- Dec 14, 2009
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That's just magical. A harvest break?*Jumps in with Maine info*
Cheerleading is a sport in Maine, just like soccer, field hockey, and swimming. There are two seasons, Fall and Winter. Fall does not compete, and the only function of the Fall cheerleading team is to support the Football (...or soccer or whatever) team. There is a two-week preseason for all sports that begins the third and fourth week of August before school starts. (Most Maine schools start either the last week of August or the day after Labor Day, except some schools up north start a little earlier because they get a harvest break to pick potatoes.) You are not allowed to choreograph anything for Winter cheerleading during the Fall season.
Winter cheerleading does not have a preseason, requires a second tryout, and is both the competition cheerleading team and the basketball/hockey cheerleaders. A person cannot partake only on a competition team and must also be on a team that supports a sport. Most schools have one squad (with alternates) for basketball/competition, but some bigger schools have separate basketball/hockey squads and a competition squad consisting of the best members from each "supportive" squad.
Competitions are done by the middle of February, and the top three teams from each class advance to New Englands.
Also, we call the final competition "states" in Maine, as opposed to "state." (I didn't realize this was unusual until I watched Friday Night Lights and everyone rejoiced about how "we're going to state!!")
Maine is like CT- and we do call it 'States'. I don't know who advances and how to New Englands for CT (I think it's just the top teams per school size). It was always hard being in a small division, because some of the "small" schools have one or two schools for elementary/middle each, so all those sports teams have been playing together since they were like, 5. Especially ones in the middle of farm land.