We hold a week of tryout practices during which the coaches watch the girls for: - athletic ability - level of cheer skills - attitude - ability to work with others – - willingness to listen & follow directions – - willingness to work - speed in picking up the material Basically this includes everything you need in a prospective cheerleader. On the last day of Tryout Week we hold tryouts before 3-5 judges. The judges' scores are not the final decision. The Coaches have the final decision on our teams just like any other coach in any other sport. The judges provide an opportunity to have someone from the outside back up the Coach’s decision. Judges' scores count about 45%. Coaches’ score count 55%. As coaches not only are the we the ones who have to work with the girls all year and mold them into a team, we are the ones who have watched them for a week, not just for the 2 1/2 minutes the judges are able to score them. This allows us to consider all those things mentioned above that the judges never see. NOTE: For Jr. Hi teams we consider potential just about equal to ability. This allows us more flexibility and gives more girls the opportunity to begin at this level and see whether cheerleading is their athletic activity of choice. Teacher evaluations including one from the dean (or if a sixth grader from the elem. principal) are also a part of the Tryout process. Individuals trying out will have 7 teachers plus the dean with whom they interact. Six of these must be positive including the dean's. Our teachers know that if a parent wants to know why their child didn't pass teacher evaluations, we give the areas the child needs to improve, not the teachers' names. Evaluations are required to be turned in no later than the 3rd day of practice. This way we have time to go through them, talk with teachers if needed and let the student know before tryouts. Candidates then have the option to finish the tryout or not. Some do and some don't. We also have a mandatory parent meeting (either the week before or by the 2nd night) in which we explain our tryout system including teacher evaluations; go over our cheerleading constitution, emphasizing rules and consequences; describe what we require of cheerleaders and parents, emphasizing the tremendous amount of time and hard work including required cheer camp; and thoroughly go over the finances and fundraising. The cheerleaders and parents have to sign the constitution signature sheet and turn it in before tryouts. If the signature sheet is not in by tryouts, the student can not tryout. University Christian, Jacksonville, FL 1. A person with great ability may not always be the best person for your team. Always factor in personality and spiritual maturity and team chemistry when choosing a squad. 2. Create the right atmosphere for tryouts. Make sure that your tryout reflects the way you run your team. 3. Be prepared to deal with upset girls and/or their parents. 7 out of 10 times someone will think that you didn’t treat them fairly, you didn’t like them or a thousand other excuses. Be prepared in every case with how you will respond to what may be an uncomfortable situation 4. Be organized, Be organized, Be organized 5. Time saver: Condense your tryout by including a jump or tumbling into a cheer. This allows you to judge more than one thing at a time. Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA 1. A clean cut appearance reflects how serious you are going to take actually making the squad. Wear the appropriate clothing to tryouts. (Breaking dress codes during tryouts means trouble the rest of the year) shirt-tail IN, hair out of face, clean, pressed clothes, proper shoes, socks. 2. Confident - not cocky attitudes during tryouts. 3. As much as possible - know the level of commitment that it takes to make the team & be ready to make that commitment at the beginning of tryouts. 4. Make sure you are ready physically. Running, gymnastics and weight training are 3 of the best activities to prepare you for tryouts. 5. Find out what your physical strength would be to the squad: basing, flying, spotting, tumbling, jumping, etc.. Try to emphasize that point & work on improving the weaker areas. 6. Look at the score sheet ahead of time so that you are prepared for how and in what areas you will be judged. Have fun during your tryout. Don’t take it as life or death. Take a deep breath & RELAX! Not only will this help you perform better, it will give you points with the Coach and judges as they view how you might perform in a pressure competition environment. Liberty University - Lynchburg, VA