CHEERLEADING AT SYS
Overview
The cheerleading program at SYS continues to grow.
Many of our Areas depending on the skill level of their participants have the
option of either declaring at the beginning of the cheer season their intentions
to either be competitive or non-Competitive. This situation created a problem in
the Areas that only offered the competitive cheer experience in that by not
offering the non-competitive option many participants were either priced out of
the SYS cheerleading experience or by of the level of commitment required of a
competitive cheerleader. This created a severe gap in our ability to offer the
services we all felt the organization was obligated to provide. Now many of our
Areas that were formally only offering competitive cheerleading are now offering
both. This has lead to an increase of 200 cheerleaders in the SYS ranks.
Competitive Cheerleading
Most Areas within the SYS system offer competitive Cheerleading. Like
Football, it is offered in 4 age divisions but is done differently in that grade
level is the determining factor:
Peewee.......3rd and 4th grade
Junior.......5th and 6th grade
Senior.......7th, 8th and 9th grade
Tryouts for the competitive squads are held between March 1st and April 30th
with a squad limit of no less that 20 and no more than 30. If a child tries out
for the competitive squad and do not make the squad, they will be asked to
participate as a Non-Competitive J.V. cheerleader until their skill level is
sufficient. A competitive squad cannot have less than 20 participants if it does
not offer the Non-Competitive option.
After making the squad, each participant will be required to attend mandatory
practices throughout the month of May. At the discretion of the Squad Sponsor
time off for vacations may be accommodated. Two weeks prior to camp, practice
will be mandatory for 5 days per week, 2 hour per day. Vacation is blocked
during this time.
All cheer participants are required to attend a SYS sanctioned cheer camp
sometime during the month of June, after which, practice ends and does not
resume until August
CHEERLEADING DURING THE FOOTBALL SEASON
Bantams..... Practices begin Aug 1st and are limited to 2 days a week until the
end of the football season.
Peewee.....Practices begin Aug. 1st and are limited to 3 days a week 2 hrs a day
until the end of the football season.
Junior......Practices begin Aug 1st and are limited to 4 days per week 2 hrs a
day until the end of the football season.
Senior.....Practices begin Aug 1st and are limited to 5 days per week 2 hrs a
day until the end of the football season.
During the cheerleading season, many of our squads compete at local and regional
cheer competitions. Competition preparations really heat up after football with
many SYS squads entering National competitions.
Non-Competitive J.V. Cheerleading and Non-Competitive Cheerleading
As mentioned an Area has the option of declaring at the beginning of the season
its intention be either competitive or non-competitive. This is driven by 3
factors.
Either the skill level or the local Areas participants is not sufficient, the
time demands
put on the participant or economics. Non-competitive cheerleading is lower in
cost, skill level is not a consideration and the demand on the participant's
time is not as great.
Non-Competitive J.V. Cheerleading
In those Areas where Competitive Cheerleading is offered, Non-Competitive J.V.
cheerleading must be offered if the Competitive Cheerleading squads have less
than 30 participants. This provides a low cost alternative and is less demanding
in terms of time and skill level requirements. Absence of economic and time
constraints, many of these participants may be bumped up to the competitive
squad during the season and invitations to National and Regional competitions
may be offered to these participants should the skill level of the participant
allow for participation at the competitive level.