High School School Tryouts, No Sideline Experience

[Mamarazzi]

So, my cp is getting ready for school squad tryouts next week. She's never cheered for a rec or school team, only all star, and is a little nervous about the additional skills that she's never had to do.

There will be "outside" judges (not the coach of the school team) to determine who makes the team. What do you think they will look at most or in what order?

1. Tumbling
2. Jumps
3. Voice - volume/ability to project, enunciation, etc.
4. Facial expressions (not like "fierce" facials but more like lifted eyebrows & smiles?)
5. Stunting
6. Dance
7. Appearance in general (makeup? no makeup?)

Any help you all could give would be great - and I'll let you know on 5/19 what the outcome is

 

[brelove4ever]

Since sideline cheer is mostly about spirit, they look at voice projection and motions the most. Make sure facials are 'happy', not 'fierce', and for makeup, go for a natural look.

 

[Mamarazzi]

Since sideline cheer is mostly about spirit, they look at voice projection and motions the most. Make sure facials are 'happy', not 'fierce', and for makeup, go for a natural look.

Thanks! I forgot about motions...she should be good there, I think.

 

[Just-a-Mom]

I agree. Not counting her team this year (as we've already discussed them...and they don't really count as a "squad"), when my daughter tried out last year they looked at facial expressions, ability to project, jumps, and motions. She only tried out for sideline, not comp, so there wasn't a big focus on tumbling and stunting, but if she's trying out for competition team, they'll look at those too (but I know your daughter has those sections COVERED). Motions are a big deal for the school cheer (at least at my daughter's school they were).

The biggest difference she noticed was that they were really looking for sharpness in everything in school cheer - definitely NOT fierce.

We took privates with one of the coaches who coached a high school team too, and she was ready in 2 privates. He just went over a couple motions and cheers with her, and went through a basic school tryout with her. Can you get her a private with someone who does school cheer too?

 

[Mamarazzi]

Can you get her a private with someone who does school cheer too?

I don't know that I have time for a private between now and then, but they have 6 hours of practice (learning chants, dance, and I guess general practicing,) before the actual tryout next week. Our state high school champs coach coaches at our gym, so I could ask tonight if she might be able to work with her.

Their sideline squad does comp. I guess that's why the majority of last year's squad were all-star girls

 

[cheerforeverever]

Definitely focus on sharp motions, a loud voice, and memory! I can't tell you how many times girls would come in to our high school tryouts with amazing tumbling, but then forget their cheer or dance and then have only mediocre jumps........ as with all star, tumbling is only one section of the score sheet. I'd always outscore girls this way while I was in high school with pretty jumps, sharp motions and by actually practicing the material until I could do it in my sleep, all while only throwing a Roundoff BHS Tuck every year compared to many of the girls with layouts or fulls. It varies by school, but the scoresheet will most likely look something like this give or take:
Jump Score 1-5
("3" will be level jumps with correct technique, so if you are able to choose the jumps, choose ones that are above level and show some variety: i.e. front hurdlers, toe touches, etc to score the 4/5.)
Tumbling Score 1-10
( they probably wont really even take technique into account unless its terrible.....if a girl lands a skill, they'll count it as that difficulty)

Cheer:
Motion Technique 1-5
Memory 1-5 ( remembering the motions AND words!....typically everyone starts out with full points in this and they take away for each mistake or so. Many kids will remember the motions but not the words, so make sure your child says the words out loud while she's learning the cheer and practice with the words!)
Voice & Projection 1-5 (Loud loud loud! Take the cheer nice and slow, that way the motions will be sharper and the words will sound enunciated better. Too many kids get nervous and speed through the cheer, causing them to mess up their motions and timing or forget things. Plus you can't tell what they say because its all a too fast mumble jumble.)
Spirit/ Performance 1-5 ( they may want you to say "let's go_____" "come on big blue" etc. after you finish the cheer and clean depending on what they tell you....some schools tell you specifically not to do that though)

Dance:
Motion Technique 1-5
Memory 1-5
Timing 1-5 (keeping on the correct count with the music)
Performance 1-5 (big smile, mild facials.....no crazy allstar winks or psycho eye bulging out of the head looks)

Overall Impression: 1-5 (Do you look like a cheerleader in your skills and general appearance? i.e. hair clean and slicked back in ponytail, normal sized bow,corrrect tryout clothes,cheer shoes and socks, simple makeup: no performance makeup! Maybe simple black eyeliner above eye, mascara and any other simply daily makeup that the girl usually wears. No thick foundation or crazy eyeshadows,glitter, blush or lipsticks.)

Most schools do not judge stunting for tryouts,but if your child's school happens to I wouldnt be too concerned with it. It would probably have the same weight as tumbling(so not much), and your child already has experience with allstar.
Also, outside judges 99% of the time = staffers from whatever camp company the school goes to OR friends of the coach from a cheer gym outside the area. Good luck to your daughter!

 

[Mamarazzi]

Also, outside judges 99% of the time = staffers from whatever camp company the school goes to OR friends of the coach from a cheer gym outside the area. Good luck to your daughter!

Thank you so much! Great info!
I just found out that one of the judges last year was the track coach. Wow. He apparently does it in order to scope out the jumps and see who would be good at hurdles...The cheer coach did tell us that it will be other school team's coaches judging, as in from a nearby non-rival school.
I wasn't going to let her in that gym with glitter on her eyes, but man, how can she cheer without a ridiculous, oversized Minnie Mouse bow???

 

[Mamarazzi]

@INeverStopCheering , you shimmied, does that mean you're one of the judges

 

[sophieann]

Did the coaches give out sheets with information about try outs or have a meeting with them? If they havent had clinics yet, when they do the coaches will tell them what to wear and how the scores are weighted for each category!

 

[Mamarazzi]

Did the coaches give out sheets with information about try outs or have a meeting with them? If they havent had clinics yet, when they do the coaches will tell them what to wear and how the scores are weighted for each category!

They did tell them what to wear but not how each category is weighted. If I email the coach for that, will I appear Susie's-Mom-ish?

 

[sophieann]

They did tell them what to wear but not how each category is weighted. If I email the coach for that, will I appear Susie's-Mom-ish?

Not at all! Or have your CP ask! When I did high school cheer it was always the sharpness of your motions, voice projection, spirit (rallying in & out of the gym we had tryouts in & rallying the "crowd" after the cheer), dance, then jumps. Tumbling was optional and we were never asked to stunt at try outs. By the way can I just take the time to say that you & @Just-a-Mom crack me up with your posts every day!

 

[Mamarazzi]

Not at all! Or have your CP ask! When I did high school cheer it was always the sharpness of your motions, voice projection, spirit (rallying in & out of the gym we had tryouts in & rallying the "crowd" after the cheer), dance, then jumps. Tumbling was optional and we were never asked to stunt at try outs. By the way can I just take the time to say that you & @Just-a-Mom crack me up with your posts every day!

Thank you for your help!

And stop jacking my thread. @Just-a-Mom already knows she's funny.

 

[Abby]

It really depends, is the school highly competitive? Look at the Girls that will be trying out again, are they big, small, are they all really good tumblers?

When new girls come around coaches/judges look for girls to fill the empty spaces, but certainly if you're a good cheerleader you'll make the squad anyhow.

Most teams look at:

1.tumbling
2. Motions (cheer, dance moves, etc.)
3. Jumps
4. Facials
5. Stunting (This in terms of size, I know the squad I just left just let a few girls on only because they could base)
6. Clean Appearence (make up doesn't matter, but nice tight pony tail, bow in the hair, etc.)

Hope this helped (I got to Judge this year!!!)

 

[mattiemill]

MOTIONS MOTIONS MOTIONS
))

 

[mariahnicole1216]

Just by experience of my school, our coaches focus on tumbling and stunting (which im sure wont be an issue for her). But its so hard to say for sure because some schools have cheering for games as 1st priority opposed to teams like mine that view games as another practice for competition. Definatly natural makeup. Voice projection and motions are big too. Make sure she smiles a lot!