High School Del Val Cheer Program

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

We travel for football, we only do home games for basketball. We are in the largest class school size for football, and Kentucky is so rural that we typically have at least 1-2 football games a year that are more than 2 hours one way. Luckily, they are played on Friday nights, BUT I am working to get out of those games. I am thinking we might pick up some district soccer games, does anyone else do this? I want to for two reasons: 1) to expand my kids' visibility around the school, and 2) because no one else in this area does it...sometimes it's worth it to make other schools look bad.

I'm adding basketball tournaments held around the Holidays to the schedule this year, which may cause an uproar. I am looking forward to being the only cheer team at those events as well.

 

[AScheer]

We travel for football, we only do home games for basketball. We are in the largest class school size for football, and Kentucky is so rural that we typically have at least 1-2 football games a year that are more than 2 hours one way. Luckily, they are played on Friday nights, BUT I am working to get out of those games. I am thinking we might pick up some district soccer games, does anyone else do this? I want to for two reasons: 1) to expand my kids' visibility around the school, and 2) because no one else in this area does it...sometimes it's worth it to make other schools look bad.

I'm adding basketball tournaments held around the Holidays to the schedule this year, which may cause an uproar. I am looking forward to being the only cheer team at those events as well.

In high school our cheer team attended holiday tournaments. Those trip were always so much fun! Our basketball team paid our way bc they wanted us there. (The basketball coach was also married to our cheer coach so that could have had something to do with it!)

I'm jealous to hear everyone's game schedules! We are expected to be at all home and away games for football and basketball. Both boys and girls varsity. Regular season and tournaments. We did get out of one tournament this year due to being in Florida but that was rare.

 

[luv2cheer92]

In high school our cheer team attended holiday tournaments. Those trip were always so much fun! Our basketball team paid our way bc they wanted us there. (The basketball coach was also married to our cheer coach so that could have had something to do with it!)

I'm jealous to hear everyone's game schedules! We are expected to be at all home and away games for football and basketball. Both boys and girls varsity. Regular season and tournaments. We did get out of one tournament this year due to being in Florida but that was rare.

My schedule was the same when I was in high school, we had to be at every game, home and away for football and basketball. boys and girls basketball were almost always on the same night with one home and one away. So for basketball season we split Varsity into 2 teams and then each team alternated between boys/girls and home/away. Our JV team did the same thing and attended boys/girls JV home and away games. I didn't always like this because basketball was after competition season so we all got super close during summer camp/comp season/football season and then were split up and rarely got to see the other 1/2 team during basketball season.

 

[AScheer]

My schedule was the same when I was in high school, we had to be at every game, home and away for football and basketball. boys and girls basketball were almost always on the same night with one home and one away. So for basketball season we split Varsity into 2 teams and then each team alternated between boys/girls and home/away. Our JV team did the same thing and attended boys/girls JV home and away games. I didn't always like this because basketball was after competition season so we all got super close during summer camp/comp season/football season and then were split up and rarely got to see the other 1/2 team during basketball season.

That's interesting. Here girls and boys play back to back. Against the same schools. I didn't know other areas did it any differently. Sounds like a scheduling nightmare! Now I'm feeling a little better that at least we're all in the same location on the same nights!

 

[luv2cheer92]

That's interesting. Here girls and boys play back to back. Against the same schools. I didn't know other areas did it any differently. Sounds like a scheduling nightmare! Now I'm feeling a little better that at least we're all in the same location on the same nights!

Interesting for sure! Yea, ours was JV/Varsity back to back either boys or girls. Boys and girls were usually against the same school on the same night so one would be home and one would be away.

 

[Official OWECheer]

Who says that should be their primary role though? Times have changed, and maybe it's about time we begin to consider cheerleading teams as an individual, valuable team, as opposed to just the background dancers for the "real" teams.

I am in support of teams doing both. I feel like all-star is the place to go if you don't want to think about spirit-related duties. Besides, it's good preparation for college cheer. A scholastic cheerleader is supposed to be a competitive athlete, and spirit leader and an ambassador.

 

[CheerItFullOut]

We cheer: JV and varsity football, waterpolo (boys and girls), volleyball then basketball (boys and girls) as well as wrestling, baseball, softball and soccer (boys and girls) all on top of competing ... At times we have to split squads in half to make it to everything and have multiple things in one day. We went seasonal squads this year to pilot the new Cheer as a Sport in California ... Kids were having breakdowns around homecoming (I have to agree it was a bit too much)

 

[AScheer]

We cheer: JV and varsity football, waterpolo (boys and girls), volleyball then basketball (boys and girls) as well as wrestling, baseball, softball and soccer (boys and girls) all on top of competing ... At times we have to split squads in half to make it to everything and have multiple things in one day. We went seasonal squads this year to pilot the new Cheer as a Sport in California ... Kids were having breakdowns around homecoming (I have to agree it was a bit too much)

Are you told to cheer for all of those sports or is it something you & your staff have decided to take on? Just curious. When you have multiple sports on same days, and split the squad, is there an official school hired coach with each group of cheerleaders? We have 3 coaches on staff, but I just could never see us making all of that work along with our actual jobs. Kudos to yall for juggling!

On a side note...waterpolo! Such a California thing!

 

[CheerItFullOut]

Are you told to cheer for all of those sports or is it something you & your staff have decided to take on? Just curious. When you have multiple sports on same days, and split the squad, is there an official school hired coach with each group of cheerleaders? We have 3 coaches on staff, but I just could never see us making all of that work along with our actual jobs. Kudos to yall for juggling!

On a side note...waterpolo! Such a California thing!

We are "asked" to attend all of those... We always try to support everything we are asked to attend. I attend along with my assistant all of these. (It's just she and I) There have been times where we are split super thin and have had to have admin watch a group when things overlap (but at that point the kids are not permitted to do anything but lap cheers and it's pretty rare) Cheer IS my only job.
Waterpolo-yes, VERY California ...

 

[LittleMissA17]

We only did football games on my team both home and away for JV and varsity. The middle school team would do home games probably just to get them comfortable.

Other than that once fall season ends it's all in for competitions. We don't do basketball during the winter or anything.

 

[Official OWECheer]

I want to for two reasons: 1) to expand my kids' visibility around the school, and 2) because no one else in this area does it...sometimes it's worth it to make other schools look bad.

I like the way you think. LOL.

 

[Twinklestars]

I like the way you think. LOL.

I wish we did it for the same reason!

 

[TealShades]

We are "asked" to attend all of those... We always try to support everything we are asked to attend. I attend along with my assistant all of these. (It's just she and I) There have been times where we are split super thin and have had to have admin watch a group when things overlap (but at that point the kids are not permitted to do anything but lap cheers and it's pretty rare) Cheer IS my only job.
Waterpolo-yes, VERY California ...

Was it the coaches of those sports that asked you to cheer for them? Do your girls have to learn a lot or specific cheers for those different sports? Or are they more general that could be used for any sport?

 

[Michael White]

As someone who never thought Cheer was a sport growing up, I think sideline cheer is detrimental to the public view of what Cheerleaders are. It wasn't until I got to college that I even saw what Cheer teams are capable of and thought it would be something to test my physical and mental abilities. Competitive cheer and sideline cheer should definitely be broken up in my honest opinion. I believe part of the stigma that "Cheerleaders are supposed to cheer on the boys (and girls)!" could be alleviated if there was a "Cheer Squad" and an "Acro and Stunt Team".

 

[CheerItFullOut]

Was it the coaches of those sports that asked you to cheer for them? Do your girls have to learn a lot or specific cheers for those different sports? Or are they more general that could be used for any sport?

Yes, we are requested by the coaches. We try to use general cheers but have a few sport specific cheers. We will throw in a few changes... Like for volleyball instead of "set it up shoot it in let's win"... (Like we cheer for basketball) ... We do "set it up, spike it in, lets win"... Or for wrestling... "Set them up, pin em' down , lets win"...
It gets kind of difficult come November... EVERYTHING is happening at the same time. One day... Kids were at school for 5am TV taping (local news did a spot on kids) then rally practice, then rally, then 2 games... Kids went home at 11. I live 55 minutes from where I coach.. So I got home about 2am then had 2 community service projects starting at 6am the next morning...A walk to remember (911 walk and a cancer color run) I slept the next two days after that... Pretty much straight....my kids went radio silent.