Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Week of Feb 25th - Mar 8

Hello, cheer families!  Our season is winding down to a close.

Here are some upcoming important pieces of information:

1.  Please schedule your exit interview with Coach D ASAP!  As soon as you fill out your form, let Coach D know and we can schedule. I want to make sure everyone gets theirs in in time to make changes and improvements for next year.  If you choose not to complete an end of season evaluation, that's totally up to you, but be prepared to not know where you stand going into next season.  It's better to know than not know.

2.  All practices for the season are done after today, Feb 25th for our last class at United for the season.  We will resume with open gyms in two weeks.

3.  Please keep your nails short through playoffs.  NO acrylics or false additions.  Remove them.

4.  Open gyms start March 10th!  $5 per open gym.  Waiver must be signed.  See me for a waiver.  If you are a varsity athlete, you will spend the vast majority of your time working advanced transitions, release moves, and single leg body positions.  State is won in the offseason.  If you're not doing a spring sport, you should be in open gyms with us.

Playoff schedule:

Friday:  Broomfield HS, be there by 6:45pm if you are scheduled to be on.  Please plan your carpools now if you are scheduled to be on.  If you are worried about weather and driving at night, please arrange for parent transportation.  We have been directed to attend, and we will attend and support!  Traveling was luck of the draw. You may switch but you MAY NOT cancel on Friday and "just show up Saturday" instead - if you had/have a conflict, I would have known about it already.  Basketball isn't getting a bus, so they won't be opening one for us, either.  We'll be there to support and cheer the girls on.  If you cheer Friday, you DO NOT have to cheer Saturday.  I've worked out how to balance the traveling amongst the team.  See below.

Saturday:  Arrive at CT no later than 12:45 for a 1pm start.

For the next round of playoffs (Tuesday, March 3rd and Wednesday, March 4th) , here are our possible scenarios:

1:  Girls are out, boys are out:  Turn in Uniforms March 4th.  Banquet March 8th.
2:  Girls are out, boys are IN and have a home game:  All cheers funnel to cheer together at the home game on March 4th.
3:  Girls are out, boys are IN and have an AWAY game:  All cheers who cheer this Saturday will travel to the boys game on March 4th.  Girls who travel this upcoming Friday will not have to cheer the game.  Possible Locations:  Liberty (Co Springs) or Boulder.
4:  Boys are out, Girls are IN and have a HOME game:  All cheers will cheer the Girls home game on March 3rd.
5.  Boys are out, Girls are IN and have an AWAY game:  All cheers who cheer this Saturday's home game will travel to the girls game on March 3rd.  Girls who traveled for this upcoming Friday's game will not have to travel to cheer the game.
6:  Girls are in, boys are in and both are HOME:  We will re-divide the groups and cheer both home games.
7.  Girls are in, boys are in, and both are AWAY:  We will re-divide the groups and minimize travel.

Week upcoming:
Today: UE, 3:30-4:30.  Be there.
Thurs, Feb 26:  Swish for a Wish - if you are on (and most of you are) arrive at 6:45 pm.
Fri, Feb 27:  Girls Group travels to Broomfield high.  Arrive at 6:45pm
Sat, Feb 28:  Boys Group home game.  Arrive at 12:45pm for a 1pm start time.
Sun, Mar 1:  No Contact

Mon, Mar 2:  UNIFORM TURN IN CANCELED.  No practice or games.
Tue, Mar 3:  Girls round 3????
Wed, Mar 4:  Boys round 3???  And Uniform Turn-In, 3pm
Thu, Mar 5:  Off
Fri, Mar 6:  Girls Great 8?  Standby to find out if/when/where you cheer.
Sat, Mar 7:  Boy's Great 8?  Standby to find out if/when/where you cheer.
Sun, Mar 8:  Cheer Banquet!  See your invite for all details.

Mon, Mar 9:  Off
Tue, Mar 10:  Open gym, cafeteria, 4-6pm.  Signed waiver.  $5 per open gym to attend. Pay as you go or in one chunk.
Wed, Mar 11:  Open Gym  **Seniors campwear t-shirt design information meeting 3-3:45pm**
Thu, Mar 12:  Open Gym OR FINAL FOUR GAMES boys and girls
Fri, Mar 13:  FINAL FOUR GAMES boys and girls
Sat, Mar 14:  FINAL FOUR GAMES boys and girls

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Week of Feb 19-Feb 28

Hello!

Reminder that your banquet RSVPs are due by February 20th to either myself or Coach Scott!  We need a final head count to ensure we have enough food for everyone!

Final cheer balances will be due on March 5.  Any outstanding cheer balances (nationals or regular) will be placed as a fine on your athlete's account starting March 10.

It's playoff time!  We have split the teams into smaller groups for each playoff event.  We will gradually "funnel" the team together until the last game is played.   Remember that if there is a playoff game on the schedule, there is a high probability you will cheer it - and we are short on numbers already because we split teams (especially the first round and Swish for a wish!  We are spread very thin!)  Based on the schedule, we will be home or away, and we may be asked to travel.  If we are asked to travel, we will travel.  If the distance is too great and we can't get a bus, we will combine and cheer the other, closer to home game. It's a very uncertain time schedule-wise, so please stay hooked in to Remind101 and understand that if there are scheduling changes or I move girls in to cheer other games on short notice, it's because I'm on short notice, too.  If you see a playoff game on the calendar, and you are initially scheduled for a different night, we may still have to move people, so if it says playoffs on the schedule, plan to cheer even if you're not scheduled - you are still on "standby".  CHSAA does the seeding on Sunday, and you can follow it live online.  Please know I will send a Remind101 as soon as I know what the plan is for our cheering schedule.  I will give you preliminary information via a Remind101 on Sunday since there is no other time to do it.

 Please read the handbook regarding playoff policies, as well as fingernails and jewelry policies.  We always adhere to CHSAA rules, but during this time of year, there is nowhere else for CHSAA officials to be besides playoff games.  They are constantly looking for violations.  We've made it this far, and I don't want an end-of-season lax attitude about safety to be the cause of us having sanctions next year.  Long fingernails and jewelry are the first thing that spirit teams get sanctioned on.  Please remember that there is never an appropriate time for acrylics, long shellacs and gels, or nails that extend beyond the nail bed as written in the handbook and signed by the athlete in the athlete contract.  Your poms don't hide your nails while you stunt or tumble.  It's a safety issue, it's a CHSAA rule, and, it's my rule.  Further, it doesn't matter what other teams do.  We always follow the rules so we never get caught having to remember which ones to follow and when.  Please cut or file your nails to the appropriate length.  I will be having individual discussions and potentially benching athletes after this general reminder.

End of year evaluations - most of us have elected to do an end-of-year evaluation or exit interview.  That shows a lot of promise for the athletes who want to know what they can improve on in the upcoming season!  During evals, athletes will rank themselves on their skill abilities, and coaches will rank them as well.  We then sit down together and compare our scores and discuss discrepancies.  The goal of the evaluation is to give athletes every possible chance of making a team next year by giving them some strengths and areas of weakness to work on in the off season, and to know exactly where they stand within the program.  The coaching staff is honest in these evaluations and athletes typically enjoy the feedback.  If you originally said "No" to an end of year evaluation and change your mind, we will always do one for you.

Off season open gyms begin March 10!  You do need to sign a waiver since the season is officially over.  Cost is $5 per open gym.  You can pay in one chunk or pay-as-you-go.  Each session will last 2 hours from 4-6pm.  Returners will spend the vast majority of the time acquiring advanced stunting skills and transitions with the coaching staff.  We are at the point where every athlete should be able to comfortably run two stunt positions on the team.  If you are not completely comfortable in two positions, this is time to get comfortable in a second position AND increase your skill in advanced single leg, release, twisting, and inverted skills in your primary position.  I plan on seeing all potential returning athletes at these open gyms.  If for some reason, you can't make many of them but are still planning on trying out, please let me know the circumstances (spring sport, work, etc) at your evaluation.

I would like to encourage all of you to consider doing a spring sport!  You will build muscle groups that tend to get ignored in cheer, stay strong, and improve your overall athleticism!  Golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, and track are the girls spring sports.

If you are planning to cheer next year you MUST sign up for Women's Athletic Weights unless there is a direct schedule conflict.  Please work that in to your schedule as you plan your course schedule for next year.

Week upcoming:
Thursday, Feb 19:  Post nationals break - no practice.
Friday, Feb 20:  game, GBall vs. AHS groups 1, 4, 5
Saturday, Feb 21:  Off
Sun, Feb 22:  NO CONTACT (I will send a Remind with playoff status when I know)
Mon, Feb 23:  UE, 3:30

Tue, Feb 24:  Playoffs Girls Round one  (time and location TBD)  OR standby for Swish for a Wish:
Alex, Mashek, Natalie, Jazmin, Swayne, Jilly, Kimie

Wed, Feb 25:  Playoffs Boys Round one (time and location TBD) OR standby for Swish for a Wish:
Savie, Chian, Malia, Sierra, Tristan, Syd, Mazzy

Thu, Feb 26:  Swish for a Wish:
Chelsea, Meli, Melissa, Rylee, Mandy, Nicki, Maddie Moore

Fri, Feb 27:  Girls Round 2 (time and location TBD) OR standby for Boys round 2:
Alex, Meli, Mashek, Melissa, Jazmin, Rylee, Jilly, Maddie Moore, Swayne, Natalie, Mazzy

Sat, Feb 28:  Boys Round 2 (time and location TBD) OR standby for Girls round 2:
Savie, Chelsea, Chian, Malia, Sierra, Mandy, Syd, Kimie, Tristan, Nicki

Sun, Mar 1:  NO CONTACT

We will re-group or funnel as we move further into the rounds.

Thanks for your patience during this crazy time - right when we need the break the most!  Let's hang in there, keep positive, and have a strong finish to the end of the season!
 

 

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Week of February 9 - Feb 20

What an AMAZING trip!!

We had fun, we performed SO WELL!  I am so very proud of this team and what we've accomplished!  What a great way to wrap up our comp season!

A few announcements/reminders -

1 - please be respectful when interacting with your teachers regarding make-up work.  Attending Nationals is a privilege - NOT a right.  You've been out for three days, your grades are going to drop if your teacher puts assignments in.  Get your make-up assignments in quickly, and if your teacher doesn't grade them right away politely ask if they can help you out with updating grades.  I have heard from a few teachers that upon our return, cheers have been rude to teachers regarding grades and make-up work.  That is unacceptable and we will not act this way.  We are athletes, and this week we've been compared to other athlete groups who don't confront teachers in an inappropriate way regarding grades.  It may feel unfair to you, but you are never in the right when back-chatting to a teacher.  No ifs, ands, or buts.  Your behavior reflects on the whole team, for better or worse.

2 - Scrapbooking is tomorrow!!! Bring $5 for paper and stickers and other supplies.  Please upload all of your pictures so Mazzy's mom can get them printed for our scrapbooking party!  4pm-6pm at Michaels.  Each pair of cheers will get two pages to scrapbook for.

3 - Games this week:  All of the free game slots have been taken for this week.  Make alternate arrangements if you were planning to take a free game and haven't discussed it with me.

4 - Friday is the pep assembly!  It is a FULL ATTENDANCE DAY.  You MUST be in 100% of your classes to perform in the pep assembly or I will PULL you from the pep assembly.  This is our last chance to perform as a full team - let's make sure that happens!  You will be excused from 4th to prep for pep assembly.  Get to the gym as soon as fourth starts so we can run through and warm up.

5 - Banquet RSVPs are due no later than Feb 20th!

6 - Playoffs - please check the handbook regarding playoffs.  We all cheer all playoff games.  There are no free games awarded during playoffs unless you are at a wedding, funeral, or some other major issue.  If we have playoffs past the banquet, I will hold letters until the last game is played and pass them out at the conclusion of basketball games.  You will get a certificate at the banquet as a placeholder until basketball finishes. I get the playoff schedule on shorter notice for Basketball than I do for football.  I will pass along the information to you as soon as I get it, likely via Remind101.

7 - Uniform return:  Uniform return will be on Monday, March 2.  Any uniform pieces not returned will be charged to your cheer account.

8 - Open Gym Clinics:  Our open gyms will be held March 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 24, and 26th from 4 until 6 pm each day.  Cost for the clinics is $5/open gym.  (This makes it officially a clinic so there is no conflict of interest or CHSAA violations and we can invite incoming 9th graders to join us). Most sport teams have nominal fees associated with off season workouts for this reason.   We WILL split out into ability groups - the vast majority of the time for Varsity and returning athletes will be spent stunting.  The coaching staff wants to get a closer look at stunting abilities with both new and returning members, ideally before tryouts.  After seeing teams at nationals, we need to start spinning.  If that can happen in March rather than June, that's a good thing!  If you are doing a spring sport or working, please let me know.

9 - we will do end-of-year evals the first week in March to let you know what you need to improve on before next season.  We will pass out eval sheets soon.  Same process as last year.


Week upcoming:
Today, UE, then Game.  Arrive at 6:45pm
Thursday:  Scrapbooks!  4 - 6 pm Michaels in southlands.  Bring $5
Friday:  PEP ASSEMBLY!  FULL ATTENDANCE DAY!!!  Then double header game - follow the A/B grouping schedule.  First game arrive at 5:15pm, Second Game arrive at 6:45pm
Saturday - Tuesday:  Post Nationals Break (First weekend off in a while!)
Wed, Feb 18:  UE
Thu, Feb 19:  Post Nationals Break
Fri, Feb 20:  GBall - arrive at 6:45pm
Sat, Feb 21 and Sun, Feb 22:  NO contact
Mon, Feb 23:  UE
Tue, Feb 24th:  Playoff Schedule Begins.  Standby for information
Wed, Feb 25:  Final UE class.
Thur, Feb 26 - Sat Feb 28:  Playoffs.  Standby for information. I will probably send a Remind101 on a Sunday when ey do the seeding forplayoffs with information regarding our first playoff game.


Monday, February 2, 2015

Last Minute Updates

Happy Nationals week!

Itineraries were passed out to cheers along with packing lists on Saturday.  I forgot to put deodorant on the list.  Might be a good one to remember. :)  If you are curious as to where we are or what we are doing at any given time, please check the itinerary.  If you are traveling with your cheer, any time that is scheduled as "park time" is time that you can be with your cheer!  Please, if you would like to take your cheerleader off property, you must clear it with me first - and you may only take your own daughter, even with permission from any other girls' parent.  If you would all like to hang together, there are plenty of places on property to do so.  Please be very mindful of our schedule.  Girls will lose privileges to travel freely if people return late.

If you notice on the itinerary, we are letting the girls stay out pretty late on a couple nights because UCA offers late park hours for us and we compete in the afternoons.  The expectation if a cheer stays out late is that she is at the late park - no where else.  The coaches/admin will likely be out with the girls at the parks, as well.  We will go over all of this during the team meeting on Thursday night after we settle in.

Please remember to bring a jacket and/or a sweatshirt - Florida is NOT as balmy year-round as everyone thinks it is.  We have lows in the forties and highs in the low sixties all week predicted.  Your CTHS jacket is a good choice as it has kept us warm in some crazy cold games!

Food and such - many are asking what kind of money to plan for food.  The average cost of a counter service meal is about $12.  You can save a LOT of money on drinks by purchasing a souvenir mug with the first beverage purchase - it's spendy initially, but you will have free refills all weekend on anything that comes from a fountain machine.  Worth the purchase.  Be forewarned, the water tastes a little funky in Florida, and we have to drink water to stay hydrated!  There are fridges in the rooms, so if you would like to send fridge food that will have a little staying power over the course of a flight, it'll probably keep.  We leave very early from Florida on Monday morning, so plan to eat your last traveling meal at the airport if you are not bringing breakfast food with you.

If you are checking a bag, you cannot do it until we get to the gate together.  I called to confirm this.  If you "fly clear" or have any kind of TSA clearance, I'm pretty sure you can go through your fly clear with TSA, but just wait for us on the other side - don't go running off to the trains.

  Please remember if you carry on you have to have ALL of your 3oz liquids in one-quart or less baggie in a separate, easy to remove location.

Week upcoming:

Monday: UE
Tuesday:  Pre-Nationals Math help with Hornbein 3pm and Wrestling Meet - arrive at 6:45
Wednesday:  Basketball:  arrive at 6:40pm
Thursday:  See you at the airport!  10 am!  Check itinerary for location and details.
Friday - Monday:  The weekend we've been waiting for!
Tue, Feb 10:  Post Nationals Break
Wed, Feb 11:  Game
Feb 12:

NEXT WEEK FEB 12 WILL BE OUR SCRAPBOOKING DAY FROM 4-6:30 AT MICHAELS IN SOUTHLANDS.  In preparation, pleas bring $5 with you to the event to purchase paper, stickers, and fun scrapbooking-type things.  The rest of it is included with program cost (photo printing, assembly, scrapbook color prints, etc).

Fri, Feb 13:  Pep Assembly and Game for wish week! :)


I'm so excited for us!  Thank you to everyone who helped to make this week possible for the team.  You are truly appreciated!