SVJFAC offers both competitive and non-competitive cheerleading squads. All participants must attend orientation and/or tryouts each year.  Orientation and tryouts will be at the end of April/beginning of May each year and are confirmed for April 8 - April 11, 2024. Game Day squads do not have to try-out, but are required to attend the orientation portion of the tryout process, as we like to get an understanding of squad size, skill set, possible stunt groups, etc.

If a cheerleader wishes to be considered for a competitive squad, that will need to be indicated during the registration process on TeamSnap. Please note that if your child quit a competitive squad the previous season, they will not be eligible to try out for a competitive squad this season and will be placed directly onto a game day squad. Tryout scores will be used to help divide the squads evenly by skill and cuts may be made. The Coordinator(s) and Coaches DO NOT judge tryouts - outside judges are hired.  If your child does not make a competition squad, they will be placed on a game day squad. 

Cheerleading Squads are divided by skill level and grade level as follows:

Mascots will be capped at 5 registrations and will be assigned to squads with a cheer sibling first and then placed where needed, if needed

1st & 2nd Grades will have 1 game day squad and 1 competitive squad

3rd & 4th Grades will have 1 game day squad and 1 competitive squad

5th & 6th Grades will have 1 game day squad and 1 competitive squad

7th & 8th Grades will have 1 competitive squad that could also cheer games, as needed

 *Number of squads depends on the number of cheer participants and the number of football teams.  The number of cheer squads and football teams will dictate the game day rotation of squads - PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT YOUR CHILD MAY CHEER FOR THEIR GRADE LEVEL, THE GRADE ABOVE OR THE GRADE BELOW, ALL DEPENDING ON NUMBER OF SQUADS/TEAMS AND IF THERE IS A COMPETITION THAT WEEKEND. 

ACCORDING TO ARTICLE XIX OF THE WPYFL BYLAWS, Section 19.3 – All teams are encouraged to have cheerleading squads in all divisions. 

Mascots are required to attend practices beginning in July/August and will attend on Mondays and Thursdays from 6-7:30 p.m. and then will drop to Thursday when school begins.  Mascots are required to attend all games that their assigned squad is scheduled (meaning home and away), in full uniform and will actively participate in all sideline cheering and will have a spot in part of the halftime routine.  Before registering your child for the program, please be sure that they can attend practice without you/the parent and that they understand that they are there to learn just like the other cheerleaders.  Please be sure that your child understands that while minimal, there is still a commitment needed and that they understand that NO parents are allowed to be at practice.

**[Very Important] Practice and Overall Etiquette** Girls are expected to be safe, kind and responsible.  Mean Girl behavior will not be tolerated (this goes for tryouts/orientation/practices/games/competitions - parents will be called immediately and consequences will be given. Please note, that this type of behavior is cause for removal from tryouts and your child will immediately be placed in our game day program.   We are all one team, under one roof.  Maturity is a must - if your child cannot follow or is unwilling to follow the directions given by the Coaches and Coordinators, they will be immediately removed from practice and a meeting with the parents will be held.  Please talk to your child at length in terms of the commitment and maturity required for this program.  Please ensure they want to  actively participate and give their all for the entirety of the season. 

**[Very Important] Game Day Etiquette** -The girls are expected to be cheering, stunting, dancing (lightly choreographed 8-counts that can be performed to any song played by the announcer) and paying attention to touchdowns, etc. and not standing staring at the ground. This is not social hour or the time for complaints - about weather, etc.   Cheerleaders should not be mouthing/not saying the words, have a general lack of enthusiasm or have a bad attitude. No piggy-back rides or carrying other cheerleaders around.  Parents, please talk to your child about the expectations of sideline cheering as well as the maturity required for participating in this sport.  While cheer is meant to be fun, it can be incredibly distracting when girls aren’t paying attention and standing around on the track like they don’t want to be there.   

During weekends where there are football games on Saturday and a cheer competition on Sunday, both game day and competitive squads will cheer Saturday and competitive squads will compete on Sunday.  On weekends where there are football games on Sunday, coinciding with a cheer competition, the game day cheer squads will cheer for the Varsity games only that day.

Competitive squads will attend 4-5 competitions during the regular football season. These competitions usually take place on Sundays throughout September and October. We won’t know these exact dates until closer to the start of the season.  PLEASE HOLD THE FOLLOWING DATES ON YOUR SCHEDULE FOR THE 2024 SEASON: September 8, 15, 22, 29, October 6 and 13.  Please note that competitions are MANDATORY and cheerleaders/parents are REQUIRED to stay until the end of the event (times vary but usually range from 7:30am - 3:30pm - give or take an hour on either end).  PLEASE MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO NOT SCHEDULE IMPORTANT EVENTS/FAMILY OBLIGATIONS ON THESE COMP DAYS, AS WE DON’T KNOW SCHEDULES AHEAD OF TIME. COMPETITIONS AGAIN ARE MANDATORY FOR CHEERLEADERS AND PARENTS - IF THIS WILL NOT WORK WITH YOUR LIFESTYLE/SCHEDULE, PLEASE DO NOT REGISTER FOR A COMPETITIVE SQUAD.  In addition, there will be weekends where comp squads cheer on Saturday with a competition on Sunday.

***[VERY IMPORTANT] Competition Etiquette - cheerleaders and coaches are asked to arrive 45 min - 1 hour prior to doors opening, giving our program time to meet and walk in together.  We understand that is a lot of idle time, especially for the younger squads, very early in the morning, however, we ask that you talk to your cheerleaders about proper behavior while we wait.  Coordinators and Coaches are not there to babysit.  There is to be NO running around, tumbling, sitting on ground, throwing stuffed animals, etc.  Cheerleaders are to arrive competition READY - meaning they are dressed in full uniform/warm-up suit - NO pajama pants or anything other than their SV uniform/warmup suit.  Hair is in a high ponytail with flyaways secured with hairspray/bobby-pins.  

Please plan ahead not just in terms of arrival time, but with hair.  Again, we understand arrival time is early, however, any cheerleader arriving not fully ready, will face consequences. 

 Please note that during the competitions, Cheerleaders are the responsibility of the parents/guardians when not back in warm-ups and competing.  Cheerleaders MUST be mat-side, cheering, for ALL SV performances AND awards.  There is to be absolutely NO running in front of, behind or beside the competition mat when other schools are competing.  There will be severe consequences for any Cheerleader causing a disruption/distraction during a performance.  Please talk to your Cheerleader so they FULLY understand what is expected of them at competitions and they are mature/responsible enough for this commitment.  Please ensure that your child understands they must remain in FULL uniform, including hair/bow for the entirety of the competition.  There are to be NO Uggs, crocs, or any other shoe worn other than their competition shoes, with the exception of bringing their game day shoes to stand outside in or change into while eating.

All cheerleading squads (comp AND game day) will perform at Cheer Fest (annual fundraiser) which will be held in September/October. This is a MANDATORY event for each family in the Cheer Association.  Parents are REQUIRED to volunteer for one 2-hour shift during the event and families are REQUIRED to stay for the full event.