SWANSBORO PIRATES POP WARNER
POC: Dave Ellsworth phone: 910-389-5239 email: swansboroheating@yahoo.com Cheer Coordinator: Beverly Robayo phone: 910-546-2074
Cheer & Dance: Swansboro Cheer Information, Spirit Overview, Age Division, Safety
| Overview: |
| Cheerleading was officially recognized in the 1970's, but
has been a part of the Pop Warner program for several decades.
The first ever National Cheerleading competition was held in
DeKalb County, GA. Today, 160,000 children are participating in
cheerleading and dance around the United States. Participation in the Pop Warner Spirit Program provides kids an opportunity to perform in an organized, supervised, safety-oriented environment. Pop Warner programs emphasize fun for all and encourage the development of qualities important long after Pop Warner days are gone. The Spirit Program is growing in numbers each year due to the popularity of the sport. In an effort to keep pace with the many new changes in the cheer & dance industry, there are a few basic rules that are unique to Pop Warner Spirit Squads. For a complete list of Pop Warner guidelines, please download the Official Pop Warner Rulebook |
| Age Division: |
| TYPES OF SPIRIT SQUADS 1. Traditional Spirit Traditional Spirit squads compete during the Pop Warner playing season from August 1st through December 31st. 2. Year-Round Spirit The year-round season begins January 1st and ends July 31st. A Year-Round squad must compete in one competition from January 1st to July 31st. *Note: Year-Round Cheer Medical and Registration due by February 1st * Tryouts of any kind within Pop Warner are prohibited. The ages of all spirit participants in the program shall correspond to the overall ages that the League is permitting for players, unless League rules dictate that the ages of the spirit squad shall correspond to the playing ages of the team with which they are associated. |
| Safety: |
| Safety First! is the latest of a number of safety
initiatives that Cheerleading's governing bodies have
implemented in past years. The results show, among other things,
that cheer's total catastrophic injuries were cut in half from
2005 to 2006*, and that cheerleading's injuries per 100,000
participants is only 2.0, significantly less than the figures
for popular women's sports such as gymnastics. Below are some tips compiled by the NATA that help reduce cheerleader injuries at all levels: Proper Conditioning: Physically prepare and maintain your body’s strength, flexibility, and stamina for stunting and tumbling. Strengthen your core muscles (abdominal and lower back muscles) along with the upper and lower body and include aerobic (running, jogging, cycling, swimming) and anaerobic (wind sprints, circuit training) activities. Exercise Reminders: Warm up, stretch and cool down for every practice or competition and be sure to rest. Proper Equipment: Practice on mats or padded flooring until your routines are perfected. Make sure the mats are adequately sized and sufficient for the activities you’re performing. Spotting: Have trained spotters present and engaged at all times. Knowledgeable Coaches: Make sure your coaches are certified in safety, first aid, CPR and AED use. No Horseplay: Focus at all times during stunting and tumbling activities. Communication: Request that your coaches review safety precautions, rules and regulations with the squad on a regular basis, and that they establish and implement an emergency action plan. Read Safety Guidelines: Ask your coaches to be familiar with the latest AACCA safety guidelines; the safety advice in the National Federation of State High School Associations’ “Spirit Rules Book”; and the rules and regulations pertaining to your particular school. Know Your Limits: Be aware of your ability level and do not attempt advanced level gymnastic or stunting skills before mastering less advanced skills. Always have a supervisor present. Treatment of Injuries: Promptly attend to any injuries you sustain. Your school or organization’s athletic trainer can assist in the proper treatment and prevention of such injuries. He or she can also offer an injury prevention education seminar and assist in creating the conditioning routine. |
| Swansboro Cheer Info: |
| SWANSBORO POP WARNER CHEERLEADING Swansboro Pop Warner offers a great cheer experience for girls who want to cheer for a team and also participate in exhibitions and competitions. Through this active participation, Swansboro Pop Warner Cheerleading teaches fundamental value, skills, and knowledge that children will use throughout their lives. In our program, the girls get to compete. Non-competitive Cheerleading (Tiny Mite and Mitey Mite divisions) is offered to girls ages 5-9 yrs of age. Competitive Cheerleading (Junior Pee Wee and higher divisions) is offered to girls 8-15. Girls will be placed on a team in the appropriate division based on age (as of July 31, 2010), experience and the number of girls registering. Paper Parents are required to provide ***** THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE AT PRACTICE OR GAMES IF WE DO NOT HAVE THIS! - CERTIFIED COPY OF BIRTH CERTIFICATE - A FULL 4 QUARTER REPORT CARD FROM THE LAST GRADE COMPLETED - PHYSICAL COMPLETED IN 2010 Our cheerleaders start conditioning on, August 1st. They will condition for two weeks. Our girls are required to cheer at every football game. We do have away games, so traveling is required at times. Our girls also get a chance to compete. Please read below for more information. CONDITIONING Times & Locations will be announced soon. Conditioning lasts 10 days (Monday-Friday) so they will have the 20 required hours of conditioning in accordance with Pop Warner rules. We would like to suggest our cheerleaders start exercising at home at least a month before conditioning. It will reduce the risk of being extremely sore after conditioning. PREPARATION FOR CONDITIONING: - BRING A WATER BOTTLE OR GATORADE - APPLY BUG REPELLANT BEFORE PRACTICE! - BRING A TOWEL IN CASE THE GROUND IS WET. - HAIR SHOULD BE PULLED BACK OUT OF FACE AT ALL TIMES. - DO NOT WEAR JEWLERY INCLUDING EARRINGS - NO FINGERNAIL POLISH AT CONDITIONING, PRACTICES, GAMES, OR COMPETITION - MAKE SURE YOUR NAILS ARE CUT TO A SAFE LENGTH TO AVOID SCRATCHING OTHERS WHILE STUNTING - NO JEANS ALLOWED AT PRACTICES AT ANY TIME! WEAR COMFORTABLE CLOTHES AND TENNIS SHOES. PRACTICES: After our conditioning hours have been completed, times and locations will depend on your coach. GAMES: Games are held on Saturdays. The girls are required to cheer at all games unless you have previously discussed it with your coach. Several of our games may be scheduled out of town and traveling will be required. LOCAL COMPETITION: Local Competition is usually held in late October. Date, time, and location are TBD at this time. REGIONAL COMPETITION: EXACT DATES & LOCATIONS FOR REGIONAL COMPETITION ARE TBD. (MITEY MITES DO NOT ADVANCE TO REGIONALS) IF YOUR TEAM HAS PLACED FIRST OR SECOND AT LOCALS, YOU WILL THEN ADVANCE TO REGIONALS. IT IS IMPORTANT YOU KNOW THAT REGIONALS ARE HELD DURING THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY. NATIONAL COMPETITION: NATIONAL COMPETITION IS HELD IN DECEMBER IN FLORIDA. IF YOU PLACE FIRST OR SECOND AT REGIONALS YOU WILL BE IN FLORIDA FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 DAYS IN DECEMBER. MORE INFORMATION WILL POST AS SOON AS IT IS AVAILABLE. UNIFORMS: Uniforms are provided to cheerleaders. Cheerleaders are responsible for paying for their cheer shoes. Hair bow, socks, and briefs come as part of the uniform. All uniforms must be returned and cleaned at the end of the season. There will be a $100 fee for not returning the uniform and/or not returning the uniform in good condition. ***** Note that we do our best to accommodate each child's size, but we must work with the inventory we have. Cheerleading Rules & Regulations General Rules All rules in the Pop Warner Rule Book will be followed, but if a question arises, these rules, listed below, will take precedence: There are NO EXCEPTIONS to these rules. There is a chain of command. If there are ANY problems they must first be brought to the Coaches' attention. If you go to the Cheer Coordinator BEFORE talking to the coach, you will be directed back to the coach. Address the coach before and after practice ONLY. The cheerleader must demonstrate a positive and respectful attitude towards coaches, teammates and competitors. Practice is one of the most important parts of being involved in the cheer program and should not be missed with the exception of an acceptable reason Disrespect will NOT be tolerated. The cheerleader will receive ONE warning for this and the second time they will be immediately removed from the team, with no exceptions. Cheerleaders trying out for the school squads should notify the coach of their intent so she can make changes to her squad if that cheerleader should make the school team and drop from our program. If you are a year-round student ensure you communicate any vacations/plans to the coach so she can plan her season accordingly. Notice to the coach (phone call or e-mail) is required in order to be excused from practice. No chewing gum or candy. DO NOT relay messages via other athletes. You must personally deliver all messages to coaches or the Cheer Coordinator. Practice Rules Cheerleaders that miss two out of the three practices scheduled during the week without contacting the coach or cheer coordinator via email or a telephone call will be exempt from cheering at the next scheduled game. Come dressed in shorts (not nylon), sturdy athletic sneakers (not sandals, shoes or flip flops), hair pulled back off the face and shoulders, no jewelry, and a water bottle. Stunting can dangerous and requires concentration. Laughing, fooling around, not maintaining eye contact while stunting will result in dismissal from practice. Game Rules No jewelry is to be worn during practice or games. All hair will be pulled back off the shoulders. Nail polish will not be worn, and nails are to be trimmed at ALL TIMES during the season, including practices. If you can see the nail from the back of the hand it is too long. All cheerleaders are responsible for purchasing league approved cheerleading shoes. Cheerleaders will return all pieces of their uniform when the cheerleading season ends, with ALL pieces cleaned. There will be a $100 fee charged for returning the uniform in good condition and/or not returning the uniform. Coaches are responsible for the cheerleaders during game time. Please ensure if you have to pull your child out of the game for any reason please notify the head coach first. We look forward to another great season- Beverly Robayo 910-546-2074 Cheer Coordinator Swansboro Pop Warner |