1. My child is under the age of “8”, can he/she sign up for cheerleading? Our experience has been that any child younger than 8 has a hard time staying focused during practices and the games. We ask that you wait until they are “8”.
2. My child is quite shy but would like to cheer, will this be OK? YES!!! It is amazing to see the transformation of children who are shy and quiet at the beginning of the season, and by the end, energetic with spunk and spirit, and no fear!
3. I’ve never been a cheerleader, but I’d like to coach. Do I have to be experienced? No! As long as you love children, are energetic and can command their attention, you can coach cheer. We will teach you the cheers and give you a cheer DVD to practice at home on your own time. A background check will have to be done for all volunteers.
4. I don’t have a lot of time to help, will I be required to volunteer? You will be required to bring a snack for the whole squad, for one of your child’s games and to work in the concession stand sometime during the season. The money raised from the concessions helps us to keep our registration costs down.
5. What if we can’t make a practice? You will need to call your coach and notify them of your child’s absence. Cheer takes practice and dedication. We expect cheerleaders to be at all practices so they do not fall behind in the learning of cheers and half time dances. If your child is going to play in another sport that coincides with cheer, he/she will be responsible to catch up on what they missed. We have had kids playing soccer and doing cheer at the same time. It gets hectic for you, but is manageable!
 6. What if we can’t make a game? Again, you will have to notify your coach ahead of time. Some half time routines will have to be altered if a cheerleader is absent. So, advanced notice is best. We understand kids can become sick.
7. What does the registration fee go towards? It pays for our entrance into the GEJFA (Greater Eastside Junior Football Association), insurance, field use fees, practice field fees and lights as well as other administrative costs).
8. Why is the uniform package so expensive? To get quality uniforms that will last from year to year, and possibly cheerleader to cheerleader, you have to pay. We size uniforms to fit cheerleaders at least 2 -3 years, unless someone has an extreme growth spurt. In that case, they usually need to order just a piece or two. Uniforms can be handed down to siblings or friends. Children seem to outgrow their shoes the most, so these need to be purchased year to year. Or children wear them the rest of the school year and they are no longer performance ready (white). Socks and ribbons seem to disappear as well! So cheerleaders may want to order extra!
9. Why can’t I buy a used uniform? This would be super, but most people want to keep their cheerleader’s uniform as a keepsake. We would love to offer a used uniform sale, but we never have enough pieces. Maybe in the future as the program grows!
10. Why don’t you have a set uniform you loan out? This would happen in a perfect world! We don’t have the funds to go out and purchase enough uniforms for all cheerleaders. Again, maybe this could happen in the future.
11. Will my child cheer for their sibling who plays football? There is never a guarantee for this. Your cheerleader is placed on a squad based on their age. If your player is close to your cheerleader’s age, they might be at the same game and they might not!
12. Can my cheerleader cheer at his/her sibling’s game instead of his/her own? No. They must stick to their own schedule.
 13. Will my children be on the same squad? Not necessarily. Cheerleaders are grouped together based on age. If you have an elementary student and a middle school child, they will be on separate squads.
13. If it is raining at a game, does my cheerleader really need to cheer? Yes! Only one or two games last year did we sit them out and wait for the weather to lighten up. We did sit together though and cheer from the stands. We live in the Northwest where it rains often! The cheerleaders actually have fun in the rain!
14. If my cheerleader loses a piece of the uniform, can he/she still cheer? No. We are a squad and all wear the same pieces for uniformity. We want the kids to treat their uniform with respect and take care of each and every piece. No briefs, no cheer! No poms, no cheer! No ribbon, no cheer! No shoes, no cheer! We want the children to learn responsibility, and get their uniform ready the night before their game.
Still have questions? E-mail Tracy Graves
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