All-Star Summer Attendance Policy

[0riginal]

see, when I cheered for my high school, if you missed practice it was 10 demerits. You only got 50. We started off with a team of 19, and ended with a team of 11 because of the silly demerit rules. a break?!? not fair!

We've never had the demerit rule I don't think. I think it's a good idea, but I feel like people would see it as freebies. But I really don't know what happens when someone misses a practice without an excuse, it's never happened! And yeah, it's just state and school rules, I guess so they know they're not working all the students to death haha!

 

[alexamarysouza]

We've never had the demerit rule I don't think. I think it's a good idea, but I feel like people would see it as freebies. But I really don't know what happens when someone misses a practice without an excuse, it's never happened! And yeah, it's just state and school rules, I guess so they know they're not working all the students to death haha!

ugh that's so not fair! We NEVER got breaks! We even had a basketball tourny we had to cheer at over Christmas break, the year I was going on a cruise for the holiday! The tourny was monday to thursday, 2 games each night, and thursday it wasn't over (championship game) until about 11 pm. We had to get up at 4 am to drive to florida the next day. -__-

 

[Karlssssss]

We don't have a certain number we can miss, i mean you obviously cant miss every practice, but at our first practice our parents fill out a calendar with all the days we will be gone in the summer so they know in advance. A lot of our girls miss during the summer because not only do we all go on vacation, most of us cheer at high school too, and have a week of camp we must attend for that.

 

[MamaMya04]

Our gym is closed the first two weeks of July and I believe we're allowed 4 approved absences from practice. Personally, I believe that if the gym is giving a week or two off in the summer, there shouldn't be any missed practices.

 

[cachoi]

We didn't have an attendance policy but you had to let the coaches know if you were going away or not. We didn't have as many practices since the gym we rented space from also did special clinics and stuff in the summer. A lot of girls did high school cheer as well so half the team would be absent because they had practice, scrimmages, camp or bonding trips . I didn't attend summer practices since I go out of town for months in the summer but I always let my coaches know. We didn't do much in the summer besides condition or teach the girls who never, ever cheered before how to put up a prep...

 

[mdmetromom]

Im curious as to what the policy is on overnight camp. And not Woodward or anything, but traditional 7 week overnight camp. My CP has alot of friends that are either going for the first time this year or have gone in the past. Gone for the entire 7 weeks. And many are great, hard working, commited cheerleaders, but this is their summer routine. Would they be kicked off a team at a gym that only allows 3 excused absenses?

 

[cheerforeverever]

Im curious as to what the policy is on overnight camp. And not Woodward or anything, but traditional 7 week overnight camp. My CP has a lot of friends that are either going for the first time this year or have gone in the past. Gone for the entire 7 weeks. And many are great, hard working, committed cheerleaders, but this is their summer routine. Would they be kicked off a team at a gym that only allows 3 excused absences?

As with all sports, once you get to the elite levels of competition it's part of the commitment to being on the team. For teams that are going after that NCA jacket or worlds medal, nearly 2 months is a very long time to be away and not working on skills (especially stunt sequences). I'd imagine that at such gyms, if you can't commit to the schedule given at tryouts including summer practice requirements, then that's what half year teams are for. There are plenty of 1-2 week camps that the girls could go to and still get that experience while meeting the practice requirements (I know its not the same as going for 7 weeks, but that's part of the sacrifice and commitment for very competitive gyms and/or elite teams).

 

[cachoi]

Kind of off topic but when does everyone usually get choreography? If you get it during the summer then obviously you should go to practice or be prepared to be in the back for everything. We usually got choreography around October and by then, attendance was not a problem.

 

[SarahS]

Eeeek. I hope parents at our new gym don't hate us when we walk in for the first time half way through July.

(I contacted the gym before they held tryouts and asked if they would be okay with it, and they were - I just can't justify driving the four-year-old three hours each way for summer practice. My daughter will be at every practice once we actually move to the state, but until then, we're just hanging at home, stretching, doing cartwheels, and getting excited for her first year of cheer.)

 

[kristenthegreat]

I'm still hoping to hear from some of the big gyms as to their summer practice arrangements..

 

[notimeforthat]

At Wc the gym posts the days they will be closed 6 months in advance. You are expected to go in vacation during those weeks. Of course things come up like graduations and school concerts and they are excused. All of our level 5 teams have more kids than needed and If you take advantage and miss to many practices you will be considered for the alternate position when it comes time for competition. We really don't have a problem with absenteeism on our team.