Monthly Newsletter

JUNE/JULY

Dear Cheerleaders and Family,

Welcome to the Squad! We are so excited to be a part of this season with you all, and look forward to the coming months. Last season really set the gym floor on fire with a Latin-inspired Homecoming routine-- we plan to turn up the heat in 2025! Many back-to-back events in early Fall are going to make high energy and effort a must-have recipe for success. We hope to maintain PRECISION and POWER in all of our routines, as well as introduce new building skills-- our stunting foundation has made MAJOR improvements since the pandemic, and we want to continue to raise the bar of what we can accomplish together. Our first Newsletter for the year covers anticipated fundraisers, service opportunities, Camp, and no shortage of excitement around every corner! Remember, Captains Practices are not mandatory, but HIGHLY encouraged. Game Day Material should be completely prepared for the start of the season, in August, and plenty of online resources are available for athletes to achieve success from home, as well. As Football plans to return to the Battle at the Beach to kickstart our game schedule, we will finalize our FIRST Varsity line by August 19th. This commitment to excellence and preparation by all athletes ensures we can use the duration of the summer to prepare for our multiple Fall performances. More detailed information to come as the official start of the season gets closer—--please, stay connected for updates via social media, REMIND texts, TeamSnap, and the website.

Cheers to the best time of the year!

Spirit Pack

All cheerleaders will have their Spirit Pack covered by their Car Wash sales (game uniform is provided for all cheerleaders ON LOAN). The 2025 Spirit Pack includes practice bow, game bow, game socks, specialty night accessories, cold weather accessories, 1 short sleeve t-shirt, 1 tank, and 1 reversible practice pinny (Veterans, you have the pinny).

All cheerleaders are invited to design our 2025 Spirit Pack tank. This should be a large, clear, design so it can be visible from the stands (i.e.. for warmer weather like Battle at the Beach). Please see our Instagram for past Spirit Pack inspiration, and email Coach Maher with your creation-- designs are due by 6/15 at midnight so we can vote the next day!

Carrying over from last year, our warm up look will remain the same for 2025. These will be invoiced directly to all new athletes, though cheerleaders are welcome to sell additional Car Wash tickets to cover/offset cost-- any VETERAN who wishes to purchase new/replacement items, please note it on your Spirit Pack Order Form. Like last year, we will be using a Google Form to collect information for all orders, so materials can begin to arrive ASAP. These Spirit Pack Order Forms are due ON or BEFORE the 6/15 Car Wash.

If items cannot be covered by Car Wash tickets, they must be paid for out of pocket (invoiced).

Charles River Green/White Striped Pullover $55
Augusta Ladies Performance Fleece Jogger $35
Kaepa Cheerful Sneaker $50

More payment information (as well as additional sizing opportunities for those away on vacation) will be provided from our sneaker representative as we approach Camp.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Lifting Begins, 7/8 @7-7:45am
- Every Tues & Thurs
- Brandemarti Fitness Center
Captains Practices Begin, 7/8 @8-10am
- Every Tues-Thurs
- WDHS Track
Cheer Camp, 7/22-7/24 @8:45-4pm
- Featuring 1 Day of 'NCA Takeover'
- Lunch & Snacks Provided
- RiverWinds
ATHLETIC PAPERWORK DUE, 7/29
- Online Platform Review Coming Soon

Pep Rally

The first pep rally of the season will take place Friday, September 5th. The performance material IS the Tryout cheer and dance from May. All videos/words are available on cheer website for review over the summer.

Spirit Committee

The support of our Parents and Guardians is a big part of our success as a program. We will be having a Spirit Committee of volunteers to potentially organize team bonding activities, manage some fundraising, represent the program from the stands (while the girls cheer the sideline), etc. All are welcome! The Spirit Committee will be informed on team updates directly and will be able to coordinate a plan for the program, with the help of more volunteers as needed. Please email Coach Maher regarding interest or questions.

Social Media

As a Student Athlete representing WDHS and our program, social media will be monitored even in the “off season.” Please see Athlete Contract.

Fundraising

All fundraisers are mandatory and will be an individual responsibility, as well as a team effort. In order to stay expense-conscious for all of our athletes and families, we strive to make it our commitment that few expenses have to be paid out-of-pocket. With that in mind, we will fundraise often to cover the basic expenses of the uniform, service projects, decoration materials for school, banquet tickets for athletes, etc.

Our first BIG fundraiser will be our annual Car Wash in the parking lot of WDHS. Each cheerleader was given tickets (please see the Parent/Athlete Meeting presentation for quantities vs. buyout details) and are responsible to sell their tickets to cover their spirit pack—extra tickets can be arranged for additional items needed (ticket doc was attached to Parent/Athlete Meeting email). Please look out for a sign-up sheet of materials needed.

There are several Dine to Donate fundraisers over the summer and once school begins, but keep an eye on your email for any specific details and opportunities! Additionally, please contact a coach if there is a certain fundraiser you would like to see us do!

Camp

We are happy to announce we will be doing another Cheer Camp THIS July, in partnership with the WDCA Youth program. Our counselors will lead a new dance and cheer for our joint, in-season performances, as well as work on stunting foundations and skills for our routines. In 2025, our Camp features a NCA (National Cheerleading Association) takeover with fresh instruction on the sport. Combined with the passion of our WD Cheer Alumni, there is no telling the heights these campers will soar this season! Similarly to past years, this is a 3-day camp at RiverWinds, from 8:45am-4pm on July 22nd-July 24th. The cost is $150 per cheerleader and DOES include lunch and snacks each day.

This is a great opportunity for everyone, and we would love to see our full program be a part of it—the material learned will be performed at the Summer Streetfest Concert, Youth Appreciation Night football game, West Deptford Day, and end-of-season Cheer Expo! If you have a prior commitment, please email a coach NO LATER than July 1st (so we can inform the camp counselors of our roster size).

Looking Ahead...

Fitness Requirements

All flyer hopefuls should be drilling flexibility on both sides of their body (pulling heel stretches, scales, etc). Adding flair to our stunts is always a goal in our Homecoming performances (kick up to body positions please, not holding your heel and then extending) to challenge ourselves and achieve new goals. While we do fly on our right leg, it is important to stretch BOTH sides of your body EQUALLY for safety. If you are interested in some stretching drills and exercises to prepare for the season, please email Coach Maher!

Additionally, we have always stressed the importance of health and properly conditioning ourselves to achieve the dreams our program has for itself. Based off of feedback from graduating Seniors and returning veterans, that is a major aspect of improvement for the program everyone had called for, AND those that took advantage have praised their results! That said, we will begin EVERY practice (Summer & Fall) with a campus perimeter warm-up jog. We will also evaluate ourselves on fitness goals and benchmarks (much like other sports) to ensure we have the strength and endurance to continue to grow as a program. Team lifting opportunities will begin every Tuesday/Thursday morning, 7-7:45am, after the July 4th holiday, and progress can be logged in a shared tracking sheet. On top of lifting, aerobics workouts are offered all Wednesdays mornings (7am) following Camp week. The stamina needed to make it through a football game or the strength required to pull off skills in a routine are not something we should approach with a "hope for the best" mentality for the safety of ourselves and our teammates-- start getting into the mindset and practice of physicality a little more each and every week!

Team Bonding

We have heard your feedback on team bonding events you'd love to see! With the exception of a school-sleepover (no longer permitted by the District), we can't wait to 'stop and smell the roses,' while we savor time together. Be sure to read your emails as more bonding dates are added all season long.

Big Eagle/Little Eagle

After the positive feedback from years past, we will be continuing the Big Eagle/Little Eagle mentorship with the WDCA Youth Program. Check the calendar for bonding dates, preparation for Youth Appreciation Night, and other events!

Service

We are so happy we could volunteer again at the Cancer Survivor Day hosted by Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at RiverWinds! Continue to check your emails for information regarding summer donations to Cathedral Kitchen, as well as "Adopt A Family" opportunities around the holiday season. Additionally, please contact a coach if there is a certain service project close to your heart that you would like us to participate!

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