Our season operates on a tight timeline, and consistent participation is essential for building safe, successful routines. Cheer is a true team sport—when one athlete is absent, it affects formations, timing, stunts, and overall progress. Unlike many sports where a missing player can be substituted, every cheerleader has a specific role that cannot simply be filled on the spot. A single absence can prevent an entire stunt group from practicing, delay choreography, and limit the team’s ability to move forward.

Because each athlete’s presence directly impacts the safety, readiness, and confidence of the whole squad, we rely on families to prioritize attendance and honor the commitment made to the team.

General Expectations:

• Notification: Notify coaches ASAP to report any known absence
• Excused Absences: medical, school function, family emergency
• Unexcused Absence: no more than 3 permitted

Sideline Cheer Consequences:

• 3rd absence: sit first half of game
• 4th absence: sit first half of game + halftime
• 5th absence: parent meeting

Competitive Cheer Consequences:

• 3rd absence: parent meeting

Parent Meeting:

During a parent meeting, the parent will meet with the coach and coordinator(s) to determine appropriate consequences. Sideline consequences are easier to apply because regular games provide immediate opportunities for enforcement. Competitive cheer may not have an upcoming game, so the timing and type of consequence may need to be adjusted.

Possible outcomes for sideline or competition cheerleaders  may include:

• Removal from stunt groups
• Formation changes
• Sitting out of the routine at a game or competition
• Removal from the squad, depending on circumstances

Each situation will be reviewed individually. Some consequences may impact the overall team so all factors will be considered to determine the most appropriate decision.

 

1 Hour Rule

We understand that some families participate in multiple sports and that conflicts may arise.  We aim to offer flexibility when possible, while ensuring that accommodations do not come at the expense of our cheer teams. As a result, we are implementing a “1‑hour rule,” which allows each athlete to miss up to one consecutive hour of practice per week for another sport or commitment without penalty. While we are not encouraging athletes to take on new hobbies or additional sports in the already busy fall season, this policy exists to accommodate those situations when they do occur.

To be eligible, you must adhere to the policy below:

Communication Requirements

• All schedule conflicts or special arrangements must be communicated to and approved by the coach and coordinator in advance.
• Coaches put significant thought into planning practices, and with sufficient notice, reasonable adjustments can sometimes be made.
• Failure to notify the coach of an absence or late arrival will result in an unexcused absence.

Prioritization & Balancing Commitments

• Families should make their best effort to balance multiple activities fairly while staying within the guidelines of this policy.
• For example, if another sport practices from 5:00–7:00 PM and cheer begins at 6:00 PM, a fair compromise would be to arrange for your athlete to leave the other sport at 6:15 PM and arrive at cheer by 6:45 PM. This allows participation in both while staying within the one‑hour weekly allowance.
• The one-hour allowance must be used in one continuous block during a single practice. It cannot be split across multiple days.
• Any time exceeding one consecutive hour per week will be considered an unexcused absence and handled according to the attendance policy.
• This policy does not apply to games or competitions, and any absence due to another sport will be counted as an unexcused absence.

Consequences

• If absences or late arrivals become disruptive to team progress or create safety concerns, further action may be taken. This may include, but is not limited to, removal from a stunt group, adjusted formations, or other necessary changes.
• Additional practices will not be added to make up for ineffective practices caused by absences under this policy. Extra practices are reserved only for extreme circumstances at the discretion of the coordinator(s).

Our goal is to support multi-sport athletes when possible while maintaining fairness, accountability, and the standard of excellence expected within our program.