2015-2016 LHS & LMS Support Cheerleading What does it mean to be an LHS & LMS cheerleader and what are the responsibilities? Being an LHS or LMS cheerleader means you are to uphold yourself as a positive role model inside and outside of school, as well as, in and out of uniform. You are a reflection of your parents, school, coaches and team. Any negative or illegal behavior will not be tolerated. Your first priority as a student athlete is your academic career. Bad grades = NO cheer. You are responsible for promoting and reviving the school pride and spirit of LMS and LHS as well as uphold the tradition of a strong cheerleading program. Dedication and positive attitudes are the key to the success of the program. All squads will operate as a family. Regular attendance, hard work and participation are what bond the teams together and create a support system. What does it mean to be the parent of an LHS & LMS cheerleader? It means you have to be the loudest and most spirited ones in the stands not only at competitions, but at games and events also. We know you cannot make it to everything, but we encourage you all to operate as a unit by sitting together at games and competitions, creating spirit items, interacting with crowd cheers at games and competitions. Most of all be Encouraging and Supportive of your cheerleaders. Mindset is everything and YOU can turn the negative thoughts into positive, hopeful ones. Tryouts: Any RISING 7 th through 12 th grade students may try out for SUPPORT SQUADS regardless of experience April 8 th & 9 th (Wednesday and Thursday) at Liberty High School in the Auxiliary Gym We are aware that Spring Sports are in mid-season during this time. We encourage LMS students to be involved in many sports. Anyone involved in spring sports needs to let Coach Hudson, Trammell or Gibson know immediately. We will work around your spring sports schedule. Tryout Material will be posted on the YouTube channel listed below as well as taught Wednesday 3:30pm-6:00pm and Thursday from 3:30pm to 4:30pm. The official tryout will begin Thursday at 5:00pm until the last participant has completed the tryouts. You MUST go straight to the gym. There will be a shuttle bus for LMS students. NO participant will be admitted into practice or tryouts 15 minutes after the start time. Both tryouts and practices are closed to anyone other than LMS and LHS cheer coaches, principals, athletic directors and try-out assistants.
Participants should return to LHS at 8:00pm* (subject to change) to receive a letter notifying the participant of the tryout results. There will not be any announcements made about results at try-outs or over the school public address system. If a special circumstance should arise that Coaches Hudson, Trammell or Gibson should know about, contact them PRIOR to tryouts. (Special circumstances may be defined as hospitalization or death in the family.) ***COMPETITION TRYOUTS WILL BE HELD JUNE 3 & 4. ANYONE WHO MAKES AN LMS OR LHS SUPPORT SQUAD IS ELIGIBLE TO TRYOUT. A FLYER WILL BE INCLUDED IN CONGRATULATION PACKETS*** Tryout requirements All participants MUST have a CURRENT athletic physical.*** See athletic director or Coach Hudson if you are not sure if your physical is expired. Each Participant will learn and perform the following at tryouts: 1) group dance, 1) group cheer, 1) COMBO VARIETY jump (Must include Toe-Touch) 1) Tumbling Tumbling is not a requirement for support squads but in encouraged. Evaluations and Scoring for SUPPORT TRYOUTS: Standing Tumbling Running Tumbling 10(See breakdown) 10(See breakdown) Crowd Appeal (voice, facials, appearance) 5 Cheer Technique (motions, sharpness) 10 Combo Variety Jump 10 Dance Technique 10 Overall Performance 5 Teacher Evals 5 Deductions MAXIMUM POSSIBLE SCORE See breakdown 65 POINTS **NOTE Tumbling is not required for support squads, it does not secure you a spot on the team
Tumbling Breakdown and Extra Points Running Tumbling Standing Tumbling 1 - Running Cartwheel or Round-off 1-2 Round-off back-handspring 3-4 Round-off back-handspring series 5-6 Round-off tuck or back-handspring tuck 7-8 Round-off back-handspring layout 9-10 Round-off back handspring full/specialty Pass 0-1 Cartwheel/Walk-overs/Kick-overs 2-3 Back-handspring 4-5 Back-handspring series 6-7 Standing Tuck 8-9 Two to tuck/combo jump to tuck 10 Two to Layout/Two to Full/ Standing Full + Deductions: -1 point for each -3 points for each -5 points for each Removed from tryouts Chewing Gum Wearing jewelry at practice or tryouts Not wearing appropriate shoes Not wearing athletic clothing (no jeans) Each day of ISS during current school year Talking during instruction Failure to follow instruction from coaches or try-out assistants Each day of OSS during current school year Disrespect to coaches, tryout assistants or other participants Hair not pulled back Appropriate Dress for practice and tryouts: Athletic Shoes Cheer shoes are best if you have them. Make sure they are clean! Hair Pulled back and out of your face Bring extra ponytail holders and bobby pins Natural Make-up (You should look "Game ready" for try-outs) Solid shorts (No leggings) with briefs under them. Do NOT roll your shorts down more than 2 times. Motion Flex shorts at appropriate length are fine. Briefs alone are NOT acceptable. T-shirt (Do not wear a t-shirt on tryout day that shows you were on a previous squad) A SMILE J and a POSITIVE ATTITUDE. MINDSET IS EVERYTHING
COST (Varsity Cost ONLY) LMS Cost will be given out at Parent Meeting on April 15th The cost for each cheerleader this year is listed below. PLEASE NOTE: The cost listed on this document is for LHS Cheerleaders. LMS costs will be discussed at a different parent meeting. Due to enormous debts from some past cheerleaders who failed to pay their balances, we are requiring that the FULL amount be paid by August 3 rd 2015. Please plan to pay $200 on each of the following payment dates until your account is paid in full : April 30 th, May 21 st, June 25 th, and July 23 rd What you pay for and keep: New LHS Cheerleaders: 1. Socks Buy your own White no show socks 2. Shoes Varsity Last Pass - $80.00 - Can buy your own separately. Shoe must be approved by a Coach 3. Briefs $15.00 4. Practice Wear $170.00 (Includes 9 pieces 3 outfits including sports bras and bows) 5. Rain jacket $15.00 6. Warm-up $116.00 (AS A SET) 7. Bag (optional) $16.00 ALL new and returning LHS Varsity & JV Competition & Support Cheerleaders 1. Uniform & Pom Rental Fee $75.00 (Any lost or damaged school property will result in replacement cost - Uniform cost below, Poms $40.00) 2. Routine/Music Fee - $100.00 Competition Squads ONLY 3. Stunt Clinic Fee - $25.00 4. Camp Fee - $50.00** What does the school pay for? Full Black (JV) Uniform - $223.85 Full Red Uniform - $217.91 Full Black (V) Uniform - $135.00 Competition and Spirit Bows - $25-30.00 each Competition Fees - $50.00-$100.00 (Per competition/per team) Transportation to Events, Games and Competitions $1500.00+ Awards - $500.00 Tax and Shipping on orders Determined by order
Other expected cost throughout the year: Parent T-shirts ($10-$12) Optional- Will be ordered the first week in August. You will receive information in July including order form and picture of shirt $10.00 cash to cover Coaches and Judging Rooms for Diamond L Competition This will be due September 7 th. $8-10 for Banquet will be due in Oct. (The team members are free, but parents and others attending will be required to pay) Season Rules, Regulations and Discipline Physicals All LHS and LMS athletes must have a physical before participating in any sport. Each tryout participant MUST have a current physical on file before May 7 th, 2015. Physicals and required school paperwork for the 2015-2015 seasons must be dated after April 1, 2015. You should have the doctor complete the athletic department physical form and return all information to Coach Hudson for LHS athletes before June 1 st, 2015. If you wish to get a physical through the school, the date will be Saturday, May 2 nd for LHS and April 18 th for LMS Cheerleaders who are members of the competition team will be required to cheer during Football and Competition season. Any varsity cheerleader who quits the team at any time during the season will not receive a varsity letter. Varsity support cheerleaders will cheer at all varsity football games. JV support cheerleaders will cheer at all JV Home games. Varsity support cheerleaders will plan and perform at all Pep Rallies. JV support cheerleaders will perform at the Homecoming Pep Rally. ALL CHEERLEADERS ARE REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN SPIRIT FRIDAYS AND SPIRIT WEEK. The MAIN focus for this year's support squads are to REVIVE LMS's School spirit. LMS and LHS Cheerleaders may participate in two community events. These activities will be announced at a later date. Attend assigned sporting events. *More information to come This year's punishment will be at the sole discretion of the coaches. Punishment may include conditioning, benching cheerleaders at games or competitions or dismissal from the squad. The following is a list of behaviors that are not acceptable and will not be tolerated. Disrespect to Coaches, Squad leaders or team members. Consistent disrespect will result in removal from the squad. Inappropriate postings on Social Media. 3 strike rule. This will result in removal from the squad. Bullying in any form including social media. This will result in removal from the squad. A failing grade point average
ISS or Lunch Detention OSS will result in removal from the squad Chewing Gum Wearing Jewelry of any kind to practice, games or competitions Tardiness to practice, games or event. (10 burpees for every minute late) Forgetting Poms, Ribbon or required piece of uniform Unexcused absences from mandatory practices, games, competitions or events More than 3 unexcused absences will result in removal from the squad. 1. An excused absence is defined ONLY as having a medical excuse for illness or death in the immediate family. Pre-scheduled doctor's appointments and orthodontist's appointments are NOT excused absences. Appointments should be scheduled for days when practices and games will not be held. Family vacations should be planned for the summer months. During football season, if the football team is on the field, then the cheerleaders are on the sidelines, NO questions. Varsity football games are held of Friday nights and JV football games on Thursday nights. 2. The coaches have the authority to bench or dismiss any cheerleader due to inappropriate behavior, failure to maintain an overall "C" average, or failure to comply with rules and regulations set forth by the program or school. 3. Mandatory practices begin on August 3 rd, 2015! Do NOT schedule vacations after this time!!! Summer practices: We realize that many families choose to take their vacations during the summer when their children are out of school. We do practice throughout the summer because it is the only way for us to be ready in the fall competitive season. We do excuse cheerleaders for missing practice in the summer if they are gone on family vacations or church camps, but these dates must be submitted to us in writing by May 1 st! 4. Cheerleaders who miss practice with no excuse will be subject to disciplinary action. We are giving you the practice schedule in advance in hopes that you will try to schedule your vacations and student work schedules for times when we do not have practice. We would also like to ask that the cheerleaders limit the amount of times they will miss practice because we are working on important material. It is extremely difficult to practice if everyone is not present for practice.