FAQ

Q: When are tryouts?
A: Tryouts are held prior to Spring Break. This year, they will be held the first week of March (3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th).

Q: Have you ever had boy cheerleaders on the FMS squad?
A: No boys have ever cheered for FMS; however, if there was a boy who was mature enough and talented enough, they would be more than welcome to try out!

Q: What type of grades do you have to maintain to be a cheerleader?
A: You must maintain an average of 70 or above in all subjects. FMS Cheerleaders should be good students with a good work ethic. Cheerleading takes up enormous amounts of time, so you must be able to handle school demands as well as your extracurricular activites.

Q: How many are chosen for the squad?
A: There is no set number. Usually 10-16 cheerleaders are chosen.

Q: What are the requirements to be a cheerleader?
A: New girls trying out will be judged/scored on the following:
-Jumps (toe touch and a jump of choice)
-Individual Cheer/Chant
-Group Cheer
-Group Dance
-Teacher Evaluation
-Communication Skills (voice, facial expression, confidence)
-Motion Technique (coordination, sharp motions, arms, fists, etc.)
-Dance Technique (sharp motions, keeping beat, expression)
-Cartwheel and round-off
-Splits (2 of 3 ways or better)
-Any other type of tumbling (i.e. back handspring) you can do will be added as bonuses, but are not required. If you cannot do anything “extra” you will not have points deducted.
-Also, throughout the tryout week the judge(s) will be looking at such things as cooperation (working with others) and attitude. Though you will not have points assigned to these things, a good attitude and being cooperative is always a plus!
-You will also be categorized as to whether you could be a base, back spot, or flyer. No points will be assigned to this, but it will factor in when the final squad is chosen.

Q: How much does cheerleading cost?
A: Cheerleading is NOT CHEAP! The upfront cost, this year, is approximately $900. That includes camp, clothing (camp wear, bloomers, bodysuit, leggings, shoes, uniform), cheer bag and poms. Cheerleaders keep all of these items. We also have a gymnastics instructor that comes to us once a week for 2 hours. Gymnastics is an additional $50/month.

Q: How long is the "cheer season"?
A: The cheerleaders chosen for the FMS squad cheer for both the football team and the girls' and boys' basketball teams. The football season is from August to early October, while the basketball season is from early November through January.

Q: How often do you practice?
A: Practices will start in April and continue throughout the summer. In April we will have one regular practice day for 2 hours and one gymnastics day for 2 hours. Those days will be either be a Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday. Practices in May will be 3 days a week (Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday), one of which will be a gymnastics day. The girls will have the week after getting out of school off, then we will resume in late June. Once school starts, practices will be held almost everyday (at least 4 out of 5 days).

Q: What kind of rules do I have to follow to be an FMS Cheerleader?
A: You must follow the rules & guidelines outlined in the demerit contract.

Cheerleading Demerit Contract
(This will be signed by both the parent and cheerleader before tryouts.)

Infraction	Demerit Amount
Disrespect to coaches/teammates	4
Missing practice/game (unexcused*)	2
Bad attitude/complaining/uncooperative	2
Not fully cheering	2
Use of cell phone during practice/game	2
Late for practice/game (unexcused*)	1
Chewing gum, eating or drinking during cheer time	1
Excessive talking during cheer time	1
Dirty/wrong uniform or practice clothes	1
Late at halftimes and/or between games	1
Wearing any type of jewelry during practices/games	1
Having ungroomed/too long fingernails	1
Leaving a game/practice before it is over (unexcused*)	1
Not prepared for game/practice (clothes, shoes, poms, etc.)	1

*I expect every girl to be present at every practice (even last minute practices) and every game with the exception of the following: illness (must be accompanied by a doctor’s note), doctor’s appointment (must be accompanied by a doctor’s note), or death in the family.

Q: What are the attendance policies?
A: As the rules state in the demerit contract, all cheerleaders are expected to be at all practices and games, unless excused. If you are absent from school (excluding field trips) you are not allowed to practice or cheer in a game. Please keep in mind that it is a long season and the rules will stay the same throughout. Attendance is very important! Just one person missing changes the whole dynamic of the squad!

Q: What are my responisbilites as a cheerleader?
A:
~To realize the cheerleading squad exists to promote school spirit through behavior, actions, attitude, and words, and cheer for the football and basketball teams. We exist to support the sports teams. We are not a competition squad.
~To LEAD the crowd in cheers to encourage the football and basketball teams.
~To maintain spirit, positive attitudes, and be encouraging at all times when representing FMS at school, school functions, and community functions.
~To be professional in appearance and behavior when representing FMS, including during the school day.
~To maintain respect in behavior, actions, and words to sponsors, fellow squad members, students, faculty, FMS fans and other schools’ students and fans.

Q: Do the girls who have cheered on this squad before automatically make the new squad?
A: Girls from the previous squad are not guaranteed a position on the squad. Yes, they have a good chance, but they have to tryout as well.

Q: Where do you attend camp & what is it like?
A: For the past 7 years, the FMS cheerleaders have attended a registered UCA camp. First, at Cheers in Franklin, then at Premiere in Franklin. This year we will be attending the Park Vista Resort camp in Gatlinburg, TN. At camp, the cheerleaders will be taught cheers, sidelines, and a dance routine. The girls will be taught stunting and the proper way to spot stunts. They will also be playing games, which help with teamwork and cooperation. It is mandatory that you attend camp.

Q: What do you do during the "gymnastics" classes?
A: Our gymnastics instructor, Chad Hollingsworth, works mainly on tumbling skills. He works on everything from cartwheels to advanced tumbling (back tuck, round-off back tuck, back handspring back tuck, round-off layout, etc.). Form is an important skill, so even the girls who are advanced tumblers must constantly work on perfecting their form and "simpler" skills. In addition to tumbling, Chad helps the squad with stunting and evalutating dances and cheers.

Q: What kind of fundraising do you do?
A: We do anything that's legal (and preferably easy)! The easiest, and occasionally the most profitable, fundraiser are car washes. We have also sponsored school Lock-Ins and dances, and held bake sales and yard sales. We even once painted a house. Of course, donations are always welcomed! We do try to stay away from "brochure" fundraisers, though we have done them in the past. Many parents don't like these and the handling of money and goods isn't always the easiest.

Q: Does this squad ever compete?
A: At camp, we participate in three small competitions. In the past we have competed in larger, local competitions. Because our first priority is supporting our school football and basketball teams, rarely would we have the chance to practice for a big competition.

Other Information
All FMS athletes are required to have a physical before they can participate in tryouts or any team practices. Please have your physician fill out this or their own form for your child to be eligible. Also please try to have your physical scheduled during the summer to prohibit the delays in their ability to participate.