Worcester Vikings Pop Warner

Welcome!  We are hoping this year will be a successful and fun one for both the girls and the parents.  We started off well this year by offering tumbling classes and having an additional fundraiser to defray the cost of spirit packs! 

We have 3 teams this year,

Mitey Mites,

Pee Wee

                and Jr. Midget                     

Practice – As of 9/1 we will be changing our days and times. 

 JM/JPW will be Mon, Wed, Thurs from 5:30-7:30.

Tiny Mites will be Monday & Thursday from 5:30-7:30.

 In case of rain, we will meet at the field first, Beth will know then if we can use the Bridge or the Youth Center – all forms for the youth center need to be completed before we can use the facility!

·Parents – Please make sure you are at the field at 7:15 to pick up your child, the coaches are having to stay behind with some girls waiting for parents.  If you are at the football field, please come get your child at 7:15, coaches shouldn’t have to bring the girls to the field to find you.

The girls are working very hard and are showing great progress, support them and help them with cheers at home so they can get better! 

 Please contact the Cheer Coordinator Beth Goven if you have any questions or issues at 508 829-0313

Last year we had no place to hold practice indoors, this year, we have two locations!  The first is the Worcester Youth Center located on the other end of the park and the other is The Bridge located across the street next to the Strike Zone.  Neither place is large enough to hold all of the girls at the same time so I’m looking to break them up.  The girls will need to fill out membership to the youth center. There may be a small cost for the use of the Bridge.

*One thing to note on indoor practices is because of insurance, parents are not allowed to stay with the girls.  You must drop off your child and pickup at the location 15 minutes before.

The girls have completed their conditioning and will start working on stunting week 3.  They are beginning to learn their halftime and competition routines.  Please have them practice in front of a mirror if possible so they can see their movements.  Help them whenever possible, the better they know their routines, the better chance they have at competition and halftime! 

Now that they are learning halftime and competition cheers, it is extremely important to make sure your girl is at every practice.  There is a lot to learning routines and they miss a lot during one practice.  You are required to call your coach or the coordinator if your child does need to miss practice due to illness or injury.

If your daughter has an inhaler, please make sure she has it at every practice!  This is a medical concern for the coaches and a safety issue for your child!  Your daughter will be required to sit out if she doesn’t have her inhaler.  Also if there are any other medical concerns we need to know about like epi pens, diabetes, allergies, etc.  Please let us know.  The more we know the better we will be able to react in an emergency!

Please make sure you child is at practice 15 minutes before.  We do not cancel for rain but if it is going to be really bad, Beth will try to get the Youth Center before hand.  On those days, we will meet at the field and walk over with the girls.

Please make sure your child comes to practice with a drink and light snack, hair is up in a ponytail, cell phones are not brought unless necessary and turned off and put away if they are.

The girls will no longer be allowed to leave the field during halftime – we ran into too many problems with starting late during the 2^nd half.  Food took too long to get and we are also graded by the opposing team during the game.

The team parent will collect money from each parent and will bring a snack and drink to the girls on the field. 

Please let Beth know your availability.  Beth needs to get 6 volunteers for the Regional competition in November.  She will need 3 for the morning session and 3 for the afternoon session.  Please let Beth know if you are interested.  The league is required to send volunteers.

If you have any questions, please contact your head coach or Beth! 

Thank you for being a Viking!

The following are the 2009 guidelines and rules for cheerleaders and parents:

• The first 2 weeks of practice, the girls need to complete 20 hours of conditioning before they can begin stunting.  Stretching and conditioning will take up the first half of practice and learning cheers will take up the 2^nd.  The girls will be practicing together for these 2 weeks.   
• If you are going on vacation, during this time, your girl will need to make up the time, please let me or your coach know.
• Girls need  to arrive 15 minutes early for practice and parents are expected to arrive 15 minutes before practice is over to pickup you child.  We do not cancel practice for rain, so please bring them if it’s raining.  If the weather is not safe for the girls, we may move inside or cancel practice at the field, but not before.
• All teams will have a three strike rule – The team will have 3 discipline strikes before 10 minutes of additional conditioning is assessed.  Any additional conditioning will be done at the end of practice. 
• Any cheerleader who continues to be disruptive will be asked to sit at the coaches discretion.
• Cheerleaders are to come to practice prepared in shorts (no short shorts!), T-Shirt or tank (no spaghetti straps) and sneakers (last years cheer ones if possible).   If your child is dressed inappropriately, she will be sent home to change or will not be allowed to practice.
• Hair is to be tied back and ABSOLUTELY NO JEWELRY!
• If your girl needs to bring a cell phone, it must be given to the coach at the beginning of practice and will be returned to her at the end of practice.
• Girls who have inhalers must come with their inhaler labeled with their name, if they do not, they will not be allowed to practice – no exceptions.
• Girls need to come to practice with a drink (no energy drinks), and healthy snack especially during the warmer months.
• Girls/Parents need to call the coach or coordinator if their child needs to miss practice.  Practices are very important for the team to function as a team, please make every effort to have your child there at every practice.   
• Parents are welcome to watch practice but are not allowed onto the field for any reason.   If you have a concern, please talk to the coach before, after or during a break.  The girls are also not allowed to leave the field without coach’s consent.