Spirit Cheer

The dates below are MANDATORY for cheerleading at PCA. 

Tryout Clinic - March 18– 21, 2024 

Tryout Day - March 22, 2024 (Upper School Only) 

Uniform Fittings - April 11, 2024 - Upper School (JV/V) 

April 15, 2024 - Middle School (7/8 Grades )

Summer Camp - May 20 - 23, 2024 – Spirit of Texas Day Camp 

• Camp is held 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. each day with a parent show-off on the last day around noon. 

ALL Fall Athletes Return- July 29, 2024

Chant Camp July 29 - August 2, 2024 

Back to School Day Monday, August 12, 2024 

First Day of School Wednesday, August 14, 2024 

Upper School Sports Fall Media Day - Saturday, August 3, 2024 (JV/V Only - Time TBD) 

Clinic and Tryouts are located in the PCA Field House 

Clinic Days 

Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. 

Wednesday - 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Tryout Clinics will meet in the PCA Field House. 

What to wear: Any PCA or appropriate t-shirt tucked into plain black or navy loose-fitting Nike/ Under Armor style running shorts. 

• Hair completely out of face in a ponytail, with a solid plain white bow. 

• No jewelry or gum.  

Cheerleaders will be allowed to film the material during the last 10 minutes of clinic every day. 

Tryout Day 

Friday - 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. 

• Please arrive with plenty of time to warm up based on your tryout number. The Student Life Center will be open with mats out to warm up. 

What to wear: Solid white T-shirt tucked into plain black or navy Nike-style shorts

• Hair completely out of face in a ponytail, with a solid plain white bow. 

• No jewelry or gum.  

• Only girls trying out for cheerleading, sponsors, judges, and senior cheerleaders will be allowed in the Field House and SLC.  

• No parents or friends will be allowed in the FH or SLC. 

• Once each cheerleader has completed the tryout process, she will need to leave the Field House. 

• There will be mats for tryouts! We rarely practice or perform without mats! 

• Each squad level will be in groups of three for try-outs. No one will have to try out completely alone. 

• Tryouts begin at 4:00 p.m. for JV and Varsity.

Judges will have a scoresheet with 10 catagories worth 10 points each. 

• Spirit/Enthusiasm 

• Cheer Technique  

• Dance Technique 

• Chant 

• Tumbling (Performance/Difficulty) 

• Incorporation (Jump/Tumbling) 

• Jumps 

• Voice Projection 

• Memory 

• Overall Impression 

Tryout Procedure 

1. Three girls walk out to do a chant… Judges will check their numbers and tell them when to begin. The middle girl will call “Ready!” …Clap… and then all will do the chant three times.

2. The girls will stand and catch their breath as the judge scores.  Judges will indicate that it’s time and begin the music for the dance.

3. The girls will perform three jumps connected, one being a toe touch and spirit afterward one at a time in tryout number order.

4. They will line up at the end of the mat in order and do their tumbling one at a time.

5. They will go back to their spots and do the cheer all together. 

Squad membership will be determined on the quality of their skills during tryouts. 

• • Practice and prepare for tryouts. 

  • Spirit cheerleaders are what we are looking for! Those who can engage the crowd (judges) will score infinitely better than those not prepared or lacking enthusiasm. 

Tumbling is NOT a requirement to tryout. 

• • We ask that EACH girl does some type of tumbling. It is full 10 points on the judges sheet. 

  • If your only skill is a cartwheel - do the BEST cartwheel you can do! 

  • Do not push yourself to do a terrible back handspring bust. A higher score will be awarded to the skills that are clean, sharp and polished. 

  • Any tumbling done at tryouts MUST be a skill maintained throughout the season. 

    • Ex. Do not get a tuck for tryouts and then loose it over the summer. 

Jumps 

• Middle School - Required to do three jumps, these do not need to be connected. 

• JV/Varsity - Required to do three jumps CONNECTED, with one being a toe touch. 

JV and Varsity Teams 

• • • All  JV/Varsity cheerleaders will be required to pay a cheer fee of $900 

    • This fee will be made in two payments - Both installments will be available on myPCA beginning April 1, 2024.

      • • First installment will be due no later than April 15, 2024

        • Second installment will be due no later than July 15, 2024

      • Approximate Costs: 

        • • NEW Varsity cheerleader- $1,800 approx. 

            • *Two Uniforms 

          • NEW JV cheerleader- $1,500 approx. 

• Transportation fees may apply to JV/ Varsity cheerleaders as necessary for seasonal and playoff travel. This will be billed accordingly at the end of the football/basketball seasons.  

• • Our goal is to use our Little Lions camp fundraiser to help cover as many additional costs as possible within the season. 

Middle School Teams 

• All Middle School cheerleaders will be required to pay a cheer fee of $700

  • This fee will be made in two payments 

    • First installment will be due no later than April 15, 2024

    • Second installment will be due no later than July 15, 2024 

• • • Approximate Costs: 

      • • New Middle School Cheerleader - $900

Fee Explanation 

• The fees will cover cheer camp, supplies for spirit items, paint, mat maintenance and cleaning, athletic trainer fee, custom music, and choreography for all pep rallies and special events. 

• This fee does not include: Cheerleading uniforms, shoes, accessories, additional items, and practice wear 

  • Practice/ Camp Wear - Approx. $90, Billed on the April 15th myPCA bill. JV and Varsity will have an additional $10 added for pom tags included in practice wear billing.