Cheerleading

ATHENS ACADEMY
2009 – 2010
Middle School Cheerleading
Coach: Michelle Blume

We the cheerleaders of Athens Academy, dedicate ourselves to promoting school spirit and to leading and guiding spectator participation athletic events. We realize being a cheerleader is an honor that carries with the responsibility of leadership, maintaining character worth emulation, as well as demonstrating positive and supportive loyalty to our school. Our program inspires young women who pride themselves as exemplary student-athletes, both in the classroom and on and off the field, to be the best they can be.

ARTICLE I: Membership
*Upon making the Athens Academy Cheerleading squad, all cheerleaders are eligible to remain on the squad provided they:
1. Meet the academic requirements
2. Follow all the rules
*Each cheerleader must be fully committed to her responsibilities and maintain a positive attitude!
“We don’t HAVE to cheer, we GET to cheer!”

ARTICLE II: Practice
SECTION I: Dress

*Practice clothes (shorts and a tee shirt), no “spaghetti straps” and cheerleading shoes are required for each practice. You may wear tennis shoes until our shoe order arrives.
*Hair must be pulled back off the face.
*No jewelry is allowed.

SECTION II: Time and Location

*A practice schedule is attached and available on the website. Typically, we will practice on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. We will also practice on Fridays before the games begin. Practice time will be 3:30 – 4:45.
*Practice will be held in the Spartan Center, unless otherwise specified by the coach.
*Please remember practice times are subject to change. I will post changes on the website.

SECTION III: Attendance for Practice

*All practices are MANDATORY. The coach must approve any absence in advance. Please plan around scheduled practices.
*If a cheerleader is absent from school, it is HER responsibility to let the coach know, BEFORE practice for that particular day.
*If practice is missed during the week, for an unexcused reason, the cheerleader will sit for HALF a game that particular week.
*Excused absences will not result in the cheerleader being benched. An excused absence consists of sickness, emergencies, or family emergencies. Please try to schedule all doctor, dentist, and hair appointments on our days off, unless there is a medical emergency.
*An unexcused tardy to practice will result in the participant running 2 extra laps around the track that day. Please note that school tutorials or academic functions would be an excused tardy or absence from practice, although the coach WILL NEED a note from a teacher.

ARTICLE III: Games
SECTION I: Dress

*On game day, a cheerleader should arrive to games fully dressed in uniform with NO jewelry.
*Hair must be pulled back out of the face. A ribbon must be worn as well. It is part of the uniform
*NO DARK FINGERNAIL POLISH is allowed while cheering. A neutral color or clear polish is fine. Please keep fingernails trimmed to the tip of the finger for safety purposes.
*Cheerleading shoes must be worn with uniforms. Other shoes such as flip flops are not a part of the uniform.

SECTION II: Time and Attendance

*Cheerleaders are to arrive to HOME GAMES 45 minutes (no later) prior to the game.
*Cheerleaders must be COMPLETELY dressed (including shoes and ribbon) and ready to cheer upon arrival.
*For AWAY GAMES, cheerleaders must meet at the designated time for transportation to the game.
*Tardiness to a game will result in FIRST HALF suspension for that particular game.
* Missing a game is unacceptable. The only time there will be exceptions is in the case of an emergency or illness. If a game is missed due to personal reasons, a cheerleader will sit out the following game in its entirety.
*Transportation to and from away games will always be provided via bus. Although I prefer the squad ride together, I understand that parents may want to transport their child home after a game. In this situation, a note needs to be presented to the coach before the game. Not only is this important for the safety of the athlete, but also for the coach to have an accurate count of girls returning on the bus. Another reason for letting me know early is so the moms who are providing food for the ride home also have an accurate number of girls who are planning to eat.

SECTION III: Game Responsibilities
*Each cheerleader will be responsible for some sort of duty during the season. Duties might include: spirit signs, food, trash, and poms.
*During the game, cheerleaders will lead the crowd by performing cheers, chants, and all other spirit boosting activities.
*Attendance at all games is MANDATORY.

ARTICLE IV: Injuries

*Though safety is a top concern, injuries may occur.
*It is the cheerleader’s responsibility to report any injury to the coach IMMEDIATELY.
*If a cheerleader has been injured and has seen a doctor, the coach MUST have written notice from the doctor regarding her status. She will not be allowed to return to activity without written clearance from a doctor.

ARTICLE V: Uniforms

*Each cheerleader will rent her uniform from Athens Academy.
*Each cheerleader will be responsible for purchasing the following items for their uniform: bloomers, cheerleading shoes, body liner, and hair ribbon.
*Any time a cheerleader is wearing her uniform, she is representing Athens Academy and must act accordingly by complying with all school rules and presenting herself as a respectable young lady.