Requirements & Other Essential Information Varsity Head Coach Sara Sudano Sasudano@lifebridgehealth.org Varsity Assistant Coach Brooke O Barr Bobarr02@gmail.com
Dear Cheerleading Candidates & Parents/Guardians, Thank you for your interest in trying out for the 2018-2019 CHS Cheerleading squad. We appreciate your enthusiasm and interest in our program. Cheerleading is rewarding and exciting, and will teach teamwork, dedication, sportsmanship, leadership, school spirit and hard work! Being chosen to represent CHS, you will be in the forefront as a representative of our school and are expected to adhere to a strict code of conduct, with honor at all times, both on campus and off. Keeping this in mind both you and your parent/guardian should read the following information to ensure you fully understand both the responsibility and commitment expected of you as a CHS cheerleader. While deciding to be part of our Fall or Winter season please remember and consider the time and commitment required such as 4-5 days of practice a week, occasional Saturday practices, pep rallies, camps, fundraisers, team bonding, weekly games and up to 3 competitions not including Counties. One person s inability to follow through on their commitment affects the entire squad. In addition to the time commitment of cheer, you will need to take into consideration your academic and financial requirements. Here at CHS you are a student first and an athlete second! Please consider ALL if these factors before you decide to tryout. Our cheerleaders have earned the right and expect to be considered athletes. In order to be treated like an athlete, you must work and act as an athlete. This means being committed to your team and yourself. If anyone has any questions or concerns about the following information please do not hesitate to email us! We look forward to an exciting tryout and wish each and every one of you the best of luck! Coach Sara & Coach Brooke
Prior to Tryouts To participate in High School Athletics your daughter/son will need the following: Physical (good for 13 months, must be current from within the year) Impact Baseline Concussion Testing (good for 2 years) FamilyID Registration- http://www.familyid.com/century-high-school-4744558e-cabe-4f0a-a7fba3d229003dc2 (this is an online registration for all Fall Athletes. Physicals can be printed out from this site and uploaded to your registration. It should be active to register on 6/15/18.) *The Impact Baseline Concussion Testing will provide us with a baseline if your daughter/son experiences a concussion. They would be given a post injury test before they can start their gradual return to play protocol. Testing takes about 35 minutes. Testing Dates: May 29 th, 30 th, 31 st @ 2:30 (Signup sheet will be posted on Mr. Pentz s door) August 6 th @ 10:00am & 11:00am (Please call the school to sign up for this date Cheer Tryout Schedule The following dates are mandatory for those who wish to try out for the CHS cheer program. You will be taught the following material and will perform each in front of a panel of judges on the final day of tryouts. 1. Wednesday, August 8 th : 5pm-8pm in the Aux Gym. All candidates must be registered online prior to trying out. 2. Thursday, August 9 th : 5pm-8pm in the Aux Gym. 3. Friday, August 10 th : 5pm-8pm in the Aux Gym. (5-6 tryout, 6-7 formal tryout, 7-8 results) You will be learning the following for your evaluation: 1. Group Cheer 2. Jumps 3. Dance 4. Stunting 5. Tumbling Formal tryouts will be groups of 3-4 depending on numbers. You will perform in front of a panel of judges. This will include the group cheer, dance, 3 jumps (toe touch, pike and hurdler (left, right or front). You also will be asked to perform a stunt of difficulty ranging from prep level to single leg. Lastly a back handspring must be attempted with the max of two spots. Attire for tryouts: Shorts or spandex (No Denim) White T-Shirt, plain no writing or designs White socks and cheer shoes (tennis shoes if you do not have cheer shoes) Hair pulled back with a bow NO JEWERLY NO GUM NO COLORED NAIL POLISH (must be cut, no fake nails)
NO ONE IS ALLOWED IN TRYOUTS EXCEPT FOR CHEER CANIDATES, COACHES, ADMINISTRATION AND JUDGES. An impartial and experienced panel of judges will be used to select the teams. The final squad selection will be determined by the coaches. The CHS coaches will use a daily tryout score sheet as a guide as well as personal observations of attitude and perseverance throughout the tryouts. Judge s Score Sheet Explanation of Criteria The below criteria will be used to evaluate you during the clinics and during tryouts. Become familiar with them. As you practice, you may want to have someone, a parent/guardian perhaps, evaluate you as the judges would in each category. Your evaluation actually starts the very first day ATTITUDE, appearance, form, timeliness, following instructions, etc. Appearance Confident, enthusiastic and positive attitude Neatly dressed, hair away from face, no jewelry/gum/nails Smile and spirited! Remember that it is expected that you spirit after every cheer during a game. Knowledge Confidently exhibits cheer/jumps/dance/motions Knows the sequence and precision of movements Does not look around to others for help Few mistakes, recovers quickly without drawing attention Cheer Sharp, precise movements Loud, audible voice projection Synchronized with other members Energetic and full of enthusiasm Correct arms and hand positions Has correct rhythm and timing Dance Synchronized with other members Energetic and full of enthusiasm Has correct rhythm and timing Know the sequence and precision of movements Does not look around to others for help Few mistakes, recovers quickly without drawing attention Stunting Execution Precision Strength Strong form Technique
Tumbling Cartwheel/Round-off Round-off back handspring/tuck/full *all must attempt standing back handspring with max 2 spots Jumps Perform 3 required jumps (Toe touch, pike, side or front hurdler) Good height, straight back, exact position of legs *Bonus for toe touch handspring or tuck JUMPS REQUIRED: Toe Touch Both legs remain straight with knee facing up sit into the jump while keeping chest and head up Reach for the arch of the foot, rather than the toes keep back straight Pike Keep head up bring straight legs to arms Arms parallel to the ground Hands in candle sticks Front Hurdler Turn at an angle one leg is straight while the other is bent behind you bent knee faces down while straight leg comes up to chest directly in front of the body land with feet together at the same time Side hurdlers One leg bends while the other remains straight (similar to herkie) Bent knee faces crowd while the straight leg is in a chorus line kick sit in a hurdler position in the air
Rules and responsibilities for squad members: School work and grades come first; you must keep at least a 2.0 GPA Be on time. No exceptions unless stated prior to practice and a coach was notified. Practice starts at 5:00pm, this means that all cheerleaders are in the gym at 5:00 with the mats rolled out and ready to go for practice. CHS cheer is first priority over any outside activity/sports teams/all-stars. Leaving early from a practice or game will result in an unexcused absence. Practices and Games are mandatory (one person s absence disrupts the entire routine) Having a Job is not an excuse to miss practice. If you have a job you need to make sure it fits with your cheerleading commitment. No unexcused absences. o 1 st unexcused absence: Coach Conference o 2 nd unexcused absence: 1 game suspension o 3 rd unexcused absences: dismissal of the team Excused absences include ONLY: Sick (Absent from school/leave early), Doctors appointment (24hr policy) with note from school if provided for either, tutoring and funerals (with note from parents/guardian stating dates) Parents are expected to contact coaches via e-mail and verify excused absences at least 24 hours before hand. Weekend practice same rules apply with absences (will need Doctors note to be excused) A cheerleader may not perform at a game or activity if absent from school the day of the activity unless it is a school related absence. A cheerleader may not perform at a game or activity if absent from practice the day before unless excused or school related. If a cheerleader is not performing at a game or activity due to absences or injuries they are still expected to come fully dressed and sit with the coaches. Unless absent from school that current day or otherwise approved by coaches. Cheerleaders are expected to request help from fellow cheerleaders or the captains if they are not able to memorize all the cheers/dances/routines are their own. This extra help needs to be done outside of our practice time. Be prepared for practice every day; appropriate attire, shoes and water. Cell phones must be put away & on silent. Practices are closed to friends & family unless stated otherwise. Practice does not end after we are finished. We expect that cheerleaders are working on their motions, cheers, dances, routines, stretching, conditioning, tumbling, etc. outside of our regularly scheduled practice. Be respectful to your teammates and coaches. Cheerleaders should be positive leaders, set good examples, display a positive attitude and work to develop a sense of pride at all times. Full uniform is to be worn on game days at both school and at arrival of games.
Practices: Practices will be held Monday-Friday from 5:00pm-7:00pm with the exception of games. There will also be some mandatory Saturday practices from 9am-11am. The coaches will not tolerate poor attitudes on the part of the cheerleaders. There will absolutely be NO complaining about teachers, fellow squad members, administrators, or fellow students at any time. Practice will consist of and is not limited to the following: stretching, running, various conditioning techniques, stunting, tumbling, learning new material for games, competitions etc. o Stretching is essential for muscle injury prevention. o Running is essential for improving cardiovascular fitness and stamina. o Conditioning is very important to insure injury prevention and safety. Dress at practice: Comfortable clothes, cheerleading or athletic shoes. Hair in a secured ponytail and out of face. No jewelry (including earrings, belly rings, facial piercings, etc.) No fake or long nails. **Please make sure you are conditioning and stretching over the summer to help prepare for tryouts and the season. Games: The coaches will not tolerate poor attitudes on the part of cheerleaders. There will absolutely be NO complaining during games. The coach has the right to make cheerleaders sit out of games if their behavior or attitude is inappropriate. It is very important that cheerleaders represent our school maturely and responsibly during games. As an athlete, cheerleaders are expected to stay for the entirety of a sporting event. Cheerleaders must follow these rules: While turned to watch the game during fall season, cheerleaders must stand with their arms folded behind their back facing the game. They should not talk loudly to one another, dance or goof off on the sidelines. It is the responsibility of each cheerleader to memorize all cheers. If a cheerleader is having trouble remembering the cheers, they need to request help from the captain outside of practice. Coaches have the right to sit cheerleaders from games that do not demonstrate mastery of the cheers. Dress at games: Required full uniform, dress must be followed by all participants. Cheerleading shoes and white socks, bow, NO jewelry, hair in a ponytail and completely out of face. Cheerleaders will be required to ride in transportation provided by athletic department to and from each event or activity. Cheerleaders may return from an event or activity with their parent or guardian if a signed written request is provided to the coach prior to leaving for the scheduled event or activity. ***The purpose of the CHS cheer program is to promote school pride, unity and to lead the student body in demonstrating spirit and support for our teams, coaches and all athletes. We have increased the spirit and respect. We want to continue to build on that again this year. CHS Cheerleaders are expected to demonstrate excellent sportsmanship at all times.
Fundraising: There will be a few fundraising opportunities during the season that all squad member will be expected to attend and/or participate in. This money will go towards bettering our squad (ex: uniforms, poms, signs, etc.) Finances: Athletic fee: $105/child or $150 total/season/family All white Cheerleading shoes Spirit wear: TBD Off Season Opportunities All potential cheerleaders are encouraged to enroll in one or more of the following programs! NCA Camp- McDaniel College July 26 th - 29 th Cost- $272 MD All Stars- Open Gyms (all $10/public) *Saturday s 12-1pm beginner and intermediate skills *Friday s 5-6 advanced Please contact for Private lessons, cheer and tumbling camps and classes. MDE- Back Handspring Class ($10/public) *Saturday s at 10 am **Please follow the Century High School Cheerleading Facebook page for more off season opportunities.