WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE CYC RAIDERS ALL STARS CLINIC AND TRYOUTS?
PAPERWORK & FEES
A completed registraion form, signed by a parent/guardian and the $30 clinic/tryout fee are required to participate. The $30 fee is all inclusive. If you "just" attend the multi-day clinic and do not choose to tryout, there is not a "discounted" price available. You are paying for the coaching.
Late tryouts will require a $35.00 tryout fee; price subject to change.
Registration forms will be available here on our website, via email, hard copy pick-up at the Classic Youth Cheer & Dance gym, Super Sports or the 80th St/39th Ave PDQ in Kenosha. The registration form requires athlete data, health insurance information, parent and emergency contact information; emails addresses are needed. Please complete your form prior to clinic time.
(Not yet ready for distribution.)
Check payments are preferred please; all payments should be drawn to the order of "'CLASSIC YOUTH CHEER & DANCE," place the athlete's name at the top of the check and "clinic/tryout" in the memo area. We are not set-up for cash transactions. Remember, we're a team, not a business and there is no clerical/administrative staff other than parent volunteers - just like you.
WHAT TO WEAR TO CLINICS & TRYOUTS
- Shorts (soft cotton ones - not slippery ones, no jeans).
- A cotton t-shirt (any color/design is ok).
- Clean sports shoes and socks. Street shoes are not allowed onto the gym floor.
- Girls hair should be pulled up into a high and tight ponytail, length permitting.
- No jewelry. Any unremovable piercing must be covered with tape or a bandaid. No exceptions.
- Nails should be clipped short for safety. No nail polish.
WHAT TO BRING
You are responsible for all of your belongings. Do NOT bring valuables into the gym. Click here for the gym rules.
Cell phones must be turned off and kept with your personal belongings.
It's recommended you have a bakcpack or gym bag to store your belongings in while on the gym floor during the clinic & tryouts.
Water bottles and food/snacks are allowed in the lobby area only. You may bring water bottles with you, along with a NUTRITIOUS snack. You are required to PICK-UP after yourself.
FOR SALE AT THE CLINIC: Water bottles, snacks, bake sale items [if the parents want to do this] and maybe even some "Raiders Gear" (t-shirts) will be available on a limited basis at tryouts.
PARENTS
Parents/guardians are welcome into the gym at the beginning and end of clinic times. Parents/guardians of very young athletes may want to stay a little bit longer - but the kids usually "jump in" and participate best when you're out of sight. It is fun to arrive about 15 minutes before the end of each clinic session to see what everyone has been up to; by then the yougest children are engrossed in the activities - and may not even notice you are there.
Remember, for safety, ONLY registered athletes are allowed onto the gym floor; this can be frustrating to other young siblings, so please prepare them for this restriction. (Plan ahead.) Parents/guradians must supervise any siblings/guests that you may bring into the gym with you - and keep them in the lobby area with you. (Thanks for your understanding & cooperation!)
TRYOUTS are closed - even to parents/guardians and other cheerleaders/athletes. You must LEAVE the gym during your athlete's tryout and while others are trying out.
When picking-up and dropping off on tryout day, you should KEEP QUIET as the other tryouts are being videotaped. Parents of the young prospective CYC Raiders cheerleaders usually stay during "warm-up" time prior to the videotaped tryout to "try" to keep their budding All Star groomed and at ease. You know your child best ... play it by ear that day, and give them only POSITIVE ENCOURAGEMENT; let them know to SMILE if they make a mistake. The young ones should be there to HAVE FUN and NOT feel pressured in anyway!
MATERIAL FOR YOUR TRYOUT
At the multi-day clinic preceding your scheduled tryout, you will be taught EVERYTHING you need to demonstrate at your CYC Raiders All Star tryout.
Additionally, all athletes will be required to demonstrate their most advanced tumbling, both standing and running. If you do not yet tumble, you will be expected to learn to tumble if you want a spot on a CYC Raiders All Stars competitive cheerleading team. (Remember, most Raiders did not know how to tumble when they entered our program.)
CLINICS - MULTIPLE DAYS
The clinics are split into two age groups. Each age group will have a 2-3 day clinic to teach them basic cheerleading skills and tryout material. (If they don't tryout, then they've learned some cheers, dance and a little routine to show-off at home along with basic cheerleading moves.)
New material is taught everyday of the clinic.
You SHOULD attend all days of the clinic if you can; yes, if you can "miss" something else on a clinic or tryout day - we recommend that you do to fully participate. If you miss, you will need to "catch up" with another participant/friend or with a Raiders helper that Dorothy has available before your tryout.
It's about a 50/50 mix of those who come to clinic/tryouts with a friend or friends and the athletes that come alone. PLEASE feel free to encourage a friend to attend with you - even if they never thought about All Star cheerleading before if you'd feel more comfortable with a friend at your side.
TRYOUT TIMES
Coach Dorothy Wentland will have sign-ups for tryout times in the gym during the clinic sessions. You only attend "one" tryout time. Sign-up in the gym during the clinic.
Dorothy always has at least one "make-up" tryout day for those who ABSOLUTELY cannot make it to their age-group's tryout time blocks. (Kids like to tryout and "prep" before their tryout with others they met in their age group during clinic.
It is BEST if you can make it to a REGULAR tryout time - this is much preferred by the coach and the athletes' have a better experience.
TRYOUT DAY
Arrive at least 30-45 minutes before your scheduled tryout time to warm-up and "loosen" up mentally.
Groom yourself so that you are "picture perfect;" clean clothes, neat hair, "daytime" make-up for older athletes that wear it and your VERY BEST FACIALS.
Remember the no jewelry rule, no nail polish and that your nails should be trimmed short. Hair should be pulled up HIGH off of the face into a tight ponytail and styled with curls and a ribbon or bow if you desire.
The Raiders colors are RED, BLACK & WHITE. Most athletes choose those colors for their tryout apparel (note that this is not required) and for the ribbons in their hair. (Ribbon, as in, some really inexpensive 3/$1.00 roll kind at Wal-Mart. Again, ribbons are NOT required - but they polish off the "LOOK."
Relax and smile. Encourage others and be supportive. Be polite and quiet.
Remember, others may be nervous. Have fun, if you make a mistake, smile and keep going. Good luck to all of you!
TRYOUT RESULTS
All athletes will be called or emailed with their "Meeting" time about a week or two after tryouts if they "made" a team or the "feeder program." Your tryout will be VIDEOTAPED and Coach Dorothy Wentland and staff watch (many times) all of the tryouts to get a feel of what they can "mold" the aspiring Raiders into for the coming season.
So what does all of that mean? It means that once you enter the program, you will work with Dorothy & the Raiders over the summer and into early Fall until you are actually awarded a berth on a particular squad. We need to see how each athlete fits in the Raiders - and how the Raiders each season fit the athlete. Quite a few of our cheerleaders are at "cusp" ages and demonstrate the ability to DOUBLE TEAM; some will get the invitation to do so.
Yes, this is different than other All Star cheerleading programs. Why? We're here to give the children an OPPORTUNITY if they want a competitive cheerleading and dance experience. We're not here to exclude children before we even get to train them and let them find out about all of the possibilites being an ALL STAR CHEERLEADER/DANCER brings.
Dorothy always figures out the best place for every athlete. With only a few rare exceptions, we have always been able to "place" an athlete somewhere in our program - with the right fit.
