Cheer tryout forms will vary slightly based on the school or the organization holding the tryout. If you're the one hosting the tryout, make sure you think through every aspect of the event that prospective cheerleaders will need to know before joining your team. Include that information in a packet along with the tryout forms so that everyone is fully prepared for the big day.
Types of Cheer Tryout Forms
When you hold a cheer tryout, you have to prepare everyone involved for the task that they've been given. Think through your process: who is involved, how are they involved, what's expected of them and how do they know what to do? Depending on your answers, you may need different forms for parents, prospective cheerleaders, returning cheerleaders and judges.
Forms for Parents
If your team includes minors, chances are you'll need to provide parents with all the applicable information regarding athlete conduct and safety as well as the time and monetary investment cheerleading requires. You may want to include a general information packet to parents including release forms, verification of a recent physical, emergency contact information and general team policies. If you have a code of conduct or team rules, you may want the parent to sign the form, stating that they've read and agree to the rules and understand the potential consequences for their child if the rules are broken.
Forms for Cheerleaders
You want every cheerleader trying out for the team to feel confident and well-informed when she enters the gym on tryout day. Not only will you want to provide general team information to the cheerleader, you'll want to provide her with details on required cheers, jumps, stunts and cheer motions that you expect to see during the tryout. If you have very specific time, music or cheer requirements, consider providing cheerleaders with a checklist form prior to the tryout so they can make sure they have everything required. You may also want to provide them with a sample score card so that they'll know how the scoring works.
If you have slightly different requirements for returning cheerleaders, make sure that you provide a separate information packet with only the forms that apply to them. This will cut down on tryout-day confusion.
Finally, consider including recommendation forms or interview questions so that you can learn more about a prospective cheerleader's goals, interests and academic achievements.
Forms for Judges
You want to provide judges with forms that enable them to score cheerleaders accurately and without bias. Scoresheets that include categories like the entrance, spirit, jumps, cheers and chants with a clear-cut scoring system will help judges achieve this goal. Also, you may want to provide judges with a quick snapshot of each cheerleader that gives them basic information on the athlete's bio, interests and experience.
Finding Sample Cheer Forms
A number of organizations provide online versions of their cheer tryout forms. Some of these forms are in an easily edited format, while others must be re-created from scratch. Using another organization's forms can help you decide what information you need when holding a tryout - there's no need to completely reinvent the wheel.
Tryout Day
It may take some time to get all your forms organized, distributed, re-collected and reviewed by tryout day, but you'll be glad you made the effort. Tryouts can feel a little hectic, so the more organized you are before the big day, the more smoothly things will run during the event.
