2017-18

Tryout Information

Pack

Welcome to the SA family

Thank you for your interest in the SA Academy competitive program. This will be the Academies, 11th competitive season and we thank you for your continued support. Here at the Academy we not only hope to progress your child’s athletic ability in cheer and dance, but also encourage important life skills such as COMMITMENT, SPORTSMANSHIP, RESPONSIBILITY, RESPECT FOR SELF and OTHERS. These lessons are taught in a supportive, safe and positive atmosphere. Our philosophy is simple: A strong program means stronger teams which will create happy and dedicated athletes. Our reach has far extended that of Wolverhampton, as we now have members who travel to us from all across the country. We feel that this, as well as the longevity of our athletes, is testament to the services and training that we provide here at the Academy.

The sport of competitive cheerleading and dance has moved well into the 21st century. Particularly here in the UK, the standard of All-star cheer and dance has increased at a rapid pace. In order to keep up with the ever-increasing standard of British cheerleading and dance, every athlete, including returning members, must go through a formal evaluation process for team selections. This is to ensure the safety of all members and the optimal competitiveness of each of our teams. The cheer athletes of today perform a 2 ½ minute routine consisting of acrobatics coupled with dance, tumbling, and show-stopping attitude! Similarly, our dancers perform high energy routines, consisting of technical dance skills, turns, leaps and jumps. All-star cheerleaders and dancers are amazingly strong athletes, who must execute their routine with a smile on their face. Here at the Academy, we not only train our athletes to be Champions ON THE FLOOR, but to carry themselves as Champions OFF THE FLOOR. Our athletes are trained to reach THEIR fullest potential, but more so, they are taught how to work together as a team for a common goal. It is our goal to create an atmosphere for athletes to develop lasting friendships, self-confidence, a strong sense of gym pride and great memories that they will carry forever.

Welcome to the family!

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Coaching Philosophy

Our coaching philosophy is defined by the following: Allstar Cheerleading & Dance is a SPORT. Competitive cheerleading is a SPORT and not an ACTIVITY.

• Sport [spawrt, spohrt] - an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature

We train ATHLETES – Our program trains competitive athletes. Please understand that athletes must have proper physical conditioning, mental training and motivation for success in any sport. PERFECTION before progression – Our coaches will not allow athletes to learn advanced skills before perfecting their basics. Proper technique is everything! Only PERFECTED skills will be considered in team placements and choreographed into routines. "Having" a skill does not mean being able to throw it, but it means being able to execute it with a strong level of mastery over and over, at the beginning, middle or end of a routine, and combined with other choreography and other athletes performing similar skills around you. Athlete CONDITIONING – Injuries are always a concern in cheerleading, and the best way to avoid them is through proper technique, flexibility and physical conditioning. It is not possible for an athlete to be in peak physical conditioning if their All-Star practice is the only physical activity in which they partake. Each athlete should be involved in some type of physical conditioning program and stretching outside of their team practice either at the gym, at home or at school. It is important that parents and students understand our coaching philosophy as these are the key fundamentals to our program and will be the basis for how we operate, build our teams, and the expectations that we hold our athletes too.

Coach and Contact Info

Program Director: Sharon Gray Assistant Coaches:

Cheer & Gym Program Director: Lauren Gray Ellie Farmer Sophie Deeley

Dance Program Director: Rebecca Gray Rosie O’Regan Richard Vale

Senior Coaches: Amy Webb & Rebecca Fletcher Megan Underhill Niamh Emms

Rebekah Leadbeater Mike Dunn

Contact Numbers: 07711292728 / 01902 491033

Email: saacademy@hotmail.co.uk

Website: sharonanncheeranddance.co.uk

Please feel free to speak to any of the coaches regarding your child’s progress, performance

or any areas of concern. Please take into account coaches are not always available during

training times therefore an email would be a more appropriate approach.

Please check the newsletter page frequently on the website for updated information and to

keep up to date with all events at the Academy. Hard copies of newsletters will also be

provided in the waiting area of the Academy and are updated at the beginning of every

month.

Please connect with us on social media in order to receive immediate updates.

Like us on Facebook: Sharon Ann Academy of Cheer and Dance

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @sa_academy97

Download the Team App from your smart phone app store. Search ‘Team App’ and add SA

Academy. Sign up to your teams to receive instant updates and schedule changes straight

to your phone.

Team Facebook groups will also be available to add from the start of the next season.

Search ‘SA (team name) 2017-18’. Music links and other important info will be available via

the Facebook groups.

All-Star Cheer Team Info

Our all-star competitive program requires a strong commitment from the athlete as well as the athlete's family. It is a great way for athletes to learn new skills, develop a sense of what it means to work together as a team for a common goal and to develop a sense of pride and sportsmanship while making life-long friendships. All-Star Cheer teams are typically comprised of 10 - 36 athletes with similar skill levels and of similar ages. Based upon the skill, age, size and make-up of the team, the teams are categorized into different divisions. Each cheer team is taught a competition routine that has elements of tumbling, stunting, jumping and dance skills to music. The routines are typically 2 1/2 minutes in length. At a competition, the team performs their routine for a panel of judges who score the performance based upon the level of difficulty, precision, creativity and entertainment value. The team's placement within their division is based upon the score they received compared to the scores of the other teams within their division. The following defines the general program aspects of all our competitive teams:

All Cheerleading squad members must train at least once a week and participate in

both the tumbling and team choreography sessions

All members will be placed into squads based on USASF age brackets (age bounds are

set as of 31st August)

Athletes who display exceptional skill levels may be accepted to double duty and

compete in multiple teams – regardless of age. Please note that you will be placed in

your age appropriate team first, before you will be considered for a higher level/age

division.

Training is designed to progress the skill level of all athletes. However, athletes who

do not obtain the appropriate skill level of their desired team may be asked to

partake in further training, in order to reach the level required for a specific team.

Here at the Academy we try to move athletes as little as possible but understand there WILL BE movement within our program of athletes. Movement can happen based on the gaining or losing of skills, or the need on a team for certain skills. Movement can happen all season until the best possible combination of athletes are together for the success of that team. Trust in our staff to build teams that will be successful at competitions is essential.

SA Academy members cannot compete with any other squad for the 2017-18 season.

Once your place on the team is accepted, 100% commitment to training and the

squad is expected.

Proposed All-star Cheer Teams for 2017-18 season: *Teams listed are not final and will be formed based on the need for a specific level and age division

Please note athletes will not be assigned to any squad without first acquiring the

appropriate skill level. Crossovers between multiple teams will be allowed up to a

maximum of 3 cheer teams and 3 dance teams. Where possible the number of crossovers

will be kept to a minimum and multiple crossovers will only be used to benefit teams where

needed. All ages are set by USASF age brackets (age bounds of 31st August).

SA Twinkles Min. age Max. age Tiny Level 1 4 6

SA Snowflakes Mini Level 1 5 8

SA Spirit Youth Level 1 6 11

SA Synergy Youth Level 2 6 11

SA Energy Junior Level 1 8 14

SA Vengeance Senior Level 1/2 10 N/A

SA Extreme Junior Level 2/3 10 N/A

SA Fusion Senior Level 3/4 10 N/A

SA Cru5h Senior co-ed restricted Level 5 12 N/A

All-star Dance Team Info

Our All-star dance team programme, similarly requires a strong commitment from

the dancer and the dancer’s family. All-star dance is highly competitive in the UK and

therefore, our team selection process has become more competitive for squad

positions. All-star dance teams can be made up of anything from 4-32 dancers and

their routines consist of 2 ½ minutes. Jazz has a large emphasis on technique,

precision, group execution and timing. Jazz is fast paced and has a high physical

demand on the dancer. Similarly, Hip Hop is also highly demanding on the athlete

and emphasis is placed on style, body isolations and control.

Our all-star jazz teams train for 3 hours a week, which includes 1 hour of team

training, 1 hour of stretch and technique and 1 hour of ballet. All of these

classes are compulsory to attend in order to be a part of the team.

Our All-star hip hop teams train for 1 hour a week.

Our senior jazz Worlds team will train for 4 hours a week on the build up to

Worlds, plus additional training once a month on a Sunday, should they receive

a bid to the Dance Worlds in 2018.

All dancers will be placed into squads based on USASF age brackets. Crossovers

between Junior and Senior jazz will be permitted at the coaches discretion.

Crossovers between jazz and hip hop will be permitted in appropriate age

divisions.

Training is designed to increase each dancer’s skill level and ability, but should

any squad member fall behind with their training, you may be asked to

undergo further training before you are permitted to continue competing with

the team.

Once your place on the squad has been accepted, 100% commitment to the

team and training will be expected.

Proposed All-star dance teams for the 2017-18 season:

SA Illusion Min. age Max. age Mini Jazz 5 8

SA Intensity Youth Jazz 9 11

SA Pinnacle Youth Jazz 9 11

SA Dynasty Junior Jazz 12 14

SA Ascension

Senior Jazz 15 N/A

SA Supreme Senior Jazz (Worlds team) 13 N/A

SA Thunder Youth Hip Hop 6 11

SA Cyclones Senior Hip Hop 13 N/A

All senior Worlds teams will require the youngest members to turn 14 within the year 2018. SA Ascension

has been formed in order to give more seniors the opportunity to compete in Jazz, who may not be able to

afford to attend Worlds next year or may not quite be at the required level to compete on the Worlds

team. Similarly, SA Pinnacle has been formed to accommodate the youth dancers who demonstrate a

higher ability of technical skills, in order to provide more opportunities for our youth aged dancers to

compete in the jazz division. Depending on demand, an additional Mini and Junior Hip Hop team may be

formed. It is at the coaches to discretion to place younger dancers into teams outside of the age brackets

that are listed as suitable for them.

Development Prep Team Info

New for 2017, we have introduced prep teams to our competition program. We feel so

passionately about the benefits of participation in cheerleading, that we want to make our

competition experience accessible to more young people. We realise that not every family

can commit to the amount of time and expense that is required to be on one of our All-star

competition teams, so we are offering an alternative that will hopefully open up more

opportunities to more people.

Here’s how we plan to make our development prep teams more accessible:

The prep team will only compete twice a year at local Birmingham

competitions. This will cut down on the cost of competition entry fees, as our

all-star teams compete up to 5 times a year. There will also be no hotel stop

over fees required as the competitions will be local.

Training will take place once a week. Our junior prep team will train for 2 hours

and our mini/youth prep team for 1 ½ hours. This will require a significantly

cheaper monthly payment fee, compared to our all-star teams who train for 3

½ hours a week.

Competition uniforms will be bought second hand from our current all-star

athletes for £50 or hired per competition for a smaller amount.

There will also be a smaller skill requirement to gain a place on the squad. We

will require all members to demonstrate a strong forward roll, backward roll

and cartwheel to be considered for the team, as well as a good mastery of

jumps and ability to pick up choreography.

If prep team members wish to advance to our all-star program there will be provision to do

so, once the necessary skills have been gained.

Prep Teams available and age bounds:

Min. age Max. age

SA Genesis 6 11

Youth Prep Level 1

SA Evolution 12 14

Junior Prep Level 1

*Ages are as of 31st August 2016. Younger/older athletes will be considered based on

ability and demand for a particular age group.

Training Times

Cheer Teams

All competition members must participate in both the two hour tumbling class and 1 ½

hour choreography class each week. Athletes who are injured or not committed to an

upcoming competition must still attend training to maintain conditioning and skill level.

Please note that leading up to any competition, additional mandatory training sessions may

be called at any time, on days outside of usual training days. Also the occasional Sunday

training date will be added to the timetable leading up to a competition. These are clearly

outlined on the commitment forms, which are due at the start of every season.

The below timetable is a rough guide of training times. Athletes will be placed into the

appropriate gym group for them based on ability levels. *Please note all training times are

subject to change.

TUESDAY’S 5:00-7:00pm – GYM GROUP 2

WEDNESDAY’S 5:00 – 7:00pm GYM GROUP 4

6:30 – 8:30pm – SA CRU5H (training extended till 9:30pm once a month)

THURSDAY’S 5:00 - 7:00pm – GYM GROUP 3

5:00 – 6:30pm – SA GENESIS

7:00 – 8:30pm – SA ENERGY

6:30 – 8:30pm – SA EVOLUTION

FRIDAY’S 5:00-6:30PM – SA FUSION

6:00-8:00pm – CRU5H GYM

SATURDAY’S 9:30-11:00am – SA SYNERGY

10:30-12:30pm – SA SNOWFLAKES

12:00-2:00pm – GYM GROUP 1

1:00-2:00pm – FLYERS STRETCH CLASS 1 (compulsory class for all team flyers)

1:30-3:30pm start – SA SPIRIT

1:30-3:30pm start – SA TWINKLES

3:30-4:30pm – FLYERS STRETCH CLASS 2 (compulsory class for all team flyers)

3:00-5:00pm start – SA EXTREME

4:30-6:30pm start – SA VENGEANCE

Dance Teams

MONDAY’S 6:15-7:15pm – SUPREME BALLET

7:15-8:15pm – SUPREME

8:15-9:15pm - CYCLONES

TUESDAY’S 5:00-7:00pm – DYNASTY

6:00-8:00pm – ASCENSION

WEDNESDAY’S 5:00-6:00pm – SUPREME (STRETCH & TECHNIQUE)

6:00-7:00pm – SUPREME (SHOW GROUP)

THURSDAY’S 5:00-7:00pm – PINNACLE

5:00-6:00pm – INTENSITY (STRETCH & TECHNIQUE)

FRIDAY’S 6:30-7:30pm – THUNDER

SATURDAY’S 11:00-12:00pm – BALLET GROUP 1 (JUNIORS AND YOUTH)

3:30-5:30pm – ILLUSION

4:30-5:30pm - INTENSITY

5:30-6:30pm – BALLET GROUP 2 (MINI AND YOUTH)

Competitions

*Please note these events are not confirmed and are subject to change

Autumn/Winter Events Event Location Date Teams Attending Pricing Future Cheer – Jungle Fever

Bolton – USN Bolton Arena

19th November 2017

All Allstar Cheer and Dance teams

TBC

Future Cheer – Heart of England

Birmingham – Genting Arena

10th – 11th February 2018

Saturday 10th: Twinkles, Spirit, Snowflakes, Synergy Energy, Extreme, Illusion, Intensity, Pinnacle, Thunder, Dynasty, NCA Travel Team Sunday 11th: Vengeance, Fusion, Cru5h, Ascension, Supreme, Cyclones

TBC

Legacy Cheer & Dance – Dream Extreme

Birmingham - Barclaycard Arena

24th – 25th March 2018

All Prep teams – competing day TBC

1st routine - £39 Spectators: Adult £22 Child £18 Under 5 Free

BCA National Championships

Telford – Telford International Centre

30th March – 1st April 2018

Saturday 31st: Vengeance, Fusion, Cru5h, Illusion, Intensity, Pinnacle, Thunder, Dynasty Sunday 1st: Twinkles, Snowflakes, Spirit, Synergy, Energy, Extreme, Supreme, Ascension, Cyclones

1st routine - £38 Crossover - £20 Spectators: Adult £18 per day Child £10 per day

Spring/Summer Events Legacy Cheer and Dance – Rise Up

Birmingham – Genting Arena

12th May 2018 All Prep Teams 1st routine - £38 Spectators: Adult £22 Child £18

Jamfest Europe Liverpool – Echo Arena

23rd – 24th June 2018

All All-star Cheer and Dance teams – competing days TBC

TBC

Future Cheer – FC Internationals

Bournemouth – BIC Arena

6th – 8th July 2018

All All-star Cheer and Dance teams – competing days TBC

TBC

We will require all athletes to stay overnight prior to competing for all events held outside

of Birmingham.

Tryout & Evaluation Process

Try out dates and times: TUESDAY 11th JULY

6:00-8:00PM - JUNIOR & SENIOR JAZZ

WEDNESDAY 12TH JULY

5:00-6:00PM – SENIOR HIP HOP

6:30-8:30PM – CRU5H

THURSDAY 13TH JULY

5.00-7.00PM - YOUTH JAZZ

FRIDAY 14TH JULY

6.30-7.30PM - THUNDER

SATURDAY 15TH JULY 12.00-1.30PM – TINY AND MINI (AGE 4-8 YEARS) AND PREP TEAMS 1.45-3.45PM – YOUTH (AGE 9 – 11) 4.00-6.00PM – JUNIOR & SENIOR (AGE 15+) Athletes will be evaluated by a panel of our staff and will be asked to demonstrate their standing & running tumbling, jumps, and basic motion techniques. Athletes will also be evaluated on their stunting ability. Dancers will be evaluated on their technical proficiency, style and flexibility. Tryout Sign-up Process All athletes who wish to be placed on a team must register for a tryout. The final deadline to register for try outs is SATURDAY 24TH JUNE. Athletes must attend the tryout that they are age eligible for, unless otherwise notified by a coach. If you wish to be considered as a crossover to a higher level/age division please indicate this on your form and pay the additional fee required (see below).

Tryout fees: The tryout fee is due at the time an athlete signs up for a tryout. This fee is non-refundable and non-transferable. The membership fee will also be due at this time and will only be refunded if you are unsuccessful at tryouts. Fee for 1 Tryout: £15 Fee for 2 Tryouts (e.g. dance & cheer; 2 cheer teams): £25 Fee for 3 or more Tryouts: £30

Team Formation: Teams are constructed to score as high as possible in competition. Cheer team's scores are based upon a number of factors including: tumbling, stunting, jumping, dancing and overall technique. Therefore, when constructing the team, coaches will look at all facets of an athlete’s ability level, NOT just what tumbling skills the athlete can execute as well as the cheer experience of the athlete. The number of places available on a given team will be dependent on the number of at-level stunt groups that can be formed from the pool of athletes present at the tryouts. Dance teams will be formed based on technical and stylistic qualities to bring together the best combination of dancers for the success of that team. Attendance: All athletes are required to be at ALL practices. Due to the team aspect of All Star dance and cheerleading and the fact that each athlete has a special part and position to play on the team, when one athlete is absent it impacts the effectiveness of the practice for the entire team. Further details around our attendance policy can be found in our 2017-18 season pack. Tumbling Requirements:

Every athlete will be expected to be able to perform at least a forward roll, backward roll,

Cartwheel and Bridge (this is referred to as ‘basics’ in the list of tumble requirements). See

below for the additional tumble requirements for each team. Please note that some skills

are specified as ‘required’ for the level, whereas others are ‘encouraged’. Dependent on

the skill level shown by the majority of athletes in the try out session, ‘encouraged’ skills

will influence coaches’ final decisions on athlete placements.

Please note you must arrive 20 minutes prior to your time in order to register, warm up and

stretch.

CHEER TEAM TUMBLE REQUIREMENTS STUNTS JUMPS

TWINKLES PREP TEAMS

Basic skills required Other skills encouraged: Forward walkover Backward walkover Round off

Load ins Gut stand Prep

Star jump Tuck Jump Toe touch

SNOWFLAKES SPIRIT ENERGY

Basics Plus 2 of the following required: Forward walkover Back walkover Round off

Load ins Gut stand Prep

Toe touch Pike Hurkie Whip jumps

SYNERGY VENGEANCE

All level 1 skills Plus 2 of the following required: Standing flick Round off flick

Single leg prep Extension Basket toss

Toe touch Pike Hurkie Whip jumps Stretch jump to flick

EXTREME All level 2 skills Plus 2 of the following required: Punch front Round off tuck Round off flick tuck Series standing flick (X3)

Single leg ext. Twist Cradle Trick basket

Toe touch Pike Hurkie Whip jumps to flick

FUSION Level 3 running & standing tumbling And 2 of the following are required: Standing tuck Jump flick tuck Round off layout Round off flick layout

Single leg ext. Double twist cradle 2 trick baskets Release moves

Toe touch Pike Hurkie Whip jumps

CRU5H Required skills: Jump to Tuck Running layout Encouraged skills: Standing flicks to Tuck/Layout Standing flicks to Full Twist Running full Arabian

Single leg ext. Double twist cradle 3 trick baskets Extended Release moves

Toe touch Pike Hurkie Whip jumps Whip jumps to Tuck

DANCE TEAM TURN REQUIREMENTS LEAP/JUMP REQUIREMENTS

SA ILLUSION Required: Single pirouette 2 fouette turns Encouraged: Double pirouette

Stag leap Split leap Firefly

SA INTENSITY Required: Double pirouette 3 fouette turns Encouraged: Triple pirouette

Stag leap Split leap Firefly Calypso

SA PINNACLE Required: Triple pirouette 5 fouette turns Turning fouette turns Encouarged: Aerials

Stag leap Split leap Firefly Calypso Switch leap Straddle leap

SA DYNASTY Required: Triple pirouette 5 fouette turns Turning fouettes Encouraged: Quad pirouette Aerials

Stag leap Split leap Firefly Calypso Switch leap Straddle leap Turning C-jump

SA ASCENSION

Required: Double pirouette 3 fouette turns Encouraged: Triple pirouette 5 fouettes

Stag leap Split leap Firefly Calypso Switch leap Straddle leap

SA SUPREME Required: Triple pirouette 5 fouette turns Turning fouettes Encouraged: Quad pirouette Aerials

Stag leap Split leap Firefly Calypso Switch leap Turning C-jump Turning straddle jump

HIP HOP TEAMS

Trick to be evaluated: Kip-up Head spring BHS Standing tuck Aerials

Tryout Tips and Points to Remember

1. TRUST YOUR COACHES: Coaches want the most qualified athletes to make up each of

their teams & this MAY MEAN that your child may not make the team of their choice.

It could be due to limited availability, age restriction or your coach may simply feel

that your athlete needs more experience or another year on another team to focus

on their skills. This is NOT DONE with malicious intent or ulterior motives.

2. As a parent you will always over-estimate the talent, abilities, emotional fortitude &

contribution of your child. THIS IS NOT A BAD THING!!! Every child needs their own

cheerleader to help them believe in themselves, support and encourage their

aspirations & love them. Just be mindful that YOUR assessment of your child's

abilities may not sync up with the coaching staff. Try to be realistic about where your

kids really stand and manage their expectations accordingly.

3. Build toward goals that instil healthy habits, continual progress & avoid unrealistic

expectations. That being said, in Cheerleading there is physical preparedness for

being in a certain level and mental preparedness for being in a certain level. Is your

Cheerleader both physically & mentally "at level"?? At this time of year and ALL

YEAR, you should encourage proper progression, advancement of skills & safety first.

Throwing skills IS NOT ENOUGH!! A backhand spring with bent arms and legs WILL

NOT HELP A TEAM AND DOES NOT NECESSARILY MAKE YOUR ATHLETE LEVEL 2!!!

Quality is ALWAYS better and as parents this should be important to you. When your

child first throws a new skill, don't celebrate the skill until it’s PERFECT!! Celebrate

them THROWING the skill, but make them EARN the praise for perfect execution.

This is called STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE & it's a fantastic lesson for kids to learn

early as it applies to all aspects of life.

4. Next, if your child ONLY THROWS SKILLS AT TRYOUTS IT MEANS THAT THEY ARE BARELY QUALIFIED FOR THE TEAM IN WHICH THAT SKILL IS REQUIRED. There is nothing wrong with being placed on a lower level team to allow your athlete time to improve technique and develop confidence in a skill.

5. It's not just about your kid. Remember, Gym owners and coaches must balance the interests of ALL athletes not just yours. Sometimes your cheerleader may have the qualifications of being on a certain team but is "better suited elsewhere" you may not understand why... But this goes back to rule #1 --trust your coaches

6. Allow your athlete to progress at their own pace. Cheerleading is not like school. You don't have to change teams or levels every year. It's okay to stay where you are and it doesn't mean you are not improving. There are so many skills within a level and so much room for you to grow. Embrace the opportunity to fully max out at each level and take pride in the quality of your skills.

7. Failure is awesome! If your athlete does not make the team of their choice use it as an opportunity to talk

about goals, hard work, skill progression & competition. This is the upside of competitive sports as they help kids gain experience in situations & offer perspectives on lessons that they can use throughout their life! Overcoming adversity builds character & commitment to a goal teaches kids the importance of hard work & doing whatever it takes! Lessons in winning AND losing are important in life.

8. Athletes that compete with or train on teams that are above their level never end the season as happy as they start. While the idea of making a team at a certain level may seem appealing at the beginning of the year. The reality is that no one wants to be the worst athlete on a team & experience the pressures that goes along with that. At the same time, no one also wants to be on a team that is badly levelled. In Cheerleading today it is impossible to succeed if you are not qualified to compete at a certain level. I've never had an athlete complain about winning at a lower level; they seem to forget pretty quickly the number on their trophy when they are posing for their championship picture. Success comes at ALL LEVELS.

Overall tryouts should be fun, challenging & exciting!!! It is the start of a new season & an opportunity for a fresh start. Encourage your cheerleader, support your coaches, set realistic goals, look at each situation as a learning opportunity & emphasize the importance of proper skill development and training. If you do all of this, I promise you the 2017-2018 season will be a memorable one.

Athlete Attire

Practice Wear:

All athletes, (Cheer & Jazz) are expected to wear the proper practice wear to EVERY TEAM

practice. Athletes who choose to come to practice in something other than their practice

wear will be required to pay a fine and will also be required to condition at the end of

practice. Athletes are permitted to wear plain black leggings/shorts with their team t-shirts

or other SA apparel. The only exception is athletes can wear alternative suitable practise

wear for gym sessions. Additional items, other than the new season t-shirt and shorts

(which is included within the membership fee) are optional to purchase. All athlete’s will be

expected to attend competitions in the new season t-shirt and shorts. This is to keep a

unified look across the academy when attending events.

Competition Uniforms:

All returning members will have already purchased their new competing uniform for

Nationals, 2017. New members must purchase the uniform in order to compete with the

squad. This uniform is the same for all all-star teams other than SA Cru5h whose uniform

consists of a crop top and skirt (top and trousers for boys). Please note if you wish to

compete on SA Cru5h as well as one of our other competitive teams, you will be required to

purchase both uniforms. At present the competing uniform costs £195. The Cru5h uniform

costs a total of £215. All athletes will also be required to purchase the team bow which

costs £20. All prep-team members will be required to purchase a second hand uniform

from one of our returning members costing £50. All dance team members will be required

to purchase their team costume from DanceMania. Price of costumes will be depend on the

design, which will be confirmed in September. Fundraising events are held regularly

throughout the year in order to help with the financial obligations required. These funds

are only split between those who actively take part in the events.

Shoes:

All athletes must purchase all-white cheerleading trainers. These shoes must be worn to all

practices and competitions. Whilst we realise that Cheerleading is a costly sport, we

recommend but do not insist, that you make an investment in a high quality pair of trainers.

Athlete’s trainers are the only piece of equipment that they take with them on to the

competition floor and greatly impact their ability to tumble and execute their routine. We

recommend, but do not insist, that you purchase your shoes from the Nfnity brand,

available at Excel Cheer Centre. We also ask that you do not purchase the Nfinity Titans in

order to keep a uniformed look across our athletes. All jazz dancers must purchase a pair of

tan jazz shoes. We are now recommending that all dancers purchase the Capezio FF02

Breeze split sole brand which can either be purchased from DanceMania or various dance

depots. Hip Hop teams will be required to purchase the team footwear, which will be

outlined in September.

Financial Obligations

On joining the Academy all members are required to pay a membership fee. The costs will

be as follows:

Cheer/Jazz membership - £60 (includes t-shirt, shorts and contribution towards new

music/equipment) If you are a cheer, jazz, hip hop member this fee only needs to be

paid once. There will be a £10 reduction for siblings i.e. 2 children’s membership for =

£100.

Boys’ membership - £45 (includes t-shirt and contribution towards new

music/equipment)

Prep membership - £35 (includes t-shirt and contribution towards new

music/equipment)

Membership fees will be due with your try-outs form and will be refunded if we cannot

offer you a place. Refunds will NOT be given for any other reason.

Training fees must be paid by standing order on the 1st of every month, starting on 1st

August. Training costs work out at £4.00 (+V.A.T.) per hour of training for squad members.

Payments are calculated for the total number of hours within a full training period and split

into equal instalments. Please note there is a reduced training fee of £3.00 per hour for

additional training for crossover members. Additional fees will be included in fees to cover

expenses of guest instructors.

No reductions will be made to any training costs for any type of absence.

A deposit of £80 will be required by Saturday 29th July (£39 for prep team members)

towards the entry fees for the first three competitions in the Autumn/Winter period. At this

time we will also collect commitment forms, code & conditions and shorts and t-shirt size

orders. The balance for first entries to these competitions will be collected by Saturday 9th

September. This final balance will be outlined in the newsletters once entry fees have been

confirmed by the event providers. Instalment dates will then be set out in the newsletters

outlining the payment deadlines for the final balance for crossovers and spectator tickets.

These prices vary dependent on the event and the type of ticket that is purchased. Please

be aware that children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian

to each competition. Competitions are grouped into Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer

events. All competitions within that season must be attended, i.e. athletes cannot choose

to compete at event A but not event B within the same competition period.

Tryout Application Form

Name:……………………………………………………….

D.O.B.:………………………………………………

Contact phone number:…………………………………… Contact name:……………………………..

Contact email address:……………………………………………………………………

I wish to attend tryouts on (please tick):

*Please note you must attend your age appropriate tryout time. If you wish to be

considered as a crossover for an older age division, please note this on your form and pay

the additional tryout fee that is required.

Date Time Please tick Tuesday 11th July 6:00-8:00pm (Junior/Senior Jazz Tryouts)

Wednesday 12th July 5:00-6:00pm (Senior Hip Hop Tryouts) Wednesday 12th July 6:30-8:30pm (Cru5h Tryouts)

Thursday 13th July 5:00-7:00pm (Youth Jazz Tryouts)

Friday 14th July 6:30-7:30pm (Youth Hip Hop Tryouts) Saturday 15th July 12:00-1:30pm (Tiny/Mini/Prep Cheer Team

Tryouts)

Saturday 15th July 1:45-3:45pm (Youth Cheer Team Tryouts)

Saturday 15th July 4:00-6:00pm (Junior/Senior Cheer Team Tryouts)

I wish to be considered for:

1 cheer team 1 dance team

2 cheer teams 2 dance teams

3 cheer teams 3 dance teams

I have included my tryout fee of £15 for 1 tryout

I have included my tryout fee of £25 for 2 tryouts

I have included my tryout fee of £30 for 3 or more tryouts

I have included my membership fee of £60 for an all-star team

I have included my membership fee of £45 for an all-star boy’s membership

I have included my membership fee of £35 for a prep team

*Please note on the back of this form any days of the week that you would not be able to

commit to a regular team training on.