WELCOME...                                                                                                                                                 

Thank you for your interest in Western's Cheer Program. Tryouts are held in the spring and the new squad cheers for the following school year. Once the new squad is picked they are committed to cheer for the entire year, which is football and basketball season. In order to tryout, each participant must have at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA if they are currently a WWU student. For transfer students and high school seniors that are interested, each person must be accepted into Western. Previous cheer experience and tumbling is not required, but obviously does not hurt.

Western's cheer squad is not a competing squad, but this is something we would like to strive for. I'm very interested in taking the squad to a competition, I just need participants who are ready to venture in that area. We do not have height/weight requirements. I take the best of the best!

Western's squad is a coed cheer squad. So for those who have never stunted with guys, be prepared! We start with a stunting clinic the weekend before tryouts begin. This clinic is mandatory because it gets all participants prepared for the difference of stunting with guys.

For transfer and high school students participating in the tryouts process, I will need to see a letter of acceptance into Western. Each local participant that makes the squad needs to be aware of and attend spring practices that usually begin immediately after tryouts.

I encourage everyone who's still interested in Western Cheer to attend the cheer information meeting that's held in the spring before tryouts. More information about this meeting (like time & location) will be posted on the webpage as spring approaches. For those who live too far to attend our meetings, below is information on who to tryout by video. Plus this information is for those who want to know specifics about what we look for during tryouts and want to start preparing for tryouts now.

Introduction:
Both girls and guys, I'd like your tape to begin with a brief introduction of who you are. We haven't met in person, so let me and other judges see your personality. Tell us how much cheer experience you have, what you enjoy most about cheer, what you enjoy least about cheer and why you want to cheer for WWU.

Chant/Cheer:
Girls and guys... I want to hear your voice! Pretend your at a game and get me pumped to join you in your chant. Let me hear how you rally and get the crowd involved. Say the chant a couple of times before you begin arm motions. You'll be judged on your voice projection, arm motions and spirit! Feel free to add any jumps/kicks or tumbling for extra energy and bonus points! Move on to your cheer. Incorporate tumbling, stunts and signs in your cheer. Once again, you'll be judged the same as the chant.

Dance:
Ladies only. I'd like to see two dances. A fight song type dance with mainly cheer movements and a "hip-hop" type dance. It doesn't have to be purely hip-hop, but I want to see how comfortable you feel performing a dance that's not purely cheer motions. You'll be judge on your rhythm, execution/confidence and personality. You may not be the best dancer, but have fun with it!

Stunts, Tumbling, Jumps:
Girls and guys ... These are the stunts I would like to see you perform. A chair, a toss shoulder stand, toss hands (for these stunts, call a dismount, cradle or pop off, and then dismount it) and then do any extended stunt of your choice (Cupie, Liberty, Scorpion, etc.) and cradle it. You'll be judged on your athleticism, technique and execution of the stunt and dismount/cradle. If your stunt falls, keep it in the video because I'd like to see, for safety reasons, how you catch (for guys) and how you fall (for girls). Just shake it off and redo the stunt. For your jumps, I'd like to see you perform a toe touch. The jumps are not mandatory for guys, but if you have an awesome toe touch, then show me! If you tumble, this will provide bonus points! For tumbling I'd like to see only one of these performed for bonus points.
1. Standing back handspring (up to two bonus points)
2. Round-off back handspring or a standing back tuck (up to three bonus points)
3. Round-off back handspring series or a round-off back tuck (up to four bonus points)
4. Round-off back handspring series with a tuck or a layout (up to five bonus points)
With the tumbling do what you do best for the maximum of bonus points. I'd rather you do a #1 and get all 2 bonus points than try to do a #4 and get 1 or no bonus points.

All videotapes will become my property, so please do not send a tape that you'd like to have as a keepsake. Videotapes and other materials are to be mailed to me and I'll provide a deadline date and address as tryouts approach. I will also need a copy of your WWU Acceptance letter and a letter of recommendation from your cheer coach or other athletic coach if you've never cheered before, but have participated in sports. Or from a teacher/professor, someone who's known you for at least 2 years, if you've never cheered or participated in any sports before.

Once again, thank you for your interest in WWU Cheer and I look forward to meeting you all in the spring!

For more information on the cheer program, please email the cheer program coordinator Tonja Gilbert at wwucheer@hotmail.com.