Video Submission
4/5/2008 4:21:00 AM | General
Schedule
Tryouts for the 2008 - 2009 All-Girl and Coed Cheerleading Teams to cheer for football, basketball, and competition will be held May 16 - 18, 2008. If you are unable to attend please consider the video file submission option.
Video File
If you could not attend you may submit a video file. Please realize however, that preference will be given to those who make arrangements to tryout in person (Two people did make the team last year taking advantage of this option). In addition to potentially making the team by video file, we may have to add or replace people for various reasons. Your video file will serve as a record of your abilities that we would not otherwise have. If submitting a video file please see Evaluation Criteria for what material might be important to demonstrate on the videotape. All video files become the property of Georgia Southern Cheerleading.
You may upload your video to the internet and send GSUCheer@GeorgiaSouthern.edu a link or you may send the video on DVD to:
Georgia Southern Cheerleading
Hanner Complex
Statesboro, GA 30460-8086
Eligibility
To tryout you must have:
| ? a Personal Information Form (Word) (PDF) |
| ? a Sizing Form (Word) (PDF) |
| ? a letter of acceptance to Georgia Southern or a copy of your Fall 2008 registration |
| ? a photocopy of the front and back of the your Insurance Card |
| ? a completely filled out Parent/Student-Athlete Insurance Information Form (Word) (PDF) |
| ? a completely filled out Athletic Tryout Release and Waiver Form (Word) (PDF). If the candidate is under 18 he/she must have their parent/guardian sign these forms |
| ? a filled out Acceptance of Rules & Guidelines Form (Word) (PDF) |
| ? $30 in cash or check made out to Georgia Southern Cheerleading |
If you are submitting a video file you must send in these items before the video will be evaluated.
Please take the time to familiarize yourself with an example of our guidelines (Word) (PDF). Cheerleading is a 20 hr per week commitment from August through April. As such it is a major commitment of non-academic time and at this time we are not able to offer scholarships. Any student with Greek responsibilities, job internships, student teaching, or school/work-related internships should check their schedule closely for conflicts. Married students, students with children, and students with significant part time or full time employment should carefully consider the amount of time it takes to be a Georgia Southern Cheerleader. This is not to discourage you, but to make you aware of our program requirements so you can make the right decision for us and for yourself.
Over the summer you will need to help with preparations for the coming year. Specific goals will be provided to you and are expected to be met by your return. In addition, you will be asked to help with fundraising. You must be available to return to Georgia Southern on August 1. While the actual date of return may be later than August 1, you must be available starting August 1 for practices, camps, or appearances. Attendance is mandatory.
Once the semester starts, you will be practicing 3 to 4 times per week. You must be available 7:00 PM ? 10:00 PM Monday through Thursday and Friday from 3:00 ? 5:00 PM. The specific practice time for your team will be decided upon in August. Sometimes, Sunday evening practices are scheduled too. Games, pep rallies, and other commitments are scheduled throughout the year on weekdays and weekends. You must be prepared to handle cheerleading responsibilities during holidays including Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring Break. Again, attendance is mandatory. Finally, on non practice days you are expected to work on your anaerobic and aerobic physical conditioning.
Tryouts
Georgia Southern Cheerleading is a demanding, intense, physical activity requiring upper and lower body strength and aerobic conditioning. You must be in good physical condition and be height/weight proportionate. We do not have minimum/maximum height or weight requirements, however you are expected to maintain your body weight throughout the cheerleading year. Males and females are equally eligible to tryout. Before trying out, please take the time to familiarize yourself with an example of our guidelines (Word) (PDF). These guidelines may be modified for the coming year.
Student Affairs and Enrollment Management policies mandate that before a cheerleader may be formally accepted onto either squad she/he must pass a sports physical conducted by the University's Athletic Training Department. This physical is usually conducted in August.
Women may tryout for the Coed, All-Girl, or both squads. However, if you indicate your willingness to be on either squad you must accept the appointment you are given and be willing to be moved if necessary. Clearly, women on the Coed squad are required to be flyers and must be committed to flying in partner stunts and basket tosses, and middle basing and flying in pyramids. Women who tryout for the All-Girl squad may tryout as a base, flyer, or both, but must be willing to fill the role to which they are assigned.
In general the goal of the tryouts will be to have candidates demonstrate their cheerleading talents.
What to put on the video
If you are submitting a video you should perform material such as a cheer, chants, and fight song/dance. Before, during, and after performances you are encouraged to incorporate appropriate cheerleading athletic skills. Make sure you demonstrate your jumping, standing tumbling, running tumbling, and stunting skills.
(Evaluation Criteria - Not listed in any particular order of importance or weight. Criteria for men emphasizes basing responsibilities.)
| ? Ability to loudly project your voice in an expressive manner |
| ? Ability to learn and perfect material quickly |
| ? Ability to follow direction |
| ? Aerobic capacity |
| ? Balance (left & right heel stretch, left & right scorpion, left & right scale, left & right arabesque, left & right K, left & right Bow & Arrow, handstand, etc.) |
| ? Being responsible, dedicated, and coachable |
| ? Being a team player |
| ? Dancing ability |
| ? Having a can do, won't quit attitude |
| ? Jumping (toe touch, double toe-touch, triple toe touch, pike, L & R herky, L & R front hurdler, combinations, etc.) |
| ? Jump-tumble and tumble-jump combinations |
| ? Projection of energy and enthusiasm from up close and at a distance |
| ? Strength (sit-ups, military press, dips, push-ups, squats, leg press, etc) |
| ? Stunting (base and/or flyer) |
| ? Strong, precise motions |
| ? Tumbling* (standing and line tumbling, front, back, and twisting tumbling, aerials, etc.) |
| ? Vertical jumping ability |
*Please be advised that at least a major portion of the tumbling evaluations will take place on a basketball floor without mats.
There are no specific tumbling or stunting requirements. That is not to say that tumbling or stunting is not important, simply that there are no specific skills required for you to be eligible to tryout. For example, you are not required to do a specific tumbling skill or partner stunt. You are being provided with an opportunity to show us your abilities. If you can do it, show it. The more difficult the skill you can demonstrate the more credit you will earn in that category. Candidates must be comfortable enough with any tumbling or partner stunt skill they attempt to perform on a basketball floor without a spotter. Attempting a skill you cannot do well or that scares the audience demonstrates undesirable recklessness. While a person could potentially make the squad without specific tumbling or partner stunting skills they would have to be exceptional in other aspects of their evaluation (as presented above) to make up for what is missing and be willing to learn to tumble and partner stunt. For the last four years all women who made the team have been able to, at a minimum, do standing back handsprings and roundoff back handsprings on a basketball court.
Dress
During the video you should wear a t-shirt, shorts, socks, and flat bottomed athletic/cheer shoes. Hair must be secured away from the face at all times. To ensure your safety no jewelry should be worn at any time. This includes watches, rings, necklaces, and body piercings such as ear rings, navel rings, eyebrow rings, tongue studs, etc. Please wear school colors.
All candidates are expected to accept the coach's decision as final and binding.
