Cheer Constitution

BEAVERCREEK CHEERLEADING CONSTITUTION

PURPOSE

▪ Cheerleaders shall promote and uphold school spirit.
▪ Cheerleaders shall develop a sense of good sportsmanship among students.
▪ Cheerleaders are STUDENT Athletes. Athletes are required to have a minimum GPA of 1.5.
▪ Cheerleaders shall strive to build better relationships between schools.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

▪ Beavercreek High School Athletic Code of Conduct is in effect at all times.
▪ Practices are mandatory. You must attend the practices scheduled each week. Dress appropriately. Failure to report to practice will result in disciplinary action.
▪ All squad members are to be at the games, dressed and ready to prepare for the game at the designated time.
▪ Cheerleaders must do all cheers, chants, and dances that are taught at practice.
▪ Cheerleaders are expected to return to the field/floor after half time, before the game resumes.
▪ All cheerleaders must travel to and from games/events on the team bus.
▪ Alternate Transportation Forms- this form requires a printed reason for needing to not ride the bus, date, and person taking them home, as well as student/parent signatures in order for the principal/athletic director to approve the form.
▪ If absent from school, a parent/guardian must notify a coach prior to the start of practice/scheduled event. Preferably, coaches should be contacted 30 minutes or more before the event. Only parents can make absence notifications to the coach.
▪ If cheerleaders are present at school you are expected to attend the practice/game for that day.
▪ Cheerleaders need a doctor doctor note for any extended absences or injuries.
▪ Respect will be shown to all coaches, tumbling instructors, captains, and other teammates at all times.
▪ Cheerleaders are expected to perform skills demonstrated at tryouts during games.

UNIFORMS AND APPEARANCE
▪ Uniforms will be purchased by Beavercreek High School Athletic Department or Boosters. Since uniforms are school property, they should not be altered or worn (other than games) unless the coach gives permission. Each cheerleader will be responsible for the care of his/her own uniform. The uniform should be clean for each game. You will be responsible for replacing any lost or damaged items that belong to the school.
▪ Any alterations must be taken out at the end of the season. Uniforms should NEVER be cut when being altered.
▪ Camp clothes and warm-ups are part of a cheerleader’s uniform. No part of the uniform can be loaned out to others during the season.
▪ NO JEWELRY will be permitted in practices or at games. Do not get new piercings during or immediately before the season. You will need to get clear retainers to put in or take it out completely.
▪ Any tattoos must not be visible while in uniform. They must be covered.
▪ Girls may wear neutral colored fingernail polish while cheering. Nails must be an athletic length!
▪ Hair must also be worn completely up and out of the face at all times. Matching bow is considered part of the uniform.
▪ Hair color must be a natural color and cannot be dyed other colors during the season.
▪ Chewing gum will not be permitted during practice or games.

CONDUCT AND DENIAL OF PARTICIPATION
▪ The cheerleading program will follow a discipline system (see attached infraction list). Denial of participation may result if a cheerleader’s actions meet the degree of infraction. Coaches shall have the right to put on probation or deny participation of any cheerleader for accumulation of infractions.
▪ Cheerleaders will be expected to cheer from the stands when not on the field/court.
▪ Failure to complete the season that you are chosen for will reflect poorly in the coach’s evaluation for the next year’s tryout.
▪ Regardless of whether you are in uniform, you still represent the school and district.

PRACTICES AND GAMES
▪ All scheduled practices and games are mandatory. Acceptable excuses will be illness, absence from school, death or serious illness in the family, or approved family vacations. Other excused absences are at the coach’s discretion. It is the responsibility of each cheerleader to notify the coach of any absence, whether it is excused or not!
▪ Parents must contact the coach by phone or email to notify them of any absences. It is up to the coach’s discretion as to whether the absence will be considered excused. Just because a parent notifies a coach, does not automatically mean it is an excused reason to miss practice or a game.
** Missed practices/games due to non-school related commitments are NOT excused. Unexcused absences will result in sitting out at games.

EXTRA DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
▪ Additional duties may include painting run-through signs, school signs, making scrapbooks, and helping with hospitality.
▪ Fundraisers, community outreach events are also mandatory!
▪ The varsity squads are required to attend the EBFC Camp put on in July and any other pee-wee camps set up.
▪ It is necessary that all squad members participate.

TECHNOLOGY
▪ All cheerleaders are expected to abide by the district’s technology policy.
▪ Coaches also expect their cheerleaders to use good judgment when posting information or photographs online, such as on Facebook,Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, etc *This includes both pictures, content, language, etc.
▪ Cheerleaders should not post negative or bullying comments about teammates or any classmate

FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS
▪ Cheerleaders and families are responsible for any costs that may come up during the season. This could include purchasing hair ribbons, sweats, etc. Parents are notified in advance about these types of purchases.
▪ If a family pays by check and the check bounces, the family will be responsible for any fees the bank charges for the bounced check.
▪ If a family has any type of financial difficulty at any point, please contact your coach to work out a payment plan or a delayed payment. We are happy to work with you as long as we are aware of the situation.

Beavercreek Cheerleading Infraction List

Our discipline system will be in effect at all times. Failure to follow rules and regulations at any time will lead to the issuance of consequences by the coaching staff. Parents will be notified if an infraction has occurred.

**Infractions occurring at practices will most likely result in additional conditioning.
**Infractions occurring at games will result in missed game time (minimum a quarter at a time)
Continued infractions can result in:
-Sitting additional game time chosen by coach
-Conference with coaches
-Removal from squad

Violations

Dress
● Warmups or uniform should be on when arriving at a game, this includes cheer shoes.
● Wearing uniform or warmups any place other than a game
● Not prepared for practice (missing shoes, shorts, etc.)
● Inappropriate dress for game (wearing jewelry, no bow, hair down, wrong color of socks, nailpolish, missing part of the uniform, etc.) o If you cannot correct the issue prior to the start of the game, you will not cheer until it is fixed.

Tardiness/Absences
● Leaving early from practice without an acceptable excuse
● Unexcused tardiness to practice or game
● Unexcused missed practice or game
● Returning late from half time
● Failure to notify a coach when a practice/event/game is missed

Attitude/Behavior
● Failure to participate in other duties or events
● Not doing cheers, chants, and dances taught to you
● Talking to friends or family while in the cheer line at games
● Talking to each other excessively on the sideline
● Using cell phone without coach’s permission
● Goofing off on bus to or from game
● Not listening when a coach has asked you to do something or once they have told you to not do something
● Unsportsmanlike conduct, including negative verbal comments or gestures toward opposing teams, team members, or fans
● Disrespect to coaches, verbal as well as gestures (includes giving the coach attitude/lying)
● Undesirable behavior, language, gestures (including social media)
● Public displays of affection

*Coaches reserve the right to sit a cheerleader for infractions not on above list.

** Use of drugs or alcohol (including tobacco products) will result in disciplinary action through both the school and the coach.

Social Media Expectations:

• Beavercreek Cheerleaders are expected to represent the district and our program positively at ALL TIMES. This includes social media posts.

• If a cheerleader posts (or is shown in a post) speaking disrespectfully about the program, their coaches or teammates they will have consequence.

• If a cheerleader posts (or is shown in a post) with alcohol, drugs, tobacco or vape it will be assumed she was using it and will have consequence: benched a game at minimum; removed from squad if severe enough or if multiple occurrences.

**You would NOT believe the ways people have gotten posts/pictures to coaches in the past. THINK before you post or let a friend post!