INDIANAPOLIS - The IUPUI Cheerleading Program will be hosting their 2019-2020 Tryouts on Saturday, May 18th from 12pm - 9pm.
An in-person tryout is mandatory to be considered for a position in the IUPUI Cheerleading Program. Permission for special arrangements must be approved by the IUPUI Cheerleading Coaching Staff and Head Coach, Ashley Burelison, at
ahblanke@iu.edu.
Tryouts will be located in The Jungle inside the Natatorium building on the IUPUI campus.
TRYOUTS ARE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC
Eligibility
- Applicant should be an:
- Undergraduate student (12 hours minimum) and should be enrolled on the IUPUI campus as an undergraduate student during both semesters in year of competition. The only exception to this is during the last semester in which 12 credit hours is not required for graduation;
- Undergraduate transfer student from another college, university, or IU campus who has been admitted to IUPUI for next school year or has applied and is awaiting acceptance for the summer or fall semester;
- Incoming freshman student who has been admitted to IUPUI or has applied and is awaiting acceptance for the summer or fall semester.
- Graduate students should contact the program head coach separately.
- Selection to the IUPUI Cheerleading Program does not promise admittance to IUPUI.
- A current IUPUI student must have at least 2.000 cumulative grade point (no round-ups) to try out. Transfer credit from institutions other than IUPUI and its regional campuses may not be used to meet the 2.000 GPA requirement.
- Cheerleaders selected must be making normal progress toward a degree and meet these minimum number of IU total semester hours:
- --End of freshman year . . . . . . . . . 24 hours
- --End of sophomore year . . . . . . . . 51 hours
- --End of junior year . . . . . . . . . . . 78 hours
- --End of senior year . . . . . . . . . . . 105 hours
- Every applicant must submit by Monday, May 13, 2019, all required paperwork listed below. FORMS MUST BE RECEIVED ON TIME TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR TRYOUTS.
Required Paperwork
To Submit to Program Head Coach, Ashley Burelison, at
ahblanke@iu.edu:
- Signed Handbook Contract
- FERPA Consent
- Photo and Video Consent (if you did not attend the Tryout Clinic)
- Registration Form (online form submission)
To Submit to Athletic Trainer, Emily Nibbelink. Please submit all documentation via mail, fax, or email to the contact information listed below. Please note that email is not a secure communication method.
Emily Nibbelink, MS, ATC, CSCS, CES
Assistant Athletic Director of Sports Medicine 901 W. New York St., Suite 105
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Office: (317) 278-5237
Fax: (317) 278-5245
- Athletics paperwork
- Copy of a physical from within 6 months of the tryout
- Copy of health insurance card (front and back)
- Sickle cell trait testing results (can often be found with pediatricians or birth hospital as this was often tested at birth)
APPEARANCE
You should appear "game ready" at all times.
Ladies:
- You should have on game make up.
- You should have hair curled and styled; pulled away from ears.
- No nail polish.
Gentlemen:
- You must be clean shaven - No facial hair is allowed.
- You should have a clean cut hair style.
WHAT TO WEAR:
Ladies – IUPUI cheer, IUPUI logo, or plain t-shirt, cheer shorts, white socks, and leather/cheer shoes are required. Shirts must be tucked in.
Gentlemen - IUPUI cheer, IUPUI logo, or plain t-shirt, gym shorts, white athletic socks, and shoes required. Shirts must be tucked in.
- We are asking that everyone wear red or white. Please be tasteful in your selections. Wearing other university/college logos is NOT recommended.
- Tails of the bow should be worn towards the back of the head. Ladies – Bows should not be placed on the top or front of your head.
- NO HATS and NO JEWLERY – This is for both Ladies and Gentlemen. This includes belly piercings.
- SHOES -We do not recommend wearing cheer shoes that were designed for indoor cheerleading. Shoes must be worn at all times.
Tumbling & Stunting
Ladies – it is required that a female candidate perform a minimum of the skills below and without a spotter:
- Standing back handspring OR
- Running back handspring
It is recommended to have both skills.
Gentlemen – tumbling is not required. It is recommended that a candidate be able to perform a standing tuck without a spotter.
All candidates will have the option to perform up to one additional standing pass AND one additional running pass. You may choose to show your best tumbling skills at this time. We ask that you choose tumbling passes that will make you competitive against the other candidates.
PARTNER STUNTS
Co-ed – we will be looking for the following stunts throughout the tryout process:
- Toss hands
- Toss extension
- Bump & go to one leg stunt
- Toss to one leg stunt
- Full-up stunt
- Inversion (hand-in-hand, rewind, back handspring up)
- Dismount Choices: Pop Down, Cork Screw, Cradle or Full Down
- Ladies are encouraged to demonstrate multiple body positions for your evaluation.
During evaluations, each candidate must perform one stunt skill, with a dismount. It is up to the candidate to choose which level skill for each stunt to perform for their evaluation.
All-girl – we will be looking for the following stunts throughout the tryout process:
- Straight up Extension, Liberty, Stretch
- Full up, any variation
- Flipping skills
- Stunt sequence with a transition
- Stunts may full up, single full down, or double down.
For evaluations, the all-girl stunting portion will be handled much like a practice setting. Coaches will place candidates in groups throughout this time. Candidates will have the ability to perform at more than one position. Being as versatile as possible with stunting is recommended. Be prepared to move around in groups and to perform more than one base position, if asked. We are looking for strength, technique and core awareness in stunting technique from each candidate.
Announcement of Squad
Teams will be announced on Saturday evening. We will hold our first program meeting after team announcements.
Parents of those candidates who are selected for our 2019-2020 squad are welcome inside The Jungle for a brief Welcome Parent Meeting after teams have been announced.
Tryout Schedule
Please keep in mind that we are going to do our best to stay on schedule. All times are approximate. This schedule is for information purposes only and is subject to change. Please bookmark and check this Web site regularly for any updates.
Any out-of-town candidates are responsible for their own overnight housing, should it be preferred. For Indianapolis hotel information and reservations, go to
https://www.visitindy.com/indianapolis-where-to-stay
- 12:00PM – 12:30PM: Check-in/Final paperwork approval
- 12:30PM – 12:45PM: Review of expectations and tryout process
- 12:45PM – 1:15PM: Dynamics + Tumbling warm-up
- 1:15PM – 2:00PM: Tumbling skill evaluation
- 2:00PM – 3:00PM: Stunting warm-up + evaluation
- 3:30PM: Second-round candidates announced
- 3:30PM – 4:00PM: Open gym/warm-up
- 4:00PM – 5:30PM: Final skill evaluation
- 6:00PM: Final roster announced
- 6:15PM: First Program Meeting
- 7:30PM: Team Dinner
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Can I bring my own student group or co-ed partner to tryouts?
Answer: No. One of purposes of tryouts is to see how well and cohesively each candidate stunts together.
Question: Is it easier for previous IUPUI Cheerleaders to make the squad again?
Answer: NO. Each candidate is evaluated from a "fresh" point of view. No previous skills will be considered during tryouts.
Question: How many athletes are selected?
Answer: The IUPUI Cheerleading Program will select up to 36 individuals, including both co-ed and all-girl members.
Question: Are you flexible with other competitive cheer schedules?
Answer: No. Commitment to the IUPUI Cheerleading Program takes a great deal of hard work and commitment from each team member for the whole squad to be successful.
Question: Do you have to be experienced to tryout and/or make the team?
Answer: We welcome all skill levels to tryout. Participation in clinics and open gym sessions can help you best prepare. You can find out more information about open gym sessions on our Facebook Event Page.
Question: How often does the squad travel with the team, and what is the most common mode of travel?
Answer: The squad will use a team bus to travel to camp and are anticipating using air travel for attendance at the Nationals Competition. The squad will travel with the team during away tournament events. However, IUPUI will be the host site for conference championships in March 2020-2022.
Commitment after Tryouts
If you are selected for the IUPUI Cheerleading Squad, you'll be
required to stay for a team meeting and the first team dinner after the teams are announced.
If you are NOT selected for either of the teams during the selection process, DO NOT have your parents contact either the University or IUPUI Coaching Staff.
2019 Summer Commitments (subject to change)
May
May 25, 2019 – Indy 500 Parade & Practice
June
June 10-14, 2019 – Youth Camp
9AM-1PM each day. Funds from camp go toward individual balances.
*Not everyone is needed for this.
June 28-30, 2019 – Practice Weekend
Details to be given by June 1.
Plan to report no later than 3PM on June 28 and be done by 3PM on June 30.
July
July 30, 2019 – Practice Day
July 31-August 4, 2019 – UCA College Cheer Camp
Camp is mandatory for entire program.
2019-2020 School Year Commitments
August 23-24, 2019 – Move In Days
August 25, 2019 – First School Year Practice
August 26, 2019 – First Day of Fall Semester
January 15-21, 2019
– UCA College Nationals
* Assigned home soccer/volleyball games are required
* All home men's basketball games are required (including those that fall over Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring Breaks)
* All home women's basketball games are required (including those that fall over Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring Breaks)
ALL TIMES ARE MANDATORY. YOU MUST ATTEND ALL PRACTICES AND CAMPS THAT ARE SCHEDULED. PLEASE BE RESPONSIBLE AND PLAN AHEAD!
1. Practice Times: Sundays from 6-9PM and Tuesdays from 7-10PM will be regular practice times. Tuesdays will potentially be off-site and transportation will need to be arranged. When games begin, weeks that we cheer a game on Sunday, we will either practice that same day or add a Thursday practice from 6-9PM. In December and January, be prepared for Sunday/Tuesday/Thursday practices in preparation for College Nationals. Please DO NOT register for classes during this time period. Your practices are mandatory. Professors schedule tests during practice times. We ask that you plan ahead and attempt to work out alternate test times with your professors.
2. Work-Out/Conditioning Times: Conditioning times will be given to us for Fall Semester. We'll be scheduled around the other athletic teams' times. You will be required to work out two (2) times per week. If you do not work out, you do not cheer the game that week. Each work-out lasts about one hour, and time and day is determined each semester.
3. Games: You are required to be present at all games for the sport you are supporting regardless of when the game may be - team members do not get to pick and choose games to attend. If you cheer for Men's and Women's Basketball and there's a scheduled game over Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring Breaks, you WILL be present at the game. All of the basketball players show up; therefore, you, too, will show up. Please be aware of this requirement prior to trying out. We'll have as many approved schedules available for you to see during the try-out weekend as possible. Again, professors schedule tests outside of class times, and the tests may come in conflict with games. We ask you to plan ahead and attempt to work out alternate times with your professors.
4. Nationals Competition Commitment: College Nationals is not a program priority; rather, it is a goal. First and foremost, all squads must master game cheering and basic fundamentals for the primary purpose of IUPUI Cheerleading in support of our varsity sports. Every program member will be considered for a National team. The IUPUI Coaching Staff will announce the National teams during the Fall semester. IUPUI will attend the UCA College Cheerleading Championships held at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida each January.
College Nationals require a lot of extra practice, time, and patience. Everyone will attend, either as a team member or as a support. If you are selected for a National team, plan on very little Christmas Break. It is imperative we practice over the Holiday Break. Teams will practice through Dec. 22nd and return on Jan. 2nd. The 2020 National Competition will be Jan. 15-21, 2020.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Please contact program head coach Ashley Burelison via e-mail with any questions.
ahblanke@iu.edu
