Marysville High School
Cheerleading Constitution
2016 – 2017
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Marysville High School Cheerleading
Revised March. 2016
ROLE OF A CHEERLEADER
The Cheerleader’s responsibilities include having their own positive image and promoting the
school’s positive image and school spirit. They must strive to be the best possible example of
good conduct for a young adult both in and out of their respective seasons. The cheerleader
must be willing to strive for excellence in cheerleading ability. The role of every cheerleader is
one of leadership that is demanding of his or her time and energy. A cheerleader will always
exemplify respect for the opponent’s team, team members, game officials, spectators and
coaches.
PURPOSE
Our cheerleading program will be a positive sports program with emphasis on sportsmanship,
school spirit, and the knowledge to support all other athletes in our school.
The cheerleaders are responsible for numerous activities in order to assure support of their
fellow athletes. These activities include:
 Sign making
 Pep rallies
 Locker, field, and school decorations
 Support of all athletes
 Fund Raising
 Game coverage for football and boys’ basketball
 Providing various motivational items for athletic teams
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SQUAD MEMBERSHIP
Squad membership is for ONE YEAR for the seasons of fall and/or winter.
Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors may try out for the Varsity squad.
Sophomores and Juniors may try out for the Junior Varsity squad.
Freshmen will be selected to represent the Freshmen squad.
ELIGIBILITY
 The cheerleader must meet the required eligibility standards of Marysville High School or
she/he will be relieved of her/his duties.
 You must pass 5 core classes in the marking period prior to your season of participation.
Additionally, you must earn a 1.50 marking period GPA each marking period including the
one just prior to your season of participation. Please note that you must maintain your
eligibility throughout the season and that grades are checked at the conclusion of each
marking period.
 Depending on the length of the season and post-season, the fall or winter cheerleading
season may cross over from one marking period into another. You must maintain your
academic eligibility each marking period.
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PRACTICES
 All practices during the season are mandatory and will be scheduled in advance.
 Each cheerleader will be punctual and in proper clothing for practice.
 Proper clothing includes shorts and/or jogging pants, shirt, and gym shoes. All shorts and
pants will be worn unrolled at the natural waist line. No tank tops or low cut tops.
 After school, practices shall begin promptly, and you are responsible for being at the
appropriate practice area on time. No one will leave for any reason before the end of
practice unless approved with the coach in advance.
 Plan appointments, work, etc., around practice and game times.
 Excused absences include:
1. Death in the family
2. Personal illness
3. Specialized doctor’s appointments and treatments (orthodontist, etc.) and must be preapproved by the coach. PLEASE plan these appointments around cheer if possible!!
 Work IS NOT an excused absence.
 Conflicts with other school activities THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR A GRADE will be worked
out between the coaches and the cheerleader in advance. It is necessary for the student
athlete to make the coaches aware of any potential conflicts as early as possible.
 The coaches encourage the girls to participate in school clubs (Student Council, Nellie’s,
Leo Club, etc.). Please inform coaches ahead of time of the meeting times. As long as the
coaches are informed ahead of time, this is considered an excused tardy from practice.
 You will receive a write up for an unexcused absence. Detentions will be unexcused.
 There will be no cell phones used during practices unless permission is given by the coach.
If cell phone usage becomes a problem, cheerleaders may be asked to turn in their phones
prior to practices and not receive them back until after practice. If there is a parental
concern/emergency during a practice time, please contact the coach.
Behavior at Practice:
No gum chewing
Eat snacks prior to practice time
Limit liquids to water or sports drinks – NO POP!
No cell phones unless permission is given by the coach.
Hair is pulled completely back off the face and shoulders (ie ponytail)
GAMES
 You must be able to attend ALL games unless excused by the coach more than 1 week
prior to the absence. If any questions should arise, contact the coach directly.
 An unexcused missed game or notice less than 1 week prior will result in sitting out the
game following the unexcused absence.
 Exceptions may include illness and death in the family.
 If you are injured or disciplined, you will still be required to be present at the correct time,
and you will sit with the coach throughout the entirety of the game. All code of conduct still
apply (ie. no phones, no food, cheering with the girls from the sideline)
 During the fall season, the Varsity, JV and Freshmen squads will cheer together at the
Homecoming game and the Youth night game.
 Be prepared to stop crowd booing by using a chant or a favorite crowd cheer.
 Avoid unnecessary talking with crowd or each other and stand in proper form. Your job
requires concentration and you should avoid disruptions.
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Behavior at games:
Kneel when a player is injured
No gum chewing or eating
Limit liquids to water or sports drinks – NO POP!
Cheerleader will be present and in uniform when instructed by the coach
No cell phones will be on or in use during games unless permission is given by the coach.
No excessive talking to other squad members
Respectable behavior during the National Anthem (ie. no talking or laughing)
Basketball: At home games, you will be required to stay through halftime of the following
game, sitting with your team the entire time. (i.e. Freshman to halftime of JV) No phones will
be allowed through this time, as well as no friend or boyfriends sitting with the team.
*Remember, your behavior is being watched by your coaches, your families, and your
community members.
UNIFORMS AND APPEARANCE
 All of the three squads are responsible for the purchase of their uniforms, except those parts
of uniforms that are owned by the school. See attached cost sheet.
 Each cheerleader is responsible for the correct cleaning of his or her uniform at the
conclusion of each season – dry-cleaning or laundered.
 Uniforms and warm-ups are NOT to be worn anywhere except to a game, competition,
or when otherwise directed for a special event. They will NEVER be lent to a friend.
 Shoes bought for cheerleading shall be worn only at practices, games, competitions, camp,
and scheduled athletic events. This will help keep them sturdy and clean.
 Each cheerleader is expected to pay for or replace any part of the uniform damaged beyond
reasonable repair.
 “In Uniform” or “Game Ready”
 Uniform is clean, and all pieces are in place (crops, lollies, etc.)
 With the exception of football cold weather – no sweatshirts or warm up pants are to be
worn
 Cheer Shoes are on and clean (Magic Erasers)
 Hair is pulled completely back off the face and shoulders (ie ponytail) with the correct hair
ribbon in place. No beads, headbands, or hairclips other than bobby pins may be worn.
 Hair colors must be natural colors (red, brown, blonde, black, etc.). You may dye your
hair, but it must appear natural – No extreme colors will be tolerated (pink, purple, green,
blue, etc.)
 No jewelry of any kind - you will have to remove it no matter when it was pierced.
 No nail polish unless clear or French manicure
 Make-up must be in good taste (ie. non-distracting, NO glitter)
 On game days or the day prior dependent on when the game occurs, cheerleaders will wear
coordinating outfits to school - determined by either the girls or coach
 Cheerleaders will wear coordinating outfits to and from all events – determined by either the
girls or coach (ie warm ups, uniforms, pullovers).
 No Public Displays of Affection while in uniform, warm-ups, or other cheer apparel at
the site of any contest/competition or during school. This includes holding hands.
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TRANSPORTATION
 Cheerleaders are responsible for their own transportation to and from practice and home
games. Coaches are not permitted to transport. Cheerleaders will use school transportation
to and from away contests.
 Cheerleaders will be allowed to ride home from games with a parent/guardian ONLY, and
must be checked out on a sign out sheet by the coach prior to leaving the game.
 If there is an extenuating circumstance where a cheerleader must ride home with another
parent from a game, it must be approved in advance through the athletic director and then
checked out on a sign out sheet by the coach prior to leaving the game.
SQUAD STANDARDS AND INFORMATION
 Cheerleading is an extra-curricular activity, and therefore, schoolwork comes first. Parents –
please make sure you are monitoring your student’s grades throughout the season using
POWERSCHOOL. An app is available on your smartphone or through the website.
 Cheerleading is to be self-supporting, raising money through fundraising projects in which all
participate. Part of the expectation of participation on a cheerleading squad is that each
member will participate in fundraising activities including the sale of items. Donations in lieu
of sales will be considered depending on the fundraiser. These activities not only provide
much needed supplies, but also are an opportunity for team building. These activities benefit
everyone. Failure to participate in fundraising activities may result in suspension from
games. If you have some reason for not being able to participate in a particular fundraiser,
please see a coach.
 Cheerleaders must maintain a current physical in order to participate in either tryouts or
throughout the season. No current examination – no cheering. Physicals are good for one
year. Please do not let your cheerleader’s physical expire!
 There will be a cheer meeting immediately after school on Monday, May 23rd for all who are
selected to a team. The meeting will last from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
 Cheerleaders will be attending an overnight cheerleading camp during the summer. This
summer we will be attending a UCA camp at Great Wolf Lodge (Mason, OH) July 11th 14th. The cheerleaders may be responsible for all camp costs and camp wear.
 Summer practices will be held under the direction of the coach to prepare for camp and the
upcoming season. A summer calendar will be provided at the 1st cheer meeting.
 Football Cheerleaders: PLEASE do not make any vacation plans for the month of August
as this is when we do our major preparation for the football season.
 The parents of cheerleaders must sign an agreement noting their responsibility for the
cheerleading position and with their student athlete assume responsibility for the
cheerleading position.
 Cheerleaders are expected to maintain a cooperative attitude toward other cheerleaders,
coaches, etc. Non-cooperative attitude or poor behavior may result in being dismissed from
practice or benched at the discretion of the coach.
 Each cheerleader is responsible for the following characteristics:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Respect for others
Responsibility
Integrity
Sense of service
Willingness to cooperate
Respect for authority
Patriotism
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8. Emotional stability
9. Sportsmanship
10. Honesty
CONDUCT AND RESPONSIBILITY
 Conduct and responsibility begin immediately after the completion of tryouts.
 Remember, your squad membership is for one year, therefore your conduct and
responsibility last for the year.
 Each cheerleader is expected to conduct herself/himself as a lady or a gentleman.
This applies to conduct in the community, on social media, at school, and at athletic
contests. Any conduct that is a negative reflection on Marysville High School may
result in a write-up, benching, or even immediate dismissal.
 All provisions of the Marysville Athletic Code will be followed, including Social Media
amendments.
 Social Media – If you wouldn’t do it or say it in front of your parents, grandparents, teachers
or coaches then DON’T post it on the internet. This includes “retweets”. The language you
use and the pictures you post say a lot about you and the type of lady you are. Please be
respectful of yourselves. Remember, there are a lot of people out there that can read your
posts and ANYTHING you put on there is out there forever. This includes text messages you
think are “private”. Again – be respectful of yourself and others.
 Inappropriate posts, messages, etc. will result in the cheerleader being asked to remove
the post immediately
 The discipline policy will be followed based on the level of inappropriateness as
determined by the coach (ie warning or write up) or the administration
 Girls are encouraged to post anything positive.
 Bullying/Harassment of any kind will not be tolerated!! We are a cheerleading family. We
may not always like each other, but we WILL respect one another. Bullying offenses will be
taken directly to administration.
DISCIPLINE POLICY
Due to the very nature of a cheerleader’s role in the school and the community, expectations
have been placed on each individual to adhere to and uphold all rules of the school, the
athletic program and the rules contained within this handbook. Each cheerleader will sign and
turn in the cheerleader promise prior to tryouts. This states that the cheerleader has read and
understands the Marysville High School Cheerleading Constitution and is aware that failure to
fulfill those obligations will result in the following:
 First Offense – verbal warning
 Second Offense –email, text or call to you AND a parent explaining what will happen if there
is another offense.
 Third Offense – Benching for part of a contest at the coach’s discretion.
 Each offense following will be an automatic benching of either part or the entire next contest
If a cheerleader’s behavior results in the benching of 3 games during the season, a
meeting between the coaches and the athletic director will determine further
discipline measures or removal of the individual from the squad.
**If the offense is severe, the coaches reserve the right to forego the warning and the
write up steps and bench the cheerleader immediately. The coaches reserve the right to
bench a cheerleader immediately for a uniform violation or any act of insubordination.
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Please direct any questions to:
Coach Parks (Head Football Cheer Coach/Assistant Competition Coach)
937-594-3144
[email protected]
or
Coach McBride (Head Basketball/Competition Cheer Coach)
419-953-2168
[email protected]
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Sign and Return this page as part of your tryout packet.
Cheerleader Promise
I am aware of the responsibilities and commitment I am making to the
Marysville High School Cheerleading program. I have read the rules and
regulations and agree to abide by these guidelines. I promise to uphold the
high standards of my school and coaches and to conduct myself at ALL
times in a way that will be a credit to myself, my team and to my school.
___________________________________________
Applicant Name (print)
__________________________________
Applicant signature
________________
Date
______________________________________
Parental Permission
________________________ has my permission to participate in the
cheerleading clinics and tryouts for Marysville High School. I/We have read
the rules and regulations and will assist in every way to ensure that my
child follows the rules and regulations. I/We understand the financial and
time requirements to participate in the program and agree to them. To
my/our knowledge, the applicant has no physical limitations that would
restrict his/her activity.
_____________________________________
Parent/Guardian signature
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_____________
Date