2013-2014 TEAM PLACEMENT & TRYOUT INFORMATION WHAT ARE TEAM PLACEMENTS & TRYOUTS? Team placements and tryouts are an opportunity for our coaching staff to evaluate the fitness level, flexibility, and tumbling skills, and in some cases stunting skills of athletes. Cheer athletes will be placed on a team at the age and skill level as determined by our coaches. All athletes attending team placements will be placed on a team. Our Open team has a tryout procedure and not all athletes that attend may be placed on a team. WHAT CAN I EXPECT AT CHEER TEAM PLACEMENTS? Team placements & tryouts will consist of a variety of athletic ability evaluations such as endurance, strength, jump, tumbling and flexibility drills. Most importantly, we will be looking for athletes who demonstrate a positive attitude, and a willingness to learn. With very rare exceptions we have a team for everyone so experience is generally not necessary to cheer at Panthers. Please review the chart on page 2 that outlines the skills required at each level. 1
ISASF CHEERLEADING LEVELS EXPLAINED The International All Star Federation is a not for profit organization whose mission is to maximize the number of participants benefiting from the positive life experiences of all star cheerleading by developing competition rules and all star gym training guidelines consistent with the latest, best known safety, educational and ethical practices. The ISASF has created rules and regulations designed to ensure that athletes progress safely and appropriately through levels 1-6. These standards are used to ensure cheer gyms around the country use the best practices. At Panther Cheer we make every effort to offer the most up to date practices in safety, education and ethics. We pride ourselves in building our teams around these levels to ensure success for all our teams. Athletes at Panthers are placed on teams according to their complete skill set. This means that athletes must demonstrate abilities in more than one area of the chart below. Coaches will assess the all-around skill level of each athlete and place him or her on the team that best suits his or her ability level and will adequately challenge them. It is also important to note that levels are the same for all age groups. For example, Level 1 Tiny, Mini, Youth, Junior and Senior age divisions are all allowed to perform the same skills. More information regarding the ISASF levels can be found at www.usasf.net LEVEL STUNTS MOTIONS/DANCE TUMBLING/JUMPS 1 Thigh stand, double base, cradle, one-legged stunts with body positions. 2 Single leg torch with body positions, extension, straight ride basket toss. 3 Skills in tosses, libs and variations (scorpion, scale, needle), twisting dismounts. 4 Twisting dismounts from libs, and double twisting from double base level and kick full baskets. 5/6 Double twisting dismounts from all stunts. Inversions and release moves. Kick double baskets. Basic understanding of rhythm and motion placement. Basic footwork, levels and ripples, beginner paced dance. Dances and motions become quicker, utilizing single counts, variations between team members and levels Motions and dance become advanced requiring sharp and accurate placement. Complex footwork and level changes. Athletes require excellent rhythm and showmanship. Complex dance and motion sequences. Athletes must be quick to pick up and correct steps. Dances are fast paced and contain intricate transitions. Athletes demonstrate mastery of the performance element of cheer including choreography. Basic jump from tuck to toe touch. Handstand, forward roll, cartwheel, round-off, back & front walkover. Connected jumps, double toe-touch. Standing back handspring, front handspring, round off back handspring series. Toe touch back handspring series, round off back tuck, round off back handspring back tuck, running front tuck. Toe touch back handspring back tuck. Standing tucks. Running tumbling with front tucks & layouts. Standing series to tuck. Jump to tuck combinations, layout full, double full, standing series to full. **There are no pre-requisites for athletes on Level 1 teams but the skills listed are an asset. For each level thereafter, athletes will be required to perform the listed skills, unassisted. Athletes who show potential or are close to being able to perform the skills may be placed on a higher-level team. Please note that there are always exceptions and team selection is not based 100% on skill level. Attitude and past attendance will also be taken into consideration where applicable. 2
If you are new to cheer and would like to see our gym we encourage you to visit us! We welcome everyone to stop by our open house on Sunday, May 5th from 6-9pm. We will be running free open gym during our open house times. Open gym is an opportunity for athletes to train their skills outside regular practice times in a safe encouraging environment. Drop in for one gym is usually just $5 per non-panther athletes and free for all Panther Cheer Athletes. All athletes must have a signed waiver (by their parent if under 18) in order to participate in any gym activities. The waiver can be found on our website at http://panthercheerathletics.com/drop-inopen-gym/ We also encourage all those interested in joining the Panther All-Star Cheer family to attend an information meeting about team placements. Monday April 15 th from 6-7pm NEW FAMILIES ONLY Thursday May 2 nd from 6-7pm NEW & RETURNING FAMILIES 2013-2014 CHEER TEAM DIVISIONS, AGES & LEVELS TEAM LEVEL AGE PLACEMENT DAY COST TINY Level 1 3-5 N/A. Registration begins May 1st N/A MINI Level 1 6-8 Sunday May 12 th 1:30-3:30pm $5 YOUTH Level 1 9-11 Sunday May 12 th 1:30-3:30pm $5 MINI/YOUTH Level 2 6-11 Tuesday May 14 th 5-7pm $5 JUNIOR Level 1 12-14 Sunday May 12 th 1:30-3:30pm $5 JUNIOR Level 2 12-14 Tuesday May 14 th 5-7pm $5 YOUTH/JUNIOR Level 3 9-14 Tuesday May 14 th 7-9pm $5 YOUTH/JUNIOR Level 4 9-14 Tuesday May 14 th 7-9pm $5 SENIOR Level 1 15-18 Sunday May 12 th 1:30-3:30pm $5 SENIOR Level 2 15-18 Tuesday May 14 th 5-7pm $5 SENIOR Level 3/4 15-18 Tuesday May 14 th 7-9pm $5 OPEN All interested 17+ Thursday May 16 th 7-9pm $5 *Age is as of August 31, 2013. Ages are based on most current USASF/ASF rules and are subject to change. **Exact team levels will determined by coaches and will be based on ability level of athletes. Athletes who are interested in being a crossover (on more than one team) must attend placement dates for all teams they would like to be considered for. Please not that there are always expectations and team selections is not 100% on skill level. Attitude and past attendance will also be taken into consideration where applicable. 3
WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW/BRING FOR TEAM PLACEMENT DAY? 1. Come prepared by reading this information package in its entire. We also recommend that you carefully review our 2013-2014 Cheer & Dance Handbook when it is released in May. 2. Register & pay for the appropriate placement on our website. If you have participated in a Panther Cheer class before, simply log into your account and add the class. If you are having trouble logging in please call the gym. New families will need to create a new account. 3. A waiver form must be filled out & signed by a parent prior to participating so arrive a few minutes early if you have not completed one yet. Waiver forms can be found at on our website at http://panthercheerathletics.com/drop-in-open-gym/ 4. Wear shorts, a t-shirt and athletic shoes for cheer. Long hair should be in a ponytail and all jewelry must be removed. 5. Come with a smile and a GREAT attitude! 6. Team lists will be emailed out by May 24th. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call us at 778-297-8437 or email info@panthercheerathletics.com WHAT HAPPENS AFTER TEAM PLACEMENTS? Team lists will be emailed out by May 24th along with the registration package for the season. If you accept your position on the team you must register for the team online by May 27th. If you do not register by 10am on May 27th than we will take this to mean you are not interested in accepting the position on the team offered and will open your spot up to someone else. All competitive teams will practice once a week from June through August. Please refer to the chart on the following page for practice days and times. **PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE DAYS/TIMES MAY CHANGE** The expectation is that if the athlete is in town than they are expected at practice. In addition, we will also offer tumbling classes and specialty clinics and classes for those interested in additional opportunities to work new skills. All teams from Mini to Senior have a mandatory training camp on September 14th & 15 th mandatory choreography practices & camp from Wednesday Sept 25 th Sunday Sept 29 th. AND If your spring/summer plans do not allow you to participate in summer training or the September training camp you MUST let us know at team placements. 4
TEAM TRAINING DAY TRAINING TIME Tiny Level 1 Wednesday 5-6pm Mini Level 1 Wednesday 6-7:30pm Mini Level 2 Thursday 5-7pm Youth Level 1 Wednesday 6-8pm Youth Level 2 Thursday 5-7pm Junior Level 1 Tuesday 5-7pm Junior Level 2 Thursday 5-7pm Youth/Junior Level 3 Thursday 7-9pm Senior Level 1 Tuesday 5-7pm Senior Level 2 Tuesday 7-9pm Senior Level 3/4 Thursday 7-9pm Open Team Wednesday 7-9pm FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ S): Q: I have no cheer or tumbling experience. Can I still be on a competitive team? A: Yes, there is a team for everyone! Q: I cannot attend placements. What can I do to get on a team? A: Please call the gym to arrange for a private assessment. Q: My age fits into a younger division but I want to be on an older team (eg Mini age and want to be on a Youth team). A: You must attend the tryout that matches BOTH your age AND skill level. If you would like to be considered for a different team please let the coaches know at placements. If you are interested in crossing over to a 2 nd team, please let the coaches know at placements. Q: Why is there summer training? A: In the past we found that taking several weeks off has a negative impact on an athlete s skills, especially at the higher levels. Tumbling skills that are not practiced on a regular basis are often lost and skill level regresses. Summer is also an important time to build new skills and bond with your team. Q: I am going away on vacation over the summer. Can I still be on a competitive team? A: Summer training is important as it is a time to build skills and bond as a team. We understand that families take vacations but expect our athletes to be at the majority of practices. If you cannot attend summer practices we will consider placing you on a team in September if there is space. Please contact us if this is the case and we will put your name on a wait list. 5
Q: Do I have to take tumbling in the summer? A: Summer tumbling is optional but highly recommended for all athletes. Q: What is the difference between pre-competitive and competitive? A: The biggest difference is commitment level, both financial and time. Pre-competitive runs in 2 sessions, September through December & January through April and teams practice 1x/week for 1-2 hours. Competitive runs June through May and teams practice twice a week 1-2+ hours each time plus all level 2+ athletes must take a 1hr tumbling class during this period. Athletes in the competitive stream must attend all practices. If you plan to take vacations in winter or have other serious commitments that will conflict, competitive cheer may not be the best choice for you. Q: Do you offer family discounts? A: Cheerleading is a great sport for the entire family! As a special offer for families with two or more competitive cheer athletes we are pleased to offer the following: 1st child full price 2nd child 25% off of training fees 3rd child 50% off of training fees 4th child is free no cost to train ** discounts will be on the lesser fees and not necessarily in birth order. The discount is off the training cost only, please contact us for instalment amounts. Q: I want to do pre-competitive cheer. When will registration open? A: Registration for our 2013-2014 pre-competitive teams will open mid June. More information will be available once our registration package is completed in May. Pre-competitive teams practice once a week and run in two sessions: Fall September to December Winter January to April 6