2016-2017 Cheerleading tryouts
2016-2017 CHEERLEADING TRYOUTS Athletic Clearance In order to get clearance to try out for any sport at CLS, you must go online to http://il.8to18.com/CLS and complete your registration and have an updated physical. You cannot participate in this year’s tryouts if you do not complete those two things.
Tryouts Schedule
Monday, May 16th 3:30-6:30pm o Learn dance and cheer o Stunting Tuesday, May 17th 3:30-6:30pm o Practice dance and cheer o Final judge on stunting Wednesday, May 18th 3:30-6:30pm o Show us everything! Dance, Cheer, Toe touch, Combination Jump, Standing and Running Tumbling Friday, May 20th 3:30- 5 o Teams will be announced according to number
Rules for Try Outs On the first day of camp, each candidate will be assigned a number that they must wear throughout the duration of the three days. On Wednesday, May 18th, candidates will tryout in groups of four based on the numerical order they were assigned. There is absolutely no number switching! There are no spectators allowed in the gym during any part of tryouts. Taping/ recording cheer or dance is prohibited.
What to wear: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
No Jewelry of any kind- ALL piercings must be taken out (no matter how new they are). Nails must be trimmed and below fingertip length- Take the fake nails off! Hair must be off shoulders and out face No Glitter Shirt must cover midriff
2016-2017 Cheerleading Calendar at a Glance
Summer practice- Typically held twice a week. Practice for each squad will be announced at a later date. Summer Choreography – We will be having an outside choreographer come in for 2 days over the summer and teach the competition routines for both JV and Varsity teams. Though summer practices are not necessarily mandatory, these practices are crucial! Please arrange vacations and work around these practices. Dates TBD First team meeting – will be Wednesday May 25th. Fundraiser will be discussed and handed out. Cheerleading is a yearlong commitment - Our season begins in June and ends in April. We will be cheering at football games, basketball games and then competition season.
2016-2017 CHEERLEADING TRYOUTS Frequently Asked Questions: 1) How many will be taken on each team? There will be anywhere from 14- 18 taken on Junior Varsity. The number competing on Junior Varsity will be determined at a later date. There will be 24 taken on Varsity and 20 will be competing. Alternates will be decided at a later date. 2) What does it cost to tryout? It is free to try out! 3) Can freshmen and sophomores make Varsity? Can juniors or seniors make Junior Varsity? How does this work? Age is not taken into account when choosing teams. As with all IHSA sports, during try outs you are evaluated on your skill. Many times, older athletes have had more time to practice and thus have obtained more advanced skills than younger athletes. The top six flyers, top six back spots, and top twelve bases will be asked to be part of the Varsity Program. Please remember this when filling out the attached try out questionnaire because it could be the difference between making and not making the team. For example, according to your scores, you may not be one of the top six flyers, but you’d be willing to try or have tried basing. You may fit perfectly into the Varsity Program as a base! If you say that you fly and only fly, then if you are not one of the top six flyers, you will be asked to be on Junior Varsity or possibly encouraged to try out the following year. On top of strong stunting technique, the judging panel will be looking for above level jumps, tight motions, strong voice projection, and strong tumbling. PLEASE REMEMBER: TUMBLING IS ONLY ONE PORTION OF THE SCORING RUBRIC! IF YOU ARE VERY STRONG IN OTHER AREAS, YOU CAN MAKE VARSITY AND JUNIOR VARSITY WITHOUT TUMBLING. With that being said, sometimes a junior or senior athlete may not have the scores necessary to make Varsity, but they are still very good cheerleaders! Each year there are upperclassmen athletes that benefit from cheering with the Junior Varsity Program. What may seem upsetting at first, turns into an excellent opportunity for leadership and growth! Please think about this when filling out your cheer questionnaire. If you are trying out for only Varsity, and do not have the skills necessary for the Varsity program, you will be cut. 4) What should we wear to tryouts? Please wear a white or black t-shirt, black shorts, white no-show socks, cheer or gym shoes, a bow, and a smile!
2016-2017 CHEERLEADING TRYOUTS Cheerleading Questionnaire Please bring this portion of the packet to the first day of try outs. STUDENT INFORMATION Full Name ________________________________________ Year in School _______________________________________________ PARENT/GAURDIAN CONTACT INFORMATION Primary Contact Relation to Student ________________________________________ Full Name ________________________________________ Phone Number ________________________________________ Email ________________________________________ Secondary Contact Relation to Student ________________________________________ Full Name ________________________________________ Phone Number ________________________________________ Email ________________________________________ Which team/teams are you trying out for? Please circle you choice. Only Junior Varsity
Only Varsity
Both Junior Varsity and Varsity
What season/season are you trying out for? Please circle your choice. Fall
Both Fall and Winter/Competitive
If you circled “Fall Only” please indicate which CLS activity or sport you will be participating in. ________________________________________ What is your preferred stunting position? Please circle your choice. Flyer
Main Base
Secondary Base
Back spot
What is another position will you do if asked? Please circle your choice. Flyer
Main Base
Secondary Base
Back spot
I only do my preferred position
2016-2017 CHEERLEADING TRYOUTS 1)
Cheerleaders are leaders in the school and community. What qualities do you have that would make you a great addition to the CLS cheerleading family?
2)
One of the hardest parts about being a high school cheerleader is the length of the season. How would you stay motivated, and how would you keep your team motivated throughout the entire season?
3)
Being an alternate means that you would not have your own spot on the competitive team, but would go into the competition routine if a teammate became injured or sick last minute. You would be responsible for learning competition parts in a short amount of time and to jump in when needed. They are a very important and a necessary part of a competition team! Alternates come to every practice, perform at pep-rallies and games, and dress for competition. What would your reaction be if your coach asked you to be an alternate during the competitive season?
4)
If you had to make the choice, would you rather compete on Junior Varsity or be an alternate on Varsity? Please explain why.
2016-2017 CHEERLEADING TRYOUTS 5)
If a problem was to arise between girls on the squad, how would you handle the situation?
Tryouts Schedule
Monday, May 16th 3:30-6:30pm o Learn dance and cheer o Stunting Tuesday, May 17th 3:30-6:30pm o Practice dance and cheer o Final judge on stunting Wednesday, May 18th 3:30-6:30pm o Show us everything! Dance, Cheer, Toe touch, Combination Jump, Standing and Running Tumbling Friday, May 20th 3:30- 5 o Teams will be announced according to number
Rules for Try Outs On the first day of camp, each candidate will be assigned a number that they must wear throughout the duration of the three days. On Wednesday, May 18th, candidates will tryout in groups of four based on the numerical order they were assigned. There is absolutely no number switching! There are no spectators allowed in the gym during any part of tryouts. Taping/ recording cheer or dance is prohibited.
What to wear: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
No Jewelry of any kind- ALL piercings must be taken out (no matter how new they are). Nails must be trimmed and below fingertip length- Take the fake nails off! Hair must be off shoulders and out face No Glitter Shirt must cover midriff
2016-2017 Cheerleading Calendar at a Glance
Summer practice- Typically held twice a week. Practice for each squad will be announced at a later date. Summer Choreography – We will be having an outside choreographer come in for 2 days over the summer and teach the competition routines for both JV and Varsity teams. Though summer practices are not necessarily mandatory, these practices are crucial! Please arrange vacations and work around these practices. Dates TBD First team meeting – will be Wednesday May 25th. Fundraiser will be discussed and handed out. Cheerleading is a yearlong commitment - Our season begins in June and ends in April. We will be cheering at football games, basketball games and then competition season.
2016-2017 CHEERLEADING TRYOUTS Frequently Asked Questions: 1) How many will be taken on each team? There will be anywhere from 14- 18 taken on Junior Varsity. The number competing on Junior Varsity will be determined at a later date. There will be 24 taken on Varsity and 20 will be competing. Alternates will be decided at a later date. 2) What does it cost to tryout? It is free to try out! 3) Can freshmen and sophomores make Varsity? Can juniors or seniors make Junior Varsity? How does this work? Age is not taken into account when choosing teams. As with all IHSA sports, during try outs you are evaluated on your skill. Many times, older athletes have had more time to practice and thus have obtained more advanced skills than younger athletes. The top six flyers, top six back spots, and top twelve bases will be asked to be part of the Varsity Program. Please remember this when filling out the attached try out questionnaire because it could be the difference between making and not making the team. For example, according to your scores, you may not be one of the top six flyers, but you’d be willing to try or have tried basing. You may fit perfectly into the Varsity Program as a base! If you say that you fly and only fly, then if you are not one of the top six flyers, you will be asked to be on Junior Varsity or possibly encouraged to try out the following year. On top of strong stunting technique, the judging panel will be looking for above level jumps, tight motions, strong voice projection, and strong tumbling. PLEASE REMEMBER: TUMBLING IS ONLY ONE PORTION OF THE SCORING RUBRIC! IF YOU ARE VERY STRONG IN OTHER AREAS, YOU CAN MAKE VARSITY AND JUNIOR VARSITY WITHOUT TUMBLING. With that being said, sometimes a junior or senior athlete may not have the scores necessary to make Varsity, but they are still very good cheerleaders! Each year there are upperclassmen athletes that benefit from cheering with the Junior Varsity Program. What may seem upsetting at first, turns into an excellent opportunity for leadership and growth! Please think about this when filling out your cheer questionnaire. If you are trying out for only Varsity, and do not have the skills necessary for the Varsity program, you will be cut. 4) What should we wear to tryouts? Please wear a white or black t-shirt, black shorts, white no-show socks, cheer or gym shoes, a bow, and a smile!
2016-2017 CHEERLEADING TRYOUTS Cheerleading Questionnaire Please bring this portion of the packet to the first day of try outs. STUDENT INFORMATION Full Name ________________________________________ Year in School _______________________________________________ PARENT/GAURDIAN CONTACT INFORMATION Primary Contact Relation to Student ________________________________________ Full Name ________________________________________ Phone Number ________________________________________ Email ________________________________________ Secondary Contact Relation to Student ________________________________________ Full Name ________________________________________ Phone Number ________________________________________ Email ________________________________________ Which team/teams are you trying out for? Please circle you choice. Only Junior Varsity
Only Varsity
Both Junior Varsity and Varsity
What season/season are you trying out for? Please circle your choice. Fall
Both Fall and Winter/Competitive
If you circled “Fall Only” please indicate which CLS activity or sport you will be participating in. ________________________________________ What is your preferred stunting position? Please circle your choice. Flyer
Main Base
Secondary Base
Back spot
What is another position will you do if asked? Please circle your choice. Flyer
Main Base
Secondary Base
Back spot
I only do my preferred position
2016-2017 CHEERLEADING TRYOUTS 1)
Cheerleaders are leaders in the school and community. What qualities do you have that would make you a great addition to the CLS cheerleading family?
2)
One of the hardest parts about being a high school cheerleader is the length of the season. How would you stay motivated, and how would you keep your team motivated throughout the entire season?
3)
Being an alternate means that you would not have your own spot on the competitive team, but would go into the competition routine if a teammate became injured or sick last minute. You would be responsible for learning competition parts in a short amount of time and to jump in when needed. They are a very important and a necessary part of a competition team! Alternates come to every practice, perform at pep-rallies and games, and dress for competition. What would your reaction be if your coach asked you to be an alternate during the competitive season?
4)
If you had to make the choice, would you rather compete on Junior Varsity or be an alternate on Varsity? Please explain why.
2016-2017 CHEERLEADING TRYOUTS 5)
If a problem was to arise between girls on the squad, how would you handle the situation?
