High School Having A Successful Program

[SmileyRyleigh]

Hey y'all! So my school is getting a new coach next year and since it'll be my senior year I really want to try and turn our program around in a positive way. I have some questions and if you'd answer that would be awesome :)
-What are your rules and the penalties for not following them? Are you able to enforce them on everyone?
-When do you start practicing cheers for football season? Basketball?
-What are your penalties for not knowing cheers come football season?
-How much conditioning do you do a week?
-How many times a week do you practice?
-Do you have varsity and JV? Do you like having both?

i'll probably think of more questions but this is just an in general thing. feel free to tell me how you keep your program successful!

 

[ashscott41]

I'd say first you need to define what you mean by a successful program. I think my high school team was massively successful, but we were not even close to being as talented as other schools. Are you wanting to be respected by your school and community? To compete and place top 5 at state? To just have fun and be in shape and not look a mess at games? My school mostly fell into that last category, but we were also respected by our peers and teachers. I think once you have a set goal and direction you want to go in it will be easier.

Other than all the stuff in the school handbook (nothing illegal, bullying, etc- all that would result in getting kicked off the team), our only main rules were always be prepared (have on the right uniform, hair the right way), never be late, and no talking during games. Appearance rules were basically if you didn't have it, fix it or you're not cheering that game. If you were late to practice it was extra conditioning, if a few minutes late to a game it was fine, but if you were super late you had to sit out first quarter. I ALWAYS got in trouble for talking during games and it was just conditioning during the next practice. Since our team was pretty close we enforced rules on each other and if anyone was out of line, they got called out quickly.

We usually started practicing cheers 3 ish weeks before the season started? I think it really helps if you can put all the cheers onto a DVD for all the girls so they can practice at home. We didn't really have any punishment for not knowing cheers. Being embarrassed in front of your whole town is bad enough.

We usually ran for 5 ish minutes at the start of every practice, then stretched, then did cheer jacks and calf raises. Some days we did a small ab workout and we always did jump conditioning, but it was never a lot. We conditioned probably 20 minutes each practice, but again we were focused only on sideline and doing simple stunts and very little tumbling (our coach didn't let us do more than a bhs or bhs series and libs because she didn't want any injuries or anything to fall in a game). I think it all depends on what your team wants to do to be successful. Our comp girls conditioned much more than that, but I don't know the details because I never did school comp. Before school started and for the first 1-2 months of school we practiced every day after school for two hours. Once the season got into full effect and we were confident in our skills we practiced 2-3X a week with a mini prac before games just to run through stunts.

When I cheered we did not have varsity and JV. Since I have graduated they have added a JV squad. I'm assuming things are run pretty much the same for them, but I don't know that for sure.

Good luck with things next year and after this awful season I really hope things are better for you!!

 

[SmileCat]

Here is my school situation: My school has always had a very strong cheer program to back up our strong football team(depending on the year). Since the class of 2014 showed up, it hasn't had such smooth sailing. We had TONS of drama this past year on varsity and even loosing one of the best coaches we have ever had. JV also only had 10 girls tried out so of course everyone made it. But ever since our coach was fired mid 12-13 season and another one took over, it's gone downhill and tryouts were just today... But I will answer your questions based on my three years (2010-2013!

-What are your rules and the penalties for not following them? Are you able to enforce them on everyone?
Most of the rules really weren't strict the pass years unless it was conduct or missing games or practice. It would usually result in sitting out a quarter and the rules weren't really ever bent. This season the rules have changed A LOT and have been cracked down on everyone. Since I will be graduating though I don't really know most of the rules.
-When do you start practicing cheers for football season? Basketball?
Tryouts for the 13-14 season were today! Basketball is a separate team and starts in December .
-What are your penalties for not knowing cheers come football season?
We never had 'Penalties' for not knowing cheers. Most girls came from rec into high school cheer so they already knew them and all the allstar girls just learn quickly. And it's typically the same team from Sophomore to Senior year.
-How much conditioning do you do a week?
Zero.
-How many times a week do you practice?
Once. 2 hours from the first practice after tryouts until the time school starts. Then it's usually for only 30-40 minutes at the most.
-Do you have varsity and JV? Do you like having both?
Yes and yes. JV is just for sophomores and gives a chance for them to get used to our schools ways of doing things and Varsity is junior and seniors and since varsity gets more 'perks' it's more rewarding to the upperclassmen.

Now, the reason my schools cheer program has been so relaxed the three years I was apart of it was because there really was no reason to be practicing hard core all the time since most of the team were level 5/4 athletes and we didn't compete. Also by the time I was on Varsity everyone knew the cheers so there was no point in practicing the same cheers half of us learned at rec in 6th grade.

I hope your team has a great and successful season and your senior year is tons of fun! :D

 

[Goosepatrick]

Consider checking out other teams websites for their guidelines. I know that most of the schools in our area have cheer websites and handbooks that outline their entire program and expectations. Those that do well each year have it very well documented the expectations are clearly set. I believe if you want to be the best, hang out with the best and watch what they do. You aren't copying them, but you are mentoring off of them.

 

[EWalsh1029]

Our program has been great since our new coach came in 2010. I cheered for her and am now her assistant for Varsity and head coach for JV. Here are our rules:

-What are your rules and the penalties for not following them? Are you able to enforce them on everyone?

• Everyone is required to sign a contract BEFORE they tryout. They are not allowed to tryout without a contract that has been read, and signed by them and a guardian. The contract states rules such as: 1) Missed practices require a doctors note, if no note is presented they are benched the next game. 2) Every cheerleader is required to participate in conditioning (throughout the summer) and fundraising (car washes, camps, drives, etc) 3) Must maintain good grades (Our school requires no F's and no more than 2 D's). 4) Represent the school and city (No documented(pictures, facebook, twitter, instagram, etc) use of drug/alcohol use) If proof is evident of usage you are immediately off the team.
• We also have practice uniforms for each day (ex: white top black shorts) if you are not wearing the correct outfit you are required to run an extra 3 laps (we run 3 at the beginning of every practice, so if you are wearing wrong thing you would run 6).
• Yes we are able to enforce them on everyone (Varsity & JV), the AD approved the contract and supports it 100%.

-When do you start practicing cheers for football season? Basketball?

• Football season the girls get together over the summer without a coach to learn cheers. It's easy & simple so they are able to do it on their own. Girls are expected to know all cheers by the last week of August.
• Basketball season cheers are learnt during the first 2 weeks of practice (Last week of November, first week of December).

-What are your penalties for not knowing cheers come football season?

• Benched.

-How much conditioning do you do a week?

• We try to condition once a week during the summer, last week of summer (when season officially starts) we condition every day with two a days. Once school starts we condition at least for 15 minutes every practice. For Basketball we take the first 2 weeks( cheer learning weeks) and incorporate conditioning into these weeks as well, after that we do the 15 minutes each practice.

-How many times a week do you practice?

• We practice atleast 5 times a week for 2 hours each. They also are required to attend tumbling once a week for an hour. So cheer takes up 6 days a week.

-Do you have varsity and JV? Do you like having both?

• We do have both! The varsity coach and I enjoy having both. We make cuts to both team so JV isn't a joke that everyone makes. Both teams are taken seriously and require the same commitment. JV allows the interest in the program to grow, let girls work their skills and move up to Varsity. Varsity enjoys JV because they can act as role models to the JV girls, and have fans at every competition

 

[cheernerd5678]

Rules and Penalties: We have strict rules about social media, if anything borderline inappropriate is posted you're asked to remove it and if it's extremely inappropriate you'll get a demerit, same with just overall representing the team (If coach finds out you're doing something you could get a demerit if there's proof or a warning). Other than that if you break a rule you'll probably just be corrected... If people are late we get extra conditioning, if they're wearing the wrong thing they'll be warned the first time and get extra conditioning the second. 3 demerits and you're benched I believe... but nobody ever really gets that many!

Cheers: We practice all summer because regionals is in July and State is in September... We usually only devote about 2-3 practices to actually learning the cheers, usually the first week that JV and Varsity both practice together (JV doesn't go to state so after regionals they have a longer break than Varsity). It's usually around 2 weeks before our first game. During basketball season that's all we really do at practice, teach cheers to the new girls/learn new ones, because comp season is over. If you don't know them at a game you'll get extra conditioning and you have to learn them, obviously. (I wish there were stricter rules on this)

Conditioning: It varies, usually the first week of summer is a lot of conditioning but then the rest of the year we just do Indian runs or toe touch circle. Sometimes if we're doing really well we don't have to condition one practice, and we don't condition much during basketball season because we don't have many practices.

Practices: Monday-Thursday during the summer and football season, 2 hours a day, plus a tumbling class at some point during the week (different days for different skill levels, i.e., working BHS one day, working tucks another, has a tuck another day.)

Squads: We have a Varsity and a JV. I like having both! We did one big squad during basketball season and it was hard because you have so many different skill levels, and I like to have Varsity and JV separate. Girls are cut from both (63 girls tried out this year, Varsity has 25 and JV has around 20) so it's not like everyone just makes it. I think if you don't have two squads either A, you'll have a giant squad which is hard to control, or B, you'll have a lot of heartbroken girls.

 

[cheerisloving]

My team has basic rules the biggies are:
-Appropriate behavior in school/out esp. in uniform and online. My school has strict bullying rules, so if you get in trouble for that you are more than likely getting kicked off.
-No PDA in uniform! Coaches make you sit out for this.
-Being disrespectful. You sit out for this too

My team is very well behaved for the most part, so we don't really have problems, but because of some actions in the past, these rules are the biggest ones we have.

Sidelines vary throughout the year. If it's a fairly new team, we have sidelines ran by veterans. If not, we may do a run through at the end of practice. We really focus on comp. Basketball is the only season when we focus on sidelines because they are much harder. No penalties for not knowing cheers, you just get embarrassed especially during basketball season in front of a huge crowd.

Conditioning is not very consistent, and more as a punishment. We do a lot of off season work outs in the summer to build up strength.

We practice everyday for comp. during football. Basketball practices are usually before games on Tuesday and Friday. They are basically ran like an open gym, with all levels practicing before their games. We use this time to see potential new girls for Varsity comp.

We have all levels, and I love it. Middle School cheer is so much different then high school, so having freshmen on lower teams can see if they are dedicated to it. Freshman that tryout in the summer get put on JV, and the ones who tryout when school starts, mostly make up the freshman team. Most upperclassmen on JV are new to cheer, or not polished enough for sideline Varsity. Anybody can make any team, but most freshman don't have skills to add to Varsity comp (my freshman year we all tumbled, this year we have a great flyer). Everyone has potential to move up during basketball season. We had half our JV cheer varsity, because they were really strong and dedicated.

 

[rockymountainthigh]

-What are your rules and the penalties for not following them? Are you able to enforce them on everyone?
We have a penalty system. You can get a penalty for being late to practice, having to miss a game or practice for any reason, missing a part of your uniform (even socks), wrong practice wear, and talking back to coaches. Each penalty has to be done outside of practice and consists of running, stair laps, backhandsprings, jumps, and other conditioning. It's enforced very well and keeps everyone in line for the most part.
-When do you start practicing cheers for football season? Basketball?
We have camp for both teams in mid-July- a UCA camp at our school. Football goes one day, both go the next day, and only basketball on the third day.
-What are your penalties for not knowing cheers come football season?
We have a sideline camp so we kind of make sure everyone knows them beforehand. If a girl doesn't know cheers she looks bad and gets embarrassed when cheering so I think that kind of takes care of it.
-How much conditioning do you do a week?
Usually two or three stairlaps (think 3-4 minutes of running stairs) and a mile or less of running. We'll also do some various strength training.
-How many times a week do you practice?
Twice usually. Sometimes less if it's in the heat of basketball season because we have so many games.
-Do you have varsity and JV? Do you like having both?
We have varsity, jv and freshman teams, with each having separate teams for football and basketball- I'd say about half of the girls do both seasons. There are about 14 on each team. Something unique about our program is that freshman can only make the freshman team, sophomores can only make the jv team, and juniors and seniors can only make varsity. This seems strange but creates a strong sense of seniority and prevents girls from getting burnt out. There will sometimes be up to 5 varsity basketball games in a week (we cheer boys and girls home and some away) so too many years on varsity can lead to burnout quickly. It also keeps from the squads resenting each other, like girls being jealous of teammates in their same grade who made higher squads than them. Drama free and functional :-)

 

[CEAisstronger]

Hey y'all! So my school is getting a new coach next year and since it'll be my senior year I really want to try and turn our program around in a positive way. I have some questions and if you'd answer that would be awesome :)
-What are your rules and the penalties for not following them? Are you able to enforce them on everyone?
-When do you start practicing cheers for football season? Basketball?
-What are your penalties for not knowing cheers come football season?
-How much conditioning do you do a week?
-How many times a week do you practice?
-Do you have varsity and JV? Do you like having both?

i'll probably think of more questions but this is just an in general thing. feel free to tell me how you keep your program successful!

We have a point system (merit/demerit)
Yes they enforce them starting in August.

Football cheers started this week. 2nd week of practice.

Not sure of any penalties for not knowing cheers.

Once a week conditioning.

Normally 3 times a week of practice

We have both teams. Of course (:


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