St. George's Independent School Varsity Football and Competitive Cheer Tryout

St. George’s Independent School
Varsity Football and Competitive Cheer Tryout
                  2019-2020
              Rising Grades 8-12
    Thank you for your interest in SGIS Varsity Football and Competitive Cheer!

Please thoroughly read all of the information in this packet and fill out and return
all forms as directed. Please contact Varsity Cheer Sponsor, Camilla Evans, if you
                    have any questions. sgischeer@gmail.com

When:
April 29 – May 1
Monday, April 29 – mandatory clinic
Tuesday, April 30 – mandatory clinic
Wednesday, May 1 – TRYOUT DAY

Where:
Collierville Field House

Time:
Clinics on Monday and Tuesday will be held from 6:00 – 8:00pm
Tryouts will be held at 6:00pm. Parents may pick up child immediately following
tryout time. All tryouts are closed to parents and public.

Attire:
Girls may wear t-shirt/tank top, shorts, and tennis/cheer shoes. Hair should be
pulled back in pony tail and no jewelry should be worn. No SGIS cheer or other
cheer squad attire should be worn at tryouts.

Cost:
Cheer clinic and tryout fee is $20 cash due with tryout application.

Tryout Information

Girls in rising grades 8-12 are invited to try out for Varsity Football and
Competitive cheer.

8th Grade Varsity Cheerleaders:
8th grade girls selected for Varsity Cheer will cheer for Varsity football and
competitive cheer. As an 8th grade member of the team, you will cheer at all high
school football games and participate in all practices and all competitions with
Varsity. No previous cheer or tumbling experience is required for 8th grade girls to
tryout, and we look for individuals with the maturity to commit to practice and
work hard. We welcome the opportunity to meet interested individuals and
discuss the program. It is considered an honor to participate and letter in a varsity
sport as an 8th grader.

Tryout Requirements:
   • Attend clinic both days for instruction
   • Turn in tryout form, cheer liability waiver, and $20 tryout fee

Selection Process:
   • A minimum of 2 qualified judges will evaluate candidates
   • Only judges, sponsor, and coach are present during tryouts
   • No one will see scores other than sponsor, coach, and judges
   • The sponsor tabulates all scores
   • The coach determines the size of the team and selection of alternates
   • Each girl receives a try-out number that is selected at random
   • Girls are free to leave following tryout process

Practice:
The team will practice the two weeks that follow tryouts.

After tryouts, more information will follow about uniform fitting.

Program Expectations

Commitment:
All cheerleaders must fully commit to cheerleading from August 1 through the first week in
December. If a Nationals team is formed, those girls are expected to continue their
commitment through the National competition in mid-February. Jobs, extra-curricular
activities, vacations, and other sports will need to take place outside of cheer practice, games,
and competitions.

Practices and Games:
Practices take place in the gym at the Germantown campus and are for approximately 2 hours
a day, Monday – Thursday, but may increase to 5-6 days a week right before a competition. All
practices and all games (including post season) are mandatory. Every girl is expected to arrive
on time and attend all. Absences from practices or games destroy stunt groups and eliminate
the ability of some or all of the squad to perform stunts. Summer Break, Fall Break,
Thanksgiving Break, and Winter Break, we do not hold cheer practice.

Tumbling:
Tumbling is NOT required to make the squad, but cheerleaders are expected to pursue outside
tumbling coaching in pursuit of tumbling skills. The coach will assign a minimum number of
tumbling hours for girls to complete over the summer. Additional hours of outside tumbling
will be assigned in the fall for individuals based on their skill set. Tumbling skills build the
overall skill level of the team and are never used to dismiss squad members.

Physicals:
Per TSSAA rules and SGIS policy, all cheerleaders are required to have a physical on file before
our first practice. All forms in the physical packet must be completed and turned in to Ms.
Lathum before our practice on August 1st. Failure to have forms will result in mandatory
sidelining until the forms are submitted.

Competitions:
This squad is a football AND competitive squad. Every girl who participates is expected to
participate in both. In addition to cheering at all football games, our squad will compete in the
Midsouth Regional Competition in late October and the TSSAA State Competition in mid -
November. We may additionally choose to participate in the Dixie Regional the first weekend
in Dec. All regular-season cheerleaders must commit to participation in these events.

National Competition:
If a core group of 12 girls is interested in pursuing a trip to Orlando to compete in the National
High School Cheerleading Championship, then we will move forward with planning travel this
summer. This option would extend cheer season for these select girls to mid-February.
Additional expenses would be required.

Personal Expectations:
Cheerleaders are expected to maintain high standards of academic performance and behavior
and should serve as role models for the student body. As an ambassador for the school, you
must represent the school and your cheer squad in a positive manner through your actions,
your words, and your posts on social media. We ask that parents and cheerleaders not post
video of our routine on social media during competition season.

Uniforms:
Cheerleaders will be required to purchase cheer uniforms, shoes, tote bag, poms, warm ups,
and practice clothing. It is the responsibility of each cheerleader to cover her clothing
expenses. If possible, used cheer items will be made available for purchase in the spring. A
uniform fitting will take place on a select day after cheer tryouts. A parent is encouraged to be
present with your daughter as she makes these purchases, as most items purchased through
Varsity Spirit are nonrefundable. SGIS will provide each girl with a competition uniform at no
cost to members.

Finances:
Each girl pays coaching fees and actual cheer expenses attributable to her. The money is
collected on a monthly schedule which should cover the bulk of expenses for both regular and
National cheer members. Each cheerleader will receive an itemized statement at the close of
her cheer season that will reflect any balance due or pending refund. Travel, hotel, park fees,
and competition fees are the driving expenses for the National payments. Please review the
budget provided in this packet for further details. The following pages show the estimated
expenses and payment schedule.

Fundraising:
One or two opportunities will be provided in the fall for the girls to apply fundraising toward
cheer expenses. More information will follow.

Estimated Expenses 2019-2020

Below is an estimation of expenses for the 2019-2020 school year based off of
figures collected from the previous year. Please understand that costs can vary
from year to year and every effort will be made to keep expenses down. All squad
members (parents) will receive an itemized list of expenses at the close of the
season. Bills for balances due or rebates for excess funds will be issued pro rata.
Each girl will have an opportunity to participate in a fall fundraiser to apply credit
to her individual expenses.

Coaching and Camp Fees:
Regular Season Cheer - $1075.00
National Competition add on - $375.00

Miscellaneous expenses:
Regular Season Cheer Only - $135.00

Practice Clothes (bows) not purchased in Varsity order: $100.00

State/Regional Competitions: $90.00

National Competition add on (including all travel, parks, and lodging expenses
except food): $1,025.00
__________________________________________________________________

Total estimated expenses:
Regular Season Cheer Only - $1400.00
Regular Season Cheer with National add on - $2800.00
Varsity bill is in addition to these expenses.

These expenses will be collected from May – August (Regular season cheer only)
and May – January (National season add on) at a rate of $350.00 per month.
Payments may be submitted one or multiple months at a time.

Cheer Payment Schedule
                                 2019-2020
Monthly bills are due by the 10th of each month. Please make checks payable to SGIS.
Checks can be given to Camilla at practice or mailed to the Collierville Campus, attention Angie
Simpson, 1880 Wolf River Blvd, Collierville, TN 38017

             Regular season cheerleaders make all May – September payments.
         Regular season plus Nationals cheerleaders make all May – January payments.

May                $350

June               $350

July               $350

August             $350

Estimated expenses for Regular season cheerleaders is $1400.00 plus Varsity bill expenses.

September          Amount due on Varsity bill (no monthly bill)
                   Estimated expense for returning girls is @ $300, new girls is @ $700

Add on payments for cheerleaders who plan to compete at Nationals:
October          $350

November           $350

December           $350

January            $350

February           Pay off any final balance or issue a refund (including fundraising.)

Estimated expenses for full competition year - $2,800.00 plus Varsity bill expenses

May – August payments cover estimated expenses for fall coaching, practice clothing,
competition fees, UCA camp, and football cheer camp. October – January payments include
everything above plus additional coaching fees, airfare to and from Orlando, UCA lodging and
competition fees, park hopper passes, and small rental expenses for the NHSCC. Great effort is
made to keep expenses down and in line with previous years if possible. Please see attached
sheet for estimated expenses.

Sign and Return:
        Tryout Application for SGIS Varsity Cheer
                   Rising Grades 8-12

Student’s Name _____________________________________

Grade in fall 2019 ____________________________________

Student’s Email ______________________________________

Parent’s Name _______________________________________

Parent’s Email _______________________________________

                           Tryout Options

I ______________________________ wish to try out for the Varsity
football and competitive cheer squad. My commitment runs from August
1 – the first week in December. My estimated expense would be $1400
plus uniforms.

Do you have an interest in competing with Varsity through mid-February
at the National High School Cheerleading Championship in Orlando? This
would be an additional $1400 in expense.

________Yes            ________No              ________Maybe

Please return the following in an envelope to the welcome desk by April
26th or return to the tryout clinic. All must be submitted.
  • This tryout form
  • The attached parent signed liability waiver
  • Your $20 cash tryout fee

Sign and return:

Parent Signature ____________________ Date ______________

Sign and return: