Cheer Program Preparation

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Whether your season is well underway or if you are still figuring things out, coaching is a challenging job! That’s why we want to help you feel prepared for the season of all star cheerleading ahead of you. Read on to learn more about the best ways to set up your cheer program for success.

Rules and Policies

Regardless of how strict or relaxed your program is, it is essential to set some boundaries in place. Create rules and policies that will help your athletes and their parents know exactly what is to be expected of them. For example, how many practices can an athlete miss before they are pulled from the routine? What are the consequences of missing a competition? Your athletes or athletes’ parents may not have thought to ask these questions, so you may as well answer them before a situation arises.

While writing your rules and policies, think of anything you would want to know before joining a team. Also, consider the standards you want your team to follow. Hand out your policy document at the first meeting of the season so the expectations are set immediately.

Parent Meetings

While your athletes might not have any questions for you, we can guarantee that the parents will. It is vital for the beginning of every season to meet with your athletes’ parents to discuss any program fees, schedules, time management, volunteering expectations, fundraising opportunities, plans for a national cheerleading competition, and more. Plan this meeting in advance and be ready to answer any questions that will likely come up.

Also, be absolutely sure to go into detail about the rules and policies you have in place for your athletes. Explaining the importance of your rules and the consequences for breaking them at this meeting will keep your parents on the same page as you should you need to take disciplinary action later in the season.

Practice Times

You likely already have a gym, but your practice schedule is likely to determine the commitment that each athlete can make to your team. Keep in mind the age of your athletes. Your team of seven-year-olds shouldn’t be practicing until 9 at night, as this is likely past their bedtime. You probably won’t want to keep them for three hours at a time either, since they will tire easily and lose interest in practice. Keep these factors in mind as you create your schedule!

Fundraising

Are you offering any fundraising activities for your team? If the parents in your program are a little tight on money, or if you are intending to go to a bigger national cheerleading competition, you may want to offer fundraising opportunities for the athletes. You can host an event, such as a car wash, or you can always do some sort of selling program. While you don’t need to make these decisions at the beginning of the season, it’s always good to keep in mind ahead of time. That way, you can let your parents consider options themselves or suggest their own fundraising techniques.

National Cheerleading Competitions

You want your athletes to have the chance to show off their stunting, tumbling, and jumping skills, but competitions are all over the place. Take time to look at the upcoming schedules for various competitions, as well as their locations, to decide which ones make sense to attend. Map out your ideal schedule, then begin to contact competition companies for details!

Worldwide Spirit Association

Here at WSA Cheer, we believe in providing a state of the art performance area for your athletes to shine. We also offer several large national cheerleading competitions with the possibility of a World’s bid at our Grand Nationals. Contact us today to get started and register your athletes for a shot at the gold!