High School Creative Ways To Let Girls Know They Have Made The Team.

[BuegeSmalls]

When I was in high school, way before computers, we were told that we would receive a phone call that night so we all stayed home (again, no computers, no cell phones so life was much easier to control) and the girls that made it had 2 senior girls come pick you up at your house and take you to another cheerleaders house for a congratulations party. The next day at school it was announced and we each had to wear a flower so you stood out and felt special. Unfortunately if you didn't make it they just sat at home and waited by the phone for a call that never came so that part would be hard, I would suggest (as mentioned above) to call the kids who didn't make it and tell them why and what they should work on for the next year.

This sounds like fun. If you had tryouts on a Friday night then you could do this as the 1st team bonding event of the season.

 

[DaniV]

My high school announced it's team on Friday after school by giving each girl an envelope. We were supposed to wait until we were alone and off campus to open them so that way if you tried out with a friend and only one of you made it, it wasn't an awkward situation. Personally, I think an email or website posting of numbers (not names) is the best way to avoid any type of uncomfortable situations.
Later that Friday night, we were kidnapped from our housesby the seniors who had graduated that year from the squad and were blindfolded while they took us to a congratualatory party/sleepover. It was alot of fun to have girls show up at your house showering you with confetti and silly string.

 

[MissBee]

Please please please get all parties etc approved by your AD or Principal to be sure it isn't considered hazing. Hazing has become a huge problem in high school athletics and even something that seems innocent, like "kidnapping" and blindfolding the new girls for a surprise-that's legally considered hazing.

 

[ScottyB]

I am a new varsity coach too and I was thinking about being creative... but I think the best way is to just post the numbers.

I really wish I could do it in score order.. b/c some girls make varsity by a pinch or just make the team all together by a pinch... I am not that cruel though :)

Why would you want their scores to show? Whoever you put on the team makes it, after that they are all part of the team, not a ranked group..

thats the perfect way to add drama to your squad before the season has lasted 5 minutes

 

[BuegeSmalls]

Why would you want their scores to show? Whoever you put on the team makes it, after that they are all part of the team, not a ranked group..

thats the perfect way to add drama to your squad before the season has lasted 5 minutes

I don't think they would have everyone's actual score showing. I think they would just list the names in score order.

 

[MissBee]

Why would you want their scores to show? Whoever you put on the team makes it, after that they are all part of the team, not a ranked group..

thats the perfect way to add drama to your squad before the season has lasted 5 minutes

I think that telling the girls privately isn't a horrible idea. Maybe telling them "the scores of those who made Varsity were in the 85-100 range, JV was a 70-85 range. Your score was XX" This way they know where they stand without knowing who was ahead or below them. Could be a good motivator.

 

[SparkleSpankies]

I don't think they would have everyone's actual score showing. I think they would just list the names in score order.

Exactly. But I would NEVER in a million years do it.

The reason behind it, there are girls that I am already understanding from the previous coach and the AD that have the sense of "entitlement". That bothers me more then anything in the world and really it's like 3-4 but I really wish there was a solid way that isn't mean to let them know you made varsity by the skin of your teeth bc of whatever reason to light some fire under their behinds and work a little harder. I hope that helps clearify my reason, I would never do it, I just wish it wasn't as cruel as it is. That's all. I am going to probably send out personal emails to girls that need to work on skills and discuss it in that manner.

 

[MissBee]

It's frustrating though, because in cheerleading you're looked down upon if you hurt the kid's feelings by telling them what their scores were. However, the difference between the Varsity QB and the JV QB is in the numbers too...and the kids all know that. I don't see why it's ok in football, but not in cheerleading to let the kid know why they didn't make Varsity or what their score was.

 

[SmileCat]

At my school, Sophomores do JV & Juniors & Seniors for Varsity & two separate emails get sent out to each group of girls who tried out. I kind of like this method because it doesn't show who didn't make it & it's in alphabetical order so people don't think they're better by getting a higher score! Also, you can react in private and have time to heal by Monday :)

 

[SparkleSpankies]

Unfortunatley I can't just do Jr/Sr vs Freshmen/Soph or my varsity is 2 flyers, 7 back spots and the rest bases and I mean REAL bases. :-) We compete and I need to be sure both teams are set up accordingly! :-)

MissBee I agree and I know, why can't we tell them.. but we can't for some cosmic reason :-)

 

[longhorncoach]

It's frustrating though, because in cheerleading you're looked down upon if you hurt the kid's feelings by telling them what their scores were. However, the difference between the Varsity QB and the JV QB is in the numbers too...and the kids all know that. I don't see why it's ok in football, but not in cheerleading to let the kid know why they didn't make Varsity or what their score was.

Agreed. I think this idea is a holdover from the days when cheerleading was a popularity contest. I'm thinking of the 1960s or early 70s when student panels would vote on the prettiest, most popular girls to be on the pep squad. (At least, this was the way it worked at my mother's and aunt's schools.) Obviously, cheerleaders and coaches have shifted their paradigms and are now looking for the best athletes for their program, and therefore rely on numbers, specifics, and whether an athlete possesses a certain skill or not. The rest of the world needs to get on board and understand that making the cheer team is not an assessment of you as a person, but your skills as an athlete.

 

[ScottyB]

I think that telling the girls privately isn't a horrible idea. Maybe telling them "the scores of those who made Varsity were in the 85-100 range, JV was a 70-85 range. Your score was XX" This way they know where they stand without knowing who was ahead or below them. Could be a good motivator.

Privately yes, let them know where they stand. But posting the score order for the team, letting one girl know she is the best and another that she is the worst.. not a good thing for these kids who work too hard at what they do

 

[SparkleSpankies]

Exactly.. my perfect world.. but I would never do it....

 

[BuegeSmalls]

Exactly. But I would NEVER in a million years do it.

The reason behind it, there are girls that I am already understanding from the previous coach and the AD that have the sense of "entitlement". That bothers me more then anything in the world and really it's like 3-4 but I really wish there was a solid way that isn't mean to let them know you made varsity by the skin of your teeth bc of whatever reason to light some fire under their behinds and work a little harder. I hope that helps clearify my reason, I would never do it, I just wish it wasn't as cruel as it is. That's all. I am going to probably send out personal emails to girls that need to work on skills and discuss it in that manner.

Are you taking any alternates? Our coaches told us last year by having us all go in the room one by and then telling them what they made and what they need to improve on and what they were happy that they saw. One girl last year said that the coach said that she made varsity but if she didn't step it up she would be replaced by the alternate asap. You could try telling them something like that. It tells them that they need to work harder but not in a mean way.

 

[cheer coach k]

I think the most important thing is to make sure the team finds out when everyone ISNT there. It is tough if you are with an entire group of girls and some of the kids make the team and others dont. When I was in high school back in the 90s, we had to sit home and wait for a phone call and then instead of a call, another girl from the team would show up at our houses, and then one by one, we would all get "collected" until the entire team was together! However, due to technology, that isnt possible anymore.

I think this year, my assistant coach and I are going to put signs in the girls front yards so when they wake up the day after try outs, they will see the sign in their front yards! I think this is a fun way to let the girls know who made the team!