High School High School Tryouts

[purplecheer]

I always use a new cheer and a completely new dance.

You would have to. Otherwise the returnees would have a significant advantage, as I have a terrible memory for dances it would be especially hard if I was new. If it was an old dance the returnees would know it off by heart and be able to perform with much more confidence.

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

I know that this is kind of old, but could you maybe go into more detail about how you ran your tryout process? How exactly were you able to prevent inconsistent skills from slipping through on a stroke of luck?

I will be happy to. I'm at my real job until 7pm central time. Will try to remember to respond in more detail when I either get home or get to triage later.

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

I know that this is kind of old, but could you maybe go into more detail about how you ran your tryout process? How exactly were you able to prevent inconsistent skills from slipping through on a stroke of luck?

The first thing you have to realize is that our tryouts start long before our tryout dates. My best friends own an all star gym that teaches general classes in our town. I work with all but one of the high schools in town, and with every middle school. I also teach private lessons. I also watch our two feeder middle schools like a hawk all year long. I've been doing this for years, even though I have only had my coaching job for two full seasons. I know every kid with experience that's coming into our program. Basically, tryouts are an opportunity to evaluate those kids side-by-side, see how they work in stunt groups, and catch any surprises (like a former hockey player who showed up two years ago who had never cheered but showed great enthusiasm and athletic ability to learn).

We have a parent meeting where we go over all of our expectations and standards. We only have one rule, "do not let your teammates down." The tryout score sheet as well as teacher rec forms are included in the packet. We break tumbling skills down into ranges so that everyone with a backhandspring will receive 0-2 points, a bhstuck 2-4, etc. We give a 1-point bonus for a skill on the hardwood. So a kid who does a well executed BHS on the hardwood scores as well as a kid who does a sloppy tuck on the mat. That is incentive for them to only do skills they are completely confident in. I also spend a great deal of time telling them they only get two chances. If they have a skill they're willing to throw and want to chance it, they have a backup opportunity. I almost always get to a point where I see where their true skill level lies. We judge all tumbling the first day, because that always seems to be the most excruciating part.

Also on that first day, we spend some time teaching the material. I use our fight song, and one of our easy chants. Colleges around here do the same thing, and I'm fine with the fact that it gives my returnees an advantage for two reasons: 1) it's the only way to objectively give them credit for their experience on a score sheet and 2) my kids are well versed in the idea that if I hear they aren't being helpful to other kids trying to learn the material, their 10-point clinic score will be a big zero. We also open our tumbling class to anyone who wants to try out for us the week after nationals, so those kids get a chance in that class to learn that material. On the second day of tryouts, we continue to reinforce the material and judge their jumping ability.

On the third day of tryouts, we judge their chant and fight song. We didn't have a single kid, old or new, bomb it last year.

Finally, on the fourth day last year (4th and 5th days this year, I wanted more time), we just shake them up like dice and throw them into stunt groups. I evaluate their technique on fundamental skills, how well they accept coaching, and the most inportant thing: if I make a suggestion, does it at least change. It doesn't have to be correct, but if I'm correcting you, it better at least look different. Otherwise, you don't care.

We judge all of these things in front of God and everybody. The girls have all commented how much they prefer having the other kids around as opposed to having to be in the room with just themselves and the judges.

When we are done, we line up the scores from highest to lowest and start making stunt groups. We spent more time doing that part last year than we did in the tryout sessions themselves, and with maybe one or two exceptions, we got it right.

One of the exceptions quit by the end of summer. The other actually asked to be moved to our nontumbling team by the end of the summer and we did a little juggling.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

^^^^Yes!

This is what I try to impress upon not just my cheerleaders but for anyone trying out for any team including being evaluated for all star placements.

You've been trying out for that spot all year long whether you realize it or not.

 

[CoachTamara]

We are considering going to a no-cut sideline policy, and then competition be the cut team. Does anyone that does this tell me how it works for you?

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

I also spend a considerable amount of time telling kids that tryout day is not the day to throw that pass or skill you JUST started hitting last week in privates.

You would be surprised at how many kids shoot themselves in the foot on tumbling because they have that full or layout that they just got and HAVE to throw it. Then they bust both attempts at tryouts and have to overcompensate in other areas to make up for it.

Throwing a clean RO 3 BHS > bombing a layout twice and getting a zero.

Yes, I know you want to show out and get into the high scoring bracket, and I know everyone else has a tuck and you feel like a BHS is lame, but I'd rather have a guaranteed 4 points than a maybe 8-10 that I may bust on and end up with 0.

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

We are considering going to a no-cut sideline policy, and then competition be the cut team. Does anyone that does this tell me how it works for you?

That wouldn't fly where I coach because our appearance at games is one of the criteria by which the AD and principal determine if we can compete nationally.

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

I also spend a considerable amount of time telling kids that tryout day is not the day to throw that pass or skill you JUST started hitting last week in privates.

You would be surprised at how many kids shoot themselves in the foot on tumbling because they have that full or layout that they just got and HAVE to throw it. Then they bust both attempts at tryouts and have to overcompensate in other areas to make up for it.

Throwing a clean RO 3 BHS > bombing a layout twice and getting a zero.

Yes, I know you want to show out and get into the high scoring bracket, and I know everyone else has a tuck and you feel like a BHS is lame, but I'd rather have a guaranteed 4 points than a maybe 8-10 that I may bust on and end up with 0.

I give them a score for trying, but it's in the range below the skill they attempted. I figure it's small consolation for the broken neck and bruised pride.

 

[CoachTamara]

That wouldn't fly where I coach because our appearance at games is one of the criteria by which the AD and principal determine if we can compete nationally.

For this year while I can, anyone on competition would be required to be on sideline as well.

 

[Official OWECheer]

That wouldn't fly where I coach because our appearance at games is one of the criteria by which the AD and principal determine if we can compete nationally.

I honestly love that. I hate the fact that gameday skills are so undervalued in HS cheer.

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

For this year while I can, anyone on competition would be required to be on sideline as well.

Actually what I meant was: it would not behoove me to have the clueless ones who try out on our sideline.

 

[Official OWECheer]

Actually what I meant was: it would not behoove me to have the clueless ones who try out on our sideline.

I think people (not even CoachTamara specifically, b/c I don't know her or how she thinks, but rather HS cheer coaches in general) feel like they should throw all of the good kids into the comp team, failing to realize that if you put the clueless kids on the sideline team, THAT is what the school and community see of your program. The ugly motions, 8th grade spiriting, poor posture (I swear the kids on better HS cheer teams have better posture), dead, 'singy' cheer voices, abysmal crowd-leading skills, poor stunting and tumbling technique, etc. It's an embarrassment and causes everyone to think less of the cheer program. Sideline teams MUST have standards.

After all, would a college coach operate like that?

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

I think people (not even CoachTamara specifically, b/c I don't know her or how she thinks, but rather HS cheer coaches in general) feel like they should throw all of the good kids into the comp team, failing to realize that if you put the clueless kids on the sideline team, THAT is what the school and community see of your program. The ugly motions, 8th grade spiriting, poor posture (I swear the kids on better HS cheer teams have better posture), dead, 'singy' cheer voices, abysmal crowd-leading skills, poor stunting and tumbling technique, etc. It's an embarrassment and causes everyone to think less of the cheer program. Sideline teams MUST have standards.

After all, would a college coach operate like that?

I don't split sideline and comp (if you are on Varsity you are both competing and cheering games.)

However, I would agree with you on some level.

Also, if you dump clueless kids on sideline, potential talent that would feed well into competition squad are going to see your sideline program and think "There is no way I'm cheering for this school." They're not even going to try out.

You want a level of skill on your sideline to attract talent.

Even kids who don't cheer know when cheer is a joke.

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

I think people (not even CoachTamara specifically, b/c I don't know her or how she thinks, but rather HS cheer coaches in general) feel like they should throw all of the good kids into the comp team, failing to realize that if you put the clueless kids on the sideline team, THAT is what the school and community see of your program. The ugly motions, 8th grade spiriting, poor posture (I swear the kids on better HS cheer teams have better posture), dead, 'singy' cheer voices, abysmal crowd-leading skills, poor stunting and tumbling technique, etc. It's an embarrassment and causes everyone to think less of the cheer program. Sideline teams MUST have standards.

After all, would a college coach operate like that?

I refuse to split the two, and we still have some of that. Our crowd-leading ability is a work in progress for sure. Hopefully we are doing some things this year to improve that aspect.

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

I don't split sideline and comp (if you are on Varsity you are both competing and cheering games.)

However, I would agree with you on some level.

Also, if you dump clueless kids on sideline, potential talent that would feed well into competition squad are going to see your sideline program and think "There is no way I'm cheering for this school." They're not even going to try out.

You want a level of skill on your sideline to attract talent.

Even kids who don't cheer know when cheer is a joke.

You also cannot lose site of the fact that as a school-based cheer program your PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY is the support of other athletic programs. Even if that means less time to work on competition material. There are valuable lessons to be learned in putting the support of others ahead of personal desires.