Community College. General Policies Cheerleaders are expected to present a positive attitude at all times. A cheerleader that participates in inappropriate behavior and/or presents a negative attitude at school, during practices, games, or the internet could be removed from the squad at the digression of the coach. Anyone selected for the Kirkwood Cheerleading program is expected to be a leader among the Kirkwood student body. Involvement in our program makes that individual a highly visible Kirkwood representative. Current physicals and proof of health insurance are required to be turned in prior to the first team practice (August 12, 2014). No cheerleader may practice or participate in any sort of physical activity without a current physical on file. A current physical is any physical that is not more than a year old. Please bring two copies of your physical and health insurance card to the first team practice. One copy of each will be kept by coach and the other will be put in your file in our Advisor s office. No gum, jewelry or cell phones during games, practices, performances, and appearances. Please keep them in your bag. If phone use becomes an issue, the coach may retain it during practice/team events. When in uniform, cheerleaders must arrive to an event with their jewelry off. At no time should you represent our squad with your uniform and jewelry on at the same time. This is not the athletic look that we want to portray. In addition, visible tattoos should be covered at all times when at any Kirkwood Cheerleading event, including, but not limited to practices, games, appearances, fundraisers, etc.
Team shoes must be worn at all times to practice/perform as soon as they are delivered. At no time should any cheerleader enter the cheerleading closet/office on the upstairs level of Johnson Hall without the coach s permission. Academic Eligibility All cheerleaders will be required to be enrolled at least half-time, attempt and complete at least 6 credits/semester, and maintain an overall GPA of 2.0 or above. Upon review at the end of each semester, students falling below a 2.0 will be required to seek academic counsel and will be removed from the team. Note that all Kirkwood students have access to tutors and the writing lab for academic assistance at no cost. Students will allow the Coach and Advisor permission to keep track of grades and class attendance. The coach and/or advisor may check in with KCC cheerleaders teachers regarding attendance, grades, attitude, etc., at any time during a semester. Communication Please save the following in multiple locations for reference. - Coach: Krystal Fitzpatrick at 319-521-1229 or cheerleading@kirkwood.edu. - Advisor: Caitlyn Althoff 319-398-4489 or Caitlyn.Althoff@kirkwood.edu - Facebook: Our team has a private facebook group named Kirkwood Cheer 2014-2015. Updates and communication outside of practice, games, and events will be posted in this group and it is the responsibility of each cheerleader to make sure that they are aware of these updates. Breakdown of Expected Expenses Money is due at the time of ordering the item/s. Payment should be delivered to our Cheerleading Advisor, Caitlyn Althoff (102 Iowa Hall). Please be aware of these costs and plan accordingly prior to the date/s that the payment/s are due. For the 2014-2015 school year, payment for the required attire items will be due by the first practice (8-12-14). Shoes: We currently wear Nfinity cheerleading shoes. Purchasing new shoes with the team is required at the beginning of each school year. $80 Required open gym membership (located each Monday at Twisters Gymnastics): $45 for each semester. See Practices for more information. Poms: Last year s cost was approximately $30. Buying one set of poms is required. However, if we choose to use the same poms for consecutive years, you will not be required to purchase a new set each additional year. Practice tops: (Required) $30. This will include 3 tops. Exact design TBT. Practice bottoms: You will need to purchase bottoms to go with your tops on your own. These are usually items that you may already own (for ex., black Soffes, etc.). Colors TBT depending on top choice. Briefs: You will need to purchase black boy short briefs to wear under your uniform on your own. OPTIONAL Team bag: To be discussed and ordered for the coming year. Approximate cost is around $45 for most designs (includes bag and embroidery). OPTIONAL Warm-up: In the past, warm-ups cost $70 per person for both jacket and pants.
Practices Attendance at all practices/open gyms/workouts/games/performances are required. Plan on being early to stretch and to help to roll out the mats when possible. Inform Coach Fitzpatrick well in advance if there is a conflict that will prevent you attending a practice or open gym. Unless in the case of emergency, advising the coach of an absence with less than a week s notice is not acceptable. Team practices will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8pm-10pm in Johnson Hall. Required open gyms are located at Twister s Gymnastics on Monday nights from 7:30-9pm. We have a mandatory team workout once/week in the morning (approx. 6:30am, depending on the Rec Center s current hours) at the Kirkwood Recreation Center. This is mandatory, so set alarms and remember to bring your Eagle Card. We will choose the morning of the team workout, depending on each team member s schedule, once we get closer to our first practice date. Plan ahead and accordingly with work schedules, family functions, and homework as all practices are mandatory and attendance is expected. Practices will begin on Tuesday, August 12 th, 2014, and required open gyms will start up on Monday, August 25 th, 2014. Practices may continue to be held during scheduled school breaks, including, but not limited to days that our choreographer has arranged to work with our squad. These practices held during breaks are also required and cheerleaders will face attendance consequences if not attended. This year s choreography camp will be held from approx. 5-10pm on September 12 th and from 8am- 5pm on September 13 th. Attending these dates is absolutely critical to the team and no one may be excused from these practices without previous discussion with the coach. Games, Performances, and Fundraising Efforts Attendance is mandatory for the date that you are scheduled to cheer, fundraise, or perform at games, as well as at any other performances or events that you are scheduled for. Cheerleaders are asked to arrive in Johnson Hall (ready to go) 45 minutes prior to the start of a game to warm-up. Ready to go includes having your hair up (half up, half down in you have longer hair), make-up on, bow in, uniform on, etc. If you need to come earlier to finish getting ready, plan accordingly. Pre-game time is used for stretching, practicing cheers, dances, stunts, and routines. As a Kirkwood Cheerleader, there are many opportunities for our squad to perform at games and campus events, as well as charity/fundraising events. In the past, we ve also performed in the community at events such as Cedar Rapids Kernels and Cedar Rapids Titans games. While it is in our best intention to give this to you at the start of the season, please know that some events are scheduled later and each team member is responsible for accommodating these team functions. In addition, opportunities to volunteer in the community as a Kirkwood Cheerleader may come up and we invite you to take advantage of each invitation when possible. In addition to your occasional fundraising role at games, each cheerleader will be required to help to contact advertisers and sell our annual Kirkwood calendar to help to raise funds for our new Kirkwood Cheerleading scholarships that go directly to our Kirkwood Cheerleaders. Other fundraisers may be required throughout the year to cover the costs of competing and hiring a choreographer for our competition routine. When the fundraisers are chosen, attendance and/or cooperation with the efforts will be mandatory so that everyone has an equal part in the fundraising to meet our team s goals.
Commitment/Attendance Policy Because of the nature of the sport and the reliance that we have on each and every team member, your commitment and attendance efforts are extremely important to our program and our goals. Previous teams created and implemented a Two Strike policy, which we found to work very well and will continue during the 2014-2015 school year. Cheerleaders earn their first strike by arriving late to any scheduled event/practice/game/appearance/fundraiser/etc. Upon your second strike, you will be removed from the team. In the rare circumstance that you absolutely cannot attend a practice or an event (not including performances or competitions), this date must be cleared well in advance with the coach so as to plan for your absence, unless in the case of an emergency (in the case of an emergency, you need to call Coach Fitzpatrick immediately to let her know of your change in attendance status). In addition, the coach has the right to terminate any cheerleader from the team at any time, regardless of their strike status. Injuries/Illness Any illness or injury, even if considered minor, must be reported the coach immediately. It is the right of the coach and/or advisor to not permit an athlete to practice/cheer/perform for a period of time until cleared by a doctor. In addition, if a cheerleader chooses to see a doctor because of an injury, the cheerleader must return with a note from the doctor regarding future care and whether or not the athlete can continue to participate and with what restrictions. In the case of injury, cheerleaders are required to still attend all practices and events as a member of the team. Health, Lifestyle, and Nutrition The Kirkwood Cheerleading program is committed to promoting and fostering healthy lifestyles and eating habits for all team members. We do not support height/weight requirements. All cheerleaders must maintain an appropriate physique in order to participate safely in all aspects of cheerleading. Drugs & Alcohol As stated earlier, cheerleaders are expected, first, to be good, law-abiding citizens of the nation, state, and city. This expectation is foremost when it comes to drugs and alcoholic beverages. Cheerleaders are reminded that, as highly visible members of the college community, their actions and behavior are under constant observation. While in uniform, but also while not in uniform, Kirkwood cheerleaders are absolutely subject to scrutiny, and can easily be the object of criticism for their behavior or actions, in particular, for indulging or for overindulging in drugs and alcoholic beverages. Cheerleaders shall not consume drugs or participate in under-aged drinking of alcoholic beverages before or during a game, practice, performance, competition, event, fundraiser, etc. Cheerleaders who violate these rules shall be subject to serious disciplinary measures, up to and including immediate dismissal from the team. Social Networks Participation in such networks (such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.) have both positive and potentially negative consequences. It is important that Kirkwood Cheerleaders are aware of these consequences and exercise appropriate caution when participating in these networks. Student-athletes are
not restricted from using any on-line social network sites and digital platforms. However, users must understand that any content that they make public via on-line social networks is expected to follow acceptable social behaviors. If any team member is found to be inappropriately using an on-line social network, he or she could be removed from the Kirkwood Cheerleading squad. In addition, it is a requirement of our team to friend/add the coach/advisor when requested. Choosing not to cooperate with this expectation will result in removal from the team. There may be times when the coach, teammate, and/or advisor will ask a student-athlete to remove or untag a post or picture to stay within these guidelines. Please use your best judgment so that it does not get to this point.
Kirkwood Community College Cheerleader Contract 2014-2015 Terms: 1. I am in good academic and disciplinary standing. I understand that I must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA and that I will be removed from the team if my overall GPA falls below 2.0 once on the team. 2. I hereby give consent to Caitlyn Althoff and Krystal Fitzpatrick to review my grades and enrollment status to confirm eligibility, if needed. I also give them permission to contact any professor/teacher at any time regarding grades, attendance, attitude in class, etc. 3. I give consent to Krystal Fitzpatrick, Caitlyn Althoff, and Kirkwood Community College to use photographs or likeness of myself to promote the cheerleading program and college in any media deemed appropriate. 4. I am in good physical condition. 5. I understand that I am required to have medical insurance coverage and a current physical and will provide a copy of each to the coach and/or advisor prior to being able to participate in team practices, games, performances, etc. 6. I will attend and be on time to all practices held on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, as well as mandatory weekly team workouts. The coach will have the authority to excuse absences. 7. A cheerleader who does not fulfill his/her duties may be dismissed from the team at any time at the discretion of the coach and/or advisor. 8. If I voluntarily resign, am suspended, or dismissed from the team, I will return (in good condition) all equipment issued to me by Kirkwood Community College within two weeks of my departure from the team. I understand that failure to do so will result in a hold being placed on my record. 9. Having fully read and understanding the above handbook and contract, I (print) do hereby promise to abide by the stated stipulations. (Printed Name) (Signature) (Date)
Kirkwood Community College Cheerleader Contract 2014-2015 Terms: 1. I am in good academic and disciplinary standing. I understand that I must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA and that I will be removed from the team if my overall GPA falls below 2.0 once on the team. 2. I hereby give consent to Caitlyn Althoff and Krystal Fitzpatrick to review my grades and enrollment status to confirm eligibility, if needed. I also give them permission to contact any professor/teacher at any time regarding grades, attendance, attitude in class, etc. 3. I give consent to Krystal Fitzpatrick, Caitlyn Althoff, and Kirkwood Community College to use photographs or likeness of myself to promote the cheerleading program and college in any media deemed appropriate. 4. I am in good physical condition. 5. I understand that I am required to have medical insurance coverage and a current physical and will provide a copy of each to the coach and/or advisor prior to being able to participate in team practices, games, performances, etc. 6. I will attend and be on time to all practices held on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, as well as mandatory weekly team workouts. The coach will have the authority to excuse absences. 7. A cheerleader who does not fulfill his/her duties may be dismissed from the team at any time at the discretion of the coach and/or advisor. 8. If I voluntarily resign, am suspended, or dismissed from the team, I will return (in good condition) all equipment issued to me by Kirkwood Community College within two weeks of my departure from the team. I understand that failure to do so will result in a hold being placed on my record. 9. Having fully read and understanding the above handbook and contract, I (print) do hereby promise to abide by the stated stipulations. (Printed Name) (Signature) (Date)