Cardinal Mooney High School Incoming Freshman Cheerleading Try-Out Packet Dear Incoming Freshman & Parent/Guardian, The enclosed packet contains information regarding cheerleading tryouts at CMHS for the upcoming year and cheer seasons. PLEASE REVIEW ALL INFORMATION ENCLOSED. The rules for eligibility, grade requirements, financial obligations, and most importantly, the student s responsibility/obligation if she chooses to accept a position on the cheer squad are enclosed. Once all information is reviewed, please complete the enclosed cheer application with your daughter. This application is to be signed by the grade school principal and homeroom teacher. It also needs a student and parent signature. This application and an administration copy of your CONDUCT and REPORT CARD need to be placed in a sealed envelope and brought to the first clinic practice on Tuesday, April 10 th. ACCEPTED! ** Only girls who submit an application will be considered for try-outs. **NO LATE APPLICATIONS WILL BE We welcome you to Cardinal Mooney and wish everyone GOOD LUCK! Thank you, Jeanette Baird Cheer Advisor The following rules/regulations are requirements for each candidate to know and observe. Please read ALL material in full. The purpose of these standards is to ensure everyone an equal opportunity to secure a position on the squad. **IF A CANDIDATE DOES NOT FEEL SHE CAN ADHERE TO THIS CRITERIA, SHE SHOULD NOT TRY OUT.** THE CHEER SEASON IS AN ALL YEAR COMMITMENT-FROM MAY TO MARCH.
1. ELIGIBILITY Freshman Squad: Any current, enrolled, registered, & accepted, 8 th grader, attending Cardinal Mooney for 9 th grade. Freshman can only make the Freshman squad, depending on how many candidates are eligible, and is required to cheer both football AND basketball seasons. JV Squad: Any current freshman or sophomore and any junior who signs acceptance for JV try-out. All JV cheerleaders are required to cheer both football AND basketball seasons. Varsity Squad: Any candidate who will be a junior or a senior for the upcoming school year. Must have 1 year cheer experience at CMHS. All Varsity cheerleaders are required to cheer both football AND basketballs seasons. *Basketball away games, JV/Varsity cheerleaders will not be required to cheer every single game. *Consequences may come the following year s tryouts, if the cheerleader chooses to opt out of the full basketball season, since a cheer season is an all year commitment. *All awards and letters will be given at the Winter Sports Banquets. 2. GPA & CONDUCT Must have a minimum current GPA of 2.0 and a current conduct grade of 85% or above. 3. TEACHER EVALUATIONS Each JV/Varsity candidate is required to list all teachers up to date for evaluation. All evaluations will be added and an average taken since some girls have more classes than others. The total average is part of your tryout score. These evaluations are kept confidential and returned to administration once scores are tabulated. 4. CHEERLEADING CLINICS A three-day clinic will be held in the Mooney gym, supervised by the cheer coaches and senior cheerleaders. The senior cheerleaders or Mooney coaches are not allowed to give any extra or private help to any candidate after clinic times end. **It is the candidate s responsibility to be present all 3 days to learn all material. An absence may cause ineligibility for try-outs.** PLEASE BRING WATER. The clinic days and times are as follows: Tuesday, April 10 th, Wednesday, April 11 th, and Thursday, April 12 th All From 3:30-4:45 p.m. VIDEOTAPING IS FORBIDDEN AND PRIVATE COACHES/TUTORS ARE NOT ALLOWED AT CLINICS OR TRYOUTS. 5. TRYOUT MATERIAL Candidates will learn the following and will be required to perform individually, along with groups (of 3 or 4) in front of the judging panel: -an assortment of sidelines (2 will randomly be chosen on tryout date) -a floor cheer (the ending can be made up to the candidate s own cheer creativity) -a dance (around 1 min. in length) -an unseen sideline cheer (taught before tryouts start) -Jumps: toe touch, herkey, front hurdler -Stunt: cartwheel, roundoff, back handspring, or further gymnastic stunt (If you choose to perform a Back handspring or further talent, you are required to perform your stunts all year.) -Enthusiasm, Voice/Tone, Correct Apparel, & Overall Cheer Ability will also be graded by the judging panel.
6. TRYOUT APPAREL Each candidate may wear any comfortable and lightweight clothing for the 3-day clinics. No SHORT/TIGHT shorts will be permitted at clinics, or during the year. Each candidate is required to wear the following during Saturday s Tryouts: -PLAIN white short sleeve T-Shirt or high-neck tank. (no chest should be showing) (no graphics or writing on the shirt is allowed) -WHITE Sports Bra -RED or GOLD SOFFEE Shorts. (They sell these shorts at Dick s Sporting Goods & Most Dance Stores along with most Wal-Mart stores) -White shoes are preferred (if you have them). The plainer, the better. -Hair Up, Out of Face, with ribbon. -No excessive or bright makeup or nail polish is permitted. -ABSOLUTELY NO JEWELRY (no rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, or belly or nose rings.) (Also, no tattoos or nose rings are permitted during the entire cheer season. If you have any tattoos that can be seen in uniform, it is your responsibility to cover them up with the correct and appropriate methods.) 7. DEMERIT/DISCIPLINE POLICY There will be a strict discipline policy in place for the Cardinal Mooney Cheer Program. You will be given this policy once the try-out process has been completed. In the policy, it will cover Rules and Guidelines all Mooney Cheerleaders must abide by, including but not limited to: Social Media Policy, Tardiness to games or practices, Respectfulness towards coaches, faculty, students, and fellow squad members, etc. Anyone who breaks any rule or policy, may lead to demerits, being benched for games and/or rally s, or termination of duties as a cheerleader. There will also be chances to be rewarded for positive behavior and work ethic. **If any cheerleader decides to quit, or is dismissed or terminated under the Discipline Policy, under any circumstances, your report card will be held until all CMHS Cheerleading uniform(s) and property is returned. 8. CHEERLEADING SELECTION Final scores determine candidates placed on the cheer squad. This is the total of technical requirements and teacher evaluations. Independent judges, who have all had experience and training in cheer, are used and one or more administration and/or faculty member are present during the tryouts. 9. PRACTICE SCHEDULE Practices start as early as May with a two day a week conditioning schedule. June practices begin the regular season, which consists of 3 days of conditioning and 3 days of cheer practice. ALL PRACTICES ARE MANDATORY!!!! You are not excused for any reason! BEFORE TRYOUTS, please talk to work places, other coaches (sports outside of school), and parents regarding this COMMITMENT, to make sure they can work around your schedule! It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to discuss the cheer schedule and make arrangements. One week of vacation in the summer is allowed and must be turned into the advisor as soon as you know when your vacation will be taking place. Any more missed time will result in demerits with our discipline policy. Please see me directly regarding other sports within Mooney. We typically do not practice on weekends in the summer and pre-notice will be given if we need to practice or if there are any fundraisers, such as car washes, taking place on the weekends.
10. COST OF CHEERLEADING Fundraising is a huge part of acquiring needed equipment and clothing for cheer season. It is mandatory that ALL participate. Failure to do so will entail parents paying out of pocket for all things needed for their child. **Parents are responsible for cost of shoes, dufflebag (new cheerleaders only), warm up clothes, spankies, and PomPoms** Also, baked cookies every rally/football game, money for senior night gifts, and other incidentals throughout the year. If we fundraise enough, that money will be used for Poms and clothing. Mooney cheer camp, our biggest fundraiser of the year, is always the first week of August IT IS MANDATORY FOR ALL MOONEY CHEERLEADERS. We will attend UCA Cheer Camp every other summer, (2017, 2019, 2021, etc.) This will be a monetary commitment from both fundraising and parents. Going away to Cheer Camp is a wonderful opportunity for team bonding and to allow the squad to learn new material. In the opposite years of going away, we will look at different opportunities to bring in UCA or other organizations to Mooney on our own field. **ALL CHECKS/DONATIONS ARE MADE OUT TO CMHS CHEERLEADING. ANY CHECKS RETURNED FOR NSF WILL BE PAID BY THE PARENT AND STUDENT CANNOT CHEER UNTIL THIS MONEY IS RECEIVED AND REPLACED IN THE CHEER ACCOUNT. CHEERLEADING TRYOUTS ARE SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, April 14 TH AT APPROXIMATELY 8:30 A.M. ONE parent per candidate may attend tryouts. (other children are not permitted in with the parent or guardian). You must arrive BEFORE the start time or you will not be admitted. Cell phone use, camera, or any recording device is prohibited during tryouts. Anyone not acknowledging this request will be asked to leave. ***If, for any reason, you leave try-outs, you will not be re-admitted. The final list is placed in an envelope for candidates to open in the privacy of their own car. There will be a meeting after tryouts for those who have made the squad(s) to give a schedule for the first part of the year. Everyone is welcome and able to view their scoresheets after try-outs. They will also be available in Mrs. Yarger s office. Thank you for taking a consideration in being a member of Cardinal Mooney s 2018-2019 Cheerleading Squad! I am looking forward to the year ahead! Please fill out the last page of this agreement and return to the Mooney by the first clinic on April 10 th by 3:30 p.m. Thank you, Jeanette Baird Cheer Advisor
Cardinal Mooney High School FRESHMAN CHEER APPLICATION ***PLEASE NOTE: YOU MUST TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY NOW TO SPEAK WITH OTHER COACHES/EMPLOYERS TO SEE IF THEY ARE WILLING TO WORK AROUND ALL CHEER PRACTICES/GAMES PRIOR TO TURNING IN THIS APPLICATION AND ACCEPTING A POSITION ON THE SQUAD. CANDIDATES CHOSEN WHO CANNOT FULFULL THIS OBLIGATION WILL BE PENALIZED ACCORNING TO DISCIPLINE POLICY. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE DISCUSSED THIS INFORMATION WITH YOUR PARENT(S)/GUARDIAN(S) BEFORE YOU SIGN AND SUBMIT THIS APPLICATION. Please put this APPLICATION, an administration copy of your CONDUCT, and REPORT CARD in a sealed envelope and turn into the office beforehand ( ATTN: Cheerleading written on it) or on the first clinic practice on Tuesday, April 10 th. I HAVE READ THE ENCLOSED CHEER PACKET AND UNDERSTAND ALL REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECATIONS EXPECTED OF A CMHS CHEERLEADER, OTHER THAN SCHOOL WORK AND HEALTH THAT CHEERLEADING TAKES PRECIDENCE OVER OTHER ACTIVITIES, WILL ABIDE THE DISCIPLINE POLICY, AND DEADLINE FOR THIS APPLICATION. STUDENT SIGNATURE: DATE: STUDENT Printed Name: DATE: My daughter has permission to tryout for Cardinal Mooney Cheerleading. PARENT/GUARDIAN SIGNATURE: DATE: Please list any health concerns: I verify that this student is of good academic standing (GPA 2.0), and displays all qualities required of a Cardinal Mooney cheerleader: Leadership, Cooperation, Responsibility, Respect, Attendance, Punctuality, and proper Character and Attitude toward authority and peers. HOMEROOM TEACHER SIGNATURE: DATE: Comments: PRINCIPAL TEACHER SIGNATURE: DATE: Comments: