The Lee University Cheerleading team has announced its tryout dates for April 8-9 as a part of the annual Lee Day Weekend festivites.
The Lee University Cheerleading squad promotes school spirit while cheering at every home basketball game and also performs several times throughout the year at various cheer competitions. The team is under the direction of Jessica Frazier, a former Lee cheerleader and current elementary school counselor in Hamilton County.
IMPORTANT DATES
April 1, 2016 Tryout videos due for those unable to attend on-campus tryouts
April 8th, 2016 Registration packets for on-campus tryout duePROCEDURE
The tryout will result in the selection of a Small Coed squad and an All-Girl squad. The selection of each squad and the placement of individuals on one squad or another will be decided at the tryout and is based on the skill level demonstrated at the tryout. All returners must tryout to make the team each year. Returners who do not make the team at tryouts may participate in the 2nd round general tryout and have another chance of making the team. The tryout is closed to the public. All skills will be performed on a dead mat. Standing tucks and round-off handspring tucks will also be performed on a basketball court. Day 1 of the tryout is for learning and practicing skills. A panel of judges will evaluate the cheerleaders on Day 2 of the tryout. Those with the lowest total scores will be cut from the team.
ATTIRE
The attire for both days is navy shorts, and any Lee University tee shirt, and cheerleading
shoes. All cheerleaders should bring running shoes for warm-ups. Do not wear any jewelry.
Men must be clean-shaven. Ladies must wear their hair all the way up with a white bow and
must wear bloomers. Ladies should look game-day ready.
REGISTRATION
Registration Applications can be found on-line. These applications must be filled out prior to coming to Lee Day weekend. They may be brought by the participant to tryouts the first night. Please make sure to have your letters of references as well as your headshot attached to the application.
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
All positions: bases, back spots, flyers, and men
Cheerleaders with a high level of athleticism and a humble attitude
Cheerleaders who have an incredible work ethic and competitive drive
Cheerleaders who excel at game-day performances
Cheerleaders who place the importance of TEAM over that of the individual
Cheerleaders who are personable and can converse with administrators, fans, and donors
Cheerleaders who are ambassadors for Christ and for Lee University
Preferred SKILLS
Bases and Flyers and Men
Tumbling
• Standing handspring
• Standing handspring(s) to tuck, layout, or full (full preferred)
• Round-off back-handspring back tuck (full or specialty pass preferred)
Material
• One sideline cheers + fight song with Partner Stunts
• Mastery of basic stunts such as toss extension, toss platform liberty, and full-ups
• Ability to learn elite skills at the tryout such as rewind, BHS-up, doubleup, or hand-in-hand pop through
Pyramids & Tosses
• Base/Fly collegiate pyramids and basket tosses
HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT THE TRYOUT
• Pray about it. Commit your plans to the Lord (Prov 16:3). Work hard, and trust God.
• Look like a college cheerleader (hair, makeup, etc.).
• Sharpen up your motions and perfect motion placement. There is no recovery for missed motions or bad motions at the tryout.
• Lead the crowd when cheering. Pretend that you are in a college game-day situation.
• Your voice, facial expressions, and demeanor should make the judges want to join in.
• Practice your tumbling on the dead mat and basketball court. You do not want to look hesitant at the tumbling evaluation. You should be able to do all skills on command.
• Tumbling skills that you can only perform on the spring floor do not count, so work on transitioning your tumbling to the dead mat.
• No steps are allowed before standing tumbling except a step or two before a standing BHS (or two) to full. Stick and stand your landings.
• Cross tumbling is not allowed except for specialty passes. Practice running tumbling from the back to the front of the mat. Shrug 7, run 1-2, hurdle 3, hands down on 4.
• Practice the fight song with pom-pons and with the standing tuck.
• Show honesty and maturity during the interview. Make eye contact and sound articulate.
• Flyers: jump hard for all partner stunts. Lift, squeeze, freeze, and smile when in the air.
• Bases/men: combine strength with good technique. This is especially pertinent for tosses, grips, stunt placement, and dismounts. Sketchy stunts will not count.
• Demonstrate courage when learning new partner stunts, baskets, and pyramids.
• Show your competitive edge. There are no spots on the team for the timid.
• Learn quickly and make every rep count. You may not get another opportunity.
• Listen to the coaches' directions. Do not coach your peers.
• Have a good attitude. The judges are watching to see how you do under pressure.
• You will be called out to perform a certain skill in front of the judges at the end of the
• tryout. Determine for yourself that you will overcome the pressure and execute the skill.
• Do your best. If you do not make the team, then you will know that you gave it your all.
TRYOUT SCHEDULEDay 1 Friday, April 8th, 2016 8:45- 11:00 p.m.8:45pm Check-in for all cheerleader
8:50pm Tryout orientation
8:55pm Timed one-mile run
9:00pm Practice Session 1: Standing & running tumbling
9:30pm Practice Session 2: Sideline cheers & fight song
10:15pm Practice Session 3: Partner stunts + basket tosses
10:45pm Practice Session 4: Group Stunts
11:00pm Dismiss
Day 2 Saturday, April 9th, 2016 8:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.8:00 am Arrival
8:30 am Devotional and stretching
8:45am Review: Tumbling, cheers, fight song
9:00am Get lined up for tryouts.
Approx. 10:30am post tryout results
10:45am a mandatory meeting about upcoming procedures and uniform fitting.
AFTER THE TRYOUT
The team will be assigned summer workouts, and it is vital that all cheerleaders maintain (or exceed) their level of fitness and their level of cheerleading skills over the summer. It is equally important that cheerleaders are growing in their walk with Christ over the summer through personal devotions, church involvement, camps and missions trips, etc. A select group of cheerleaders will return to campus at the beginning of August to prepare for the UCA College Camp at ETSU July 23rd- July 31st. The rest of the cheerleaders will return to campus during the freshman move in date. Cheerleaders are expected to check their Lee groupme accounts regularly over the summer. All questions or concerns are to be directed to Coach Jessica Frazier at jessicalrfrazier@gmail.com
VIDEO TRYOUT PROCEDURE
It is understandable that some cannot attend the on-campus cheerleading tryout for various reasons (e.g., prom, another cheerleading competition, distance, etc.). As an alternative, candidates may tryout by video, though it is more advantageous to attend the on-campus tryout so that the coaches and judges can see the athlete cheer, stunt, and tumble in person. Before submitting a video, please review the above information about what we are looking
for at the tryout. Video tryouts are due by April 1st, 2016 and must include the following:
1. Lee University Cheerleader Application (see above)
2. One letter of recommendation from a coach
3. The tryout video itself
REQUIRED VIDEO CONTENT
Each tryout video must be uploaded to YouTube as a private, unlisted video, and the link must be emailed to Coach Jessica Frazier at jessicalrfrazier@gmail.com. Required tumbling must be performed on a dead mat, grass, track, or basketball court. Partner stunts may be single-man, two-man, or multi-based and may be performed on any surface. Each tryout video must include the following content:
Two sideline cheers
Best standing tumbling sequence
Best running tumbling pass
Best group stunt of your choice
Monologue explaining the athlete's Christian testimony, why he/she cannot attend the on-campus tryout, and why he/she wants to be a Lee University cheerleader
OPTIONAL VIDEO CONTENT
1. Standing and/or running tumbling skills on a spring floor (e.g., standing full)
2. Additional stunts or stunting positions (e.g., main base vs. back spot; two-man vs. multibased;
coed vs. multi-based, base vs. flyer, etc.)
3. Basket tosses (collegiate baskets preferred)
4. Game or competition footage
Click here for the
LEE UNIVERSITY CHEERLEADING TRYOUT APPLICATION
