High School High School Tryouts

[Official OWECheer]

This is what we as a staff would like to do away with. I have had them as long as I have coached here (6th full season) and am finding that they are not as much in line with my vision for the program's tryout process at this time.

...because you'd never ask a basketball player to write 200 words about why they want to be a basketball player.

Yeah, that seems really excessive. And from ALL of the teachers? Even colleges don't ask for that many. Not every teacher has the time.

 

[LittleMissA17]

At tryouts there was 3 judges but it was the modfied (middle school) coach, the JV coach, and the varsity coach. Having outside judges completely decide the tryouts can be kind of weird and not the right choice since the coach is the one running the team. He/she should have the power to pick their athletes.

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

This is what we as a staff would like to do away with. I have had them as long as I have coached here (6th full season) and am finding that they are not as much in line with my vision for the program's tryout process at this time.

...because you'd never ask a basketball player to write 200 words about why they want to be a basketball player.

Exactly

This is all indicative of the kind of garbage that prevents cheer from garnering the respect it deserves as an athletic activity.

 

[RileyElizabeth99]

This is what we as a staff would like to do away with. I have had them as long as I have coached here (6th full season) and am finding that they are not as much in line with my vision for the program's tryout process at this time.

...because you'd never ask a basketball player to write 200 words about why they want to be a basketball player.

Oh I agree and as much as these are supposed to matter we have 6 girls that still get written up and are in trouble all the time anyway.


Also curious as to how many other schools make you sign a contract at the beginning of the year with rules and such I.e no missing camp, you're required to keep a 2.5 or better GPA, social media is supposed to be relatively clean (but we still have girls posting pics of them drinking and tweeting about taking an exotic dancing classes ) etc etc.

 

[RileyElizabeth99]

Yeah, that seems really excessive. And from ALL of the teachers? Even colleges don't ask for that many. Not every teacher has the time.

Most of my teachers struggle with getting grades in on time.. I'm curious as to how many of my teachers fill out the recs. I've always gotten perfect scores on the Essay/ Teacher Rec part. almost forgot to add that my freshman and sophomore year we were required to have an interview with former coaches and teachers. that was a blast... not

 

[Official OWECheer]

Most of my teachers struggle with getting grades in on time.. I'm curious as to how many of my teachers fill out the recs. I've always gotten perfect scores on the Essay/ Teacher Rec part. almost forgot to add that my freshman and sophomore year we were required to have an interview with former coaches and teachers. that was a blast... not

That's way too much! Who's idea was it to make you guys do all of that?

-Teacher recs from all teachers
-interviews with former coaches and teachers
-200-word essay
-4 days of a clinic and tryouts

Just crazy.

 

[cheer coach k]

I bring in outside judges and they technically score who makes the team, however, it is stated in my tryout packet that coaches have the final
Say.

The judges attend every day of tryouts (a week long) so they can get a feel of attitudes, work ethic, etc.

I also have an evaluation form in the packet for past year cheerleaders that contains their attendance records, as well as demerits from the season prior. The judges see these forms and take that info into consideration.

I mainly have the outside judges so when Suzie doesn't make Varsity, and mom accuses me of not putting her on the team because I don't like her, I have outside sources as back up to show that score wise, she didn't make the cut.

 

[cheer coach k]

We've also recently had this discussion re: teacher recommendations. My coaching staff and I are thinking of getting rid of them for this year's tryout. Reason: No other sport has that.

I do a very basic teacher rec form and it's only required for 1st time cheerleaders. The only reason I keep them is to get an extra insight on how the kid may be in terms of responsibility and such, that I otherwise would not know avoid.

 

[amy1k]

I bring in outside judges and they technically score who makes the team, however, it is stated in my tryout packet that coaches have the final
Say.

The judges attend every day of tryouts (a week long) so they can get a feel of attitudes, work ethic, etc.

I also have an evaluation form in the packet for past year cheerleaders that contains their attendance records, as well as demerits from the season prior. The judges see these forms and take that info into consideration.

I mainly have the outside judges so when Suzie doesn't make Varsity, and mom accuses me of not putting her on the team because I don't like her, I have outside sources as back up to show that score wise, she didn't make the cut.

I understand that cheerleading culture can be different than other sports....but if a kid gets cut from basketball, it's basically too bad, so sad. I guess I have a hard time wrapping my brain around why cheerleading is treated so differently. Kids really do get cut from other sports for reasons like coaches not liking them. I can't even imagine approaching a coach, as a parent, looking for an explanation. Especially by high school kids need to learn how to deal with not being chosen. Maybe it's all the trophies and medals cheerleading hands out?

Edited to say I have four kids aged 15 to 23. They've made teams, they've been cut from teams, they've started regularly, and they've spent seasons warming the bench. I know the disappointment when a kid doesn't get the experience they're hoping for...but that's life.

 

[RileyElizabeth99]

That's way too much! Who's idea was it to make you guys do all of that?

-Teacher recs from all teachers
-interviews with former coaches and teachers
-200-word essay
-4 days of a clinic and tryouts

Just crazy.

Our coaches are the ones that have chose to do all of this. the school dosent even require it. For the freshmen it makes a bit more sense to have the extras but by the time suzie's senior year rolls around, you should know that she's always lat to class and is posting inappropriate things on Instagram and Sally refuses to throw her backhand spring except at tryouts.

I'm truly hoping this is the year our program gets it together so to speak, we've had lots of issues with people not wanting to work and bad attitudes and trouble makers this past year

 

[Official OWECheer]

Our coaches are the ones that have chose to do all of this. the school dosent even require it. For the freshmen it makes a bit more sense to have the extras but by the time suzie's senior year rolls around, you should know that she's always lat to class and is posting inappropriate things on Instagram and Sally refuses to throw her backhand spring except at tryouts.

I'm truly hoping this is the year our program gets it together so to speak, we've had lots of issues with people not wanting to work and bad attitudes and trouble makers this past year

They should. They're putting themselves and their athletes through unnecessary stress, and clearly the teacher recs aren't effective in preventing troublemakers and attitudinal people from getting into the program.

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

They should. They're putting themselves and their athletes through unnecessary stress, and clearly the teacher recs aren't effective in preventing troublemakers and attitudinal people from getting into the program.

My biggest problem with teacher recs, and I'm trying HARD to get rid of them, is that teachers HATE doing them.

 

[Official OWECheer]

My biggest problem with teacher recs, and I'm trying HARD to get rid of them, is that teachers HATE doing them.

Exactly! They're busy enough as it is.

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

Exactly! They're busy enough as it is.

Yep, but sometimes I defer to my assistant who started the program and has been with it for 35 years. Not often, as you might have guessed, but sometimes...

 

[amy1k]

I know a mom whose daughter got cut from our school last year. The reason the coach gave her was "poor teacher recommendations." So, the mom met with all the teachers to discuss their recommendations. The mom told me all about how the teachers denied what the coach said. That's another reason to NOT have them required.