Jesuit Cheerleading Prgram Handbk
I. Name The fficial name f this prgram shall be Jesuit Cheer. II. Purpse It shall be the purpse f this rganizatin t prmte and uphld schl spirit, t develp and maintain gd sprtsmanship amng students, t supprt all sprts prgrams and t advance ur wn athletic skills. T this end, we will wrk cperatively and harmniusly with administratin, faculty, caches, athletic teams, and ther schl clubs and rganizatins. III. Tryut Eligibility Requirements Candidates must be enrlled at Jesuit Cllege Preparatry r Ursuline Academy fr the upcming year befre tryuts begin. Candidates must have an verall GPA f 2.5 r abve. All frms, cntracts, and permissin slips distributed at the 1 st Parent Meeting must be cmpleted, signed, and turned in befre tryuts begin. All UIL/UA Athletic (females nly) frms must be cmpleted, signed, and turned in befre tryuts. These dcuments are available n the Jesuit/UA Athletics website. Written certificatin frm a physician stating that the candidate is in gd physical health must be turned in with the afrementined paperwrk befre tryuts. IV. Team Eligibility Requirements Cheerleaders will cmply with the N Pass, N Play grade plicy; Cheerleaders must be passing all f their classes with a C- r better in rder t participate. Cheerleaders must cmply with all rules, plicies, and expectatins utlined in this Handbk and the Jesuit Athletic Handbk. V. Financial Respnsibilities Purchase f all unifrm pieces. Camp clthes. Summer Camp fees. Away game meal fees. Music and chregraphy fees. Miscellaneus expenses. Payment Plan Payment plans fr the unifrms may be arranged as agreed upn by the Head Cach, Athletic Directr, and parent. Hwever, all balances frm all Cheerleaders must be paid in full by camp.
VI. Attendance Respnsibilities Cheerleaders are required t attend ALL practices, games, perfrmances, cmmunity events, and fundraising activities as specified by the Caching Staff. If a Cheerleader cannt attend ne r mre f the required events (utside f pre-apprved religius and familial bligatins), he/she may frfeit his/her psitin n the squad. Mandatry attendance includes: All scheduled practices All games chsen by the Caching Staff t attend Summer Camp in its entirety Ranger Day in its entirety Clinics and Camps Scial and cmmunity events as designated by the Caching Staff Fundraisers VII. Absences Absences are defined as an absence f 30 minutes r mre frm any cheer-related event. Cheerleaders will nt be allwed t miss any mandatry events thrughut the seasn, including but nt limited t practices, games, fundraisers, scial functins, cmmunity service, etc. Cheerleaders will nt be allwed t miss mre than TWO summer practices fr the duratin f summer. Vacatin dates must be disclsed t the Head Cach at least TWO weeks in advance. Excused Absences An excused absence is defined as an absence in which the Cheerleader has been dismissed frm an event by the Head Cach at least TWO WEEKS prir t the event; excused absences are nly fr familial r religius bligatins. Persnal illnesses r accidents are the nly exceptin t this rule. Excused absences include: Persnal illness r accident. Funeral attendance r death in the family. Religius hliday. Weddings r ther majr family functins in the immediate family. Special schl activity that the Head Cach has apprved.
Failure t ntify the Head Cach befre the cheerleading event will result in an infractin. In emergency situatins, the Caching Staff must be ntified as sn as the situatin allws. If a serius injury r illness ccurs, a parent/guardian must cntact the Head Cach as sn as pssible. If a Cheerleader is absent frm schl due t an illness fr mre than half f the schl day, the Cheerleader may nt participate in any cheer-related activities n the day f the absence. It is at the discretin f the Head Cach t decide if an absence shuld be excused. Unexcused Absences Unexcused absences are defined as any nn-emergency absence where the Cheerleader is absent fr 30 minutes r mre fr any reasn that has nt been cleared with the Head Cach prir t the event. Missing practice r any ther cheer-related event due t wrk r an appintment (i.e. dentist appintments, dctr appintments, family business, cmpetitive practice) will result in an unexcused absence, which will result in an infractin. Missing cheer-related events due t parental discipline are nt cnsidered excused absences and will result in receiving an infractin fr each ccurrence. VIII. Squad Leadership The Caching Staff shall determine whether captains r game leaders will be selected fr any and/r each squad. If the Caching Staff decides t have captains r game leaders fr any r all f the squads, it shall be thrugh appintment nly based n the fllwing criteria: The captain must maintain a GPA f 3.0 r abve. The captain must pssess leadership abilities. The captain must demnstrate a psitive attitude and a willingness t wrk well with the Caching Staff and his/her teammates. Appintment may be fr the duratin f ftball and/r basketball seasn. Respnsibilities f the captain include but are nt limited t: Setting an example fr the rest f the squad and prgram by fllwing all rules and regulatins as set frth in the Prgram Handbk and Jesuit Athletic Handbk. Maintaining a 3.0 GPA r higher. Team Cmmunicatin and Mtivatin
Wrking clsely with the Caching Staff n prjects and events. Arriving at practice early and starting n time. Selecting chants t be perfrmed at games. Greeting and welcming visiting Cheerleaders at games. Wrking cperatively with Student Gvernment t rganize events. Wrking cperatively with the Lne Rangers t rganize events. Crdinating painting and hanging f signs fr the games and events. IX. Appearance Cheerleaders are t understand that their appearance in schl unifrm is a direct reflectin f their Caching Staff, squad, and schl(s). Unifrms must be kept clean, neatly pressed, and mended. There are t be n hles r tears in the unifrm at any time. If the unifrm is nt kept in prper shape, the Cheerleader will nt be allwed t cheer until it is fixed. Nylns r tights may nt be wrn with the cheer unifrm at any time. Each Cheerleader must cme t every game fully dressed in the unifrm specified prir t the game. N variance in unifrm r hairstyle is permitted withut the expressed permissin f the Head Cach. N jewelry is permitted at any cheerleading event. This includes all bdy piercings. The nly time jewelry may be wrn with unifrm pieces is during schl. If plugs are necessary, they are required t be flesh clred and nt readily visible. Hairstyles must be neat and ut f the face. Hair must be wrn up in a high pnytail ( 3 and 3 rule) while cheering unless therwise apprved by the Caching Staff. N unnatural hair clring is allwed. Highlights and lwlights are the nly exceptin t this rule. Yu must stay within range f yur natural hair clr. Team bws must be wrn while cheering at games. If a Cheerleader lses her team bw, a new ne may be purchased. Make-up is t be wrn in a clean, fresh lking manner. N heavy, excessively bright, r dark clred make-up is allwed while the Cheerleader is in unifrm. Eye shadw shuld enhance and shadw the eye, nt verpwer it. If a Cheerleader arrives t a cheerleading event in make-up that des nt cnfrm t this standard, the Cheerleader will be asked t fix her make-up prir t the game. Nails are t be kept at a wrkable length. If nails are fund t be dangerus r t lng, the Cheerleader will either shrten his/her nails r be benched frm the cheerleading event. Nail plish is allwed.
While in unifrm, a Cheerleader may nt participate in any public displays f affectin including hlding, kissing, r sitting n laps. Hand hlding and brief hugs are the nly exceptins t this rule. X. Practice Rules Cheerleaders are t be dressed and ready fr practice with the mats ut by the time practice begins. Cheerleaders are t be dressed in apprpriate practice attire. N versized shirts, strappy tanks, r shrts with buttns will be permitted; flyers MUST WEAR BRIEFS under their shrts. If yu are nt in apprpriate attire, yu will nt be able t participate. Cheerleaders must have their hair pulled back ff their face in a cntrlled fashin. Cheerleaders are nt allwed t leave practice t use the restrm r get a drink unless they first get permissin frm the Caching Staff. Cheerleaders are expected t participate in every practice. A dctr s nte must be presented t the Head Cach befre practice in rder t be excused frm physical activity. Attendance and dressing ut is still required. Any Cheerleader wh misses ne r all f the practices befre a perfrmance may frfeit perfrming at that specified event. When a Cheerleader is absent frm a practice, it is his/her respnsibility t find ut what was missed and required. Cheerleaders are nt allwed t chew gum during practice. The use f cell phnes is strictly frbidden during practice time, unless cleared with the Caching Staff ahead f time (fr emergency use nly). XI. Game Rules Cheerleaders must bring all pieces f their unifrm t every game including their warm-up utfit, pms, and team bag. Cheerleaders are nly allwed t wear these additinal unifrm pieces if every participant in attendance has them. Cheerleaders are nt allwed t have anything tucked in their unifrm r in their warm-up jacket pckets while cheering. There are t be n distractins during games. This includes but is nt limited t cell phnes, chapstick, and fd items. Cheerleaders will sit ut fr the rest f the game if they are caught with anything while cheering. There are t be n bttles f liquid in the cheer area while cheering. This is a safety issue. The cheer area must be kept free frm all items except fr pms and list f sidelines.
Cheerleaders must remain in the set psitin while n the sidelines. Set psitin is hands n the hips, nt hands in the pckets, with the feet shulder width apart. If a Cheerleader des nt stay in the set psitin, he/she will receive ne warning. After that, he/she will be benched fr ne full quarter. This als applies t excessive talking while n the sidelines. Cheerleaders are nt allwed t leave their pst while cheering at a game unless they have direct permissin frm the Caching Staff. Cheerleaders shuld use the restrm and get water befre the game, at halftime, and when the game is ver. Cheerleaders wh perfrm tumbling at tryuts must tumble during timeuts, quarters, and halftime perfrmances. Each time a Cheerleader des nt cmplete r refuses t thrw the tumbling he/she tried ut with, he/she will be benched frm the perfrmance. A Cheerleader must maintain the level f tumbling he/she perfrms at tryuts thrugh t the end f the cheerleading seasn. Otherwise, the Cheerleader will be benched frm all cheer related activities until they decide t thrw their tumbling again. There are t be n items added t the pms including scrunchies r bws. Cheerleaders are nt allwed t chew gum while cheering r perfrming. XII. Disciplinary Actins Cheerleaders are expected t cmply with all the rules and regulatins as utlined in the district and site discipline plicies, this Handbk, and the Jesuit Athletic Handbk. Infractins Vilatins f the rules will result in the Cheerleader receiving an infractin. Infractins include: Nn-cmpliance with any f the plicies as utlined in this Handbk. Three unexcused tardies t practices and/r games. A Cheerleader will be cnsidered tardy after FIVE minutes f being late. One unexcused absence frm a practice r game (exceptins apply t special circumstances). Alchl/drug related ccurrences. Blatant defiance f the Caching Staff r captain. Rudeness t teammates, captain, r Caching Staff. Disruptive r uncperative behavir at any cheerleading event. Public displays f affectin while in unifrm. Any schl suspensin. The cnsequences will begin nce the Cheerleader has returned frm a hme suspensin. Hwever, n Cheerleader will participate in any cheerleading activity while n hme suspensin.
Excessive use f prfane r ful language. Refusal t participate in his/her assigned psitin in a stunt grup. Missing a Jesuit Cheer event due t participatin in cncurrent activities. 1 st Infractin Warning 2 nd Infractin Benched fr Next Game/Perfrmance 3 rd Infractin Meeting w/ Parent and Athletic Directr 4 th Infractin Remval frm the Squad If a Cheerleader des nt have n the apprpriate attire fr a specified cheerleading event, r if the attire is dirty r trn, that Cheerleader will nt be allwed t participate. If a Cheerleader at any time becmes a safety risk t any ther team members while stunting, the Caching Staff reserves the right t remve that Cheerleader frm his/her stunt grup. It is at the Head Cach s discretin when and if the Cheerleader can return. Academic ineligibility will nt be cnsidered an infractin. A Cheerleader wh becmes academically ineligible t participate in cheer may nt participate in unifrm in any cheerrelated event until the next grading perid when the grades have been restred t eligibility status. The Cheerleader will still be required t attend all cheerleading events and cmply with all ther rules. While academically ineligible, the Cheerleader may nt use practice time t d hmewrk. If the Cheerleader is academically ineligible fr mre than ne grading perid, the Cheerleader will immediately be dismissed frm the squad. XIII. Attitude One f the main purpses f a Jesuit Cheerleader is t prmte schl spirit and set an example f sprtsmanship. Athlete demeanr and attitude must cnstantly reflect the principles and values we are trying t spread t thers during game time r cmpetitive situatins. Cheerleaders are required t maintain a psitive attitude at all sprting events including practices, games, rallies, camps, and clinics. Cheerleaders are nt allwed t back-talk the Caching Staff, utwardly questin a Cach s decisin, r be disrespectful. Cheerleaders are nt t participate in any frm f unsprtsmanlike behavir including but nt limited t swearing, inapprpriate chanting, r any ther imprper cnduct.
Cheerleaders attitudes and actins reflect directly nt his/her teammates, Caching Staff, and schl(s). Therefre, Cheerleaders must pssess the dispsitin and attitude that align with Jesuit and its cheerleading prgram. Cheerleaders must be aware that his/her actins in the e-wrld (via text messaging, vicemails, emails, print, and all scial netwrking sites) must align with these principles as well. A Cheerleader may nt pst cmments, pictures, r vides that will reflect prly n his/her teammates, Caching Staff, r the schl. XIV. Quitting the Squad Any Cheerleader wh quits the squad nce the cheerleading seasn has fficially begun, r fails t attend practices r events, will NOT be allwed t return t the squad fr the remainder f that schl year. Quitting the squad will als affect tryut candidacy fr fllwing seasns. XV. Transprtatin Schl/charter buses will be utilized fr the majrity f team events. Caravanning may be an ptin fr sme team events. XVI. Participatin in Cncurrent Activities Because Jesuit Cheer is a year-rund activity, cheerleaders may NOT participate in ther sprts r athletic activities thrughut the seasn. The nly exceptin t this rule is Track. Practices, games, cmpetitins and all ther related events in ther athletic and ccurricular activities are NOT cnsidered t be excused absences and will result in an infractin fr each ccurrence. Participatin n cmpetitive cheerleading squads is supprted and encuraged, prvided that the Cheerleader can meet ALL duties and respnsibilities as utlined in this Handbk. Cheerleaders may NOT freg Jesuit Cheer practices r events t attend anther team s events. Special circumstances may apply. Cheerleaders wh chse t participate n the Jesuit Cheer cmpetitive team will NOT be allwed t participate in ther sprts r activities thrughut the seasn, including utside All-Star cheerleading teams.