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| FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (Page 2 of 3) I have never done any type of stunting before, it that okay? Absolutely! Many of our athletes, especially the younger ones, but older ones as well, had never been exposed to stunting prior to joining our program. During evaluations, we will teach stunting skills under the assumption that most new athletes have never stunted before. That way, they can begin to learn the proper techniques that will be utilized throughout the year. We will not only be looking at each individual's current stunting ability, but also at their potential. So if you have never stunted before or have only done basic stunting skills, don't worry, we will teach you everything you need to know! What criteria is used when selecting teams? There are lots of factors used in determining what team is best for each athlete. Generally, the largest factors involved with the team placement process are age, tumbling level, and stunting position/level. There are also things involved in team placement that have very little to do with the athletes individually, such as, USASF enforced team size limits or the number of athletes at any given USASF level, which will dictate sizes and types of teams created. What happens if I don’t make a team? This is impossible. Every child who attends our annual evaluations in April will make a team at Victory. We believe that every child who wants to participate in all-star cheerleading should have that opportunity. For this reason we do not cut people from our program. However, an extra tumbling class is sometimes required in order to allow some athletes to get more experience and advance their skills more quickly. We also believe that every child has the potential to be an outstanding athlete and cheerleader, regardless of their skill level or cheerleading experience. We believe that it is our job to train our athletes to reach their full potential. Our entire staff is incredibly knowledgeable with years of coaching experience. They are completely committed to making each cheerleader the very best they can be. Our kids receive training from a very professional, caring, and motivated staff dedicated and committed to the kids they coach. At Victory, every age and every skill level is welcome, and we have a team to accommodate each individual child. How long has your program been in existence? We are currently in our 8th year as an all star program, which makes us the longest running program in Central Illinois and one of the longest running programs in the entire state. Our success and growth is due in large part to the fantastic athletes and parents that we have in our program. How many teams make up the Lions program? We currently have 5 teams in our gym for the 2007-2008 season. However, as our program grows, we have the ability to have as many teams as our number of athletes allows. With the USASF age and leveling system, we can have multiple teams in each age group. Although we have many athletes, Victory is a gym where everyone knows each other and we are all family. Throughout the season, our parents and families get to know our entire coaching staff very well. No matter how much the size of our gym grows, our athletes will never be “lost in the crowd” and each individual receives a great deal of personal attention from our staff. What kind of a time commitment is involved in being a member of a Victory team? While many people think that all star teams practice extensively, this is a misconception. Each team at Victory practices twice per week for a total of 2-4 hours a week depending on the team. This allows our athletes plenty of time to be involved in other activities and school related functions. Furthermore, during the summer months, we allow our team members a week of excused summer vacation, so that they can spend time with their families. We do schedule extra practices prior to each of our competitions, but you will always be notified in advance of those additions. All of our weekday practices are held between the hours of 6:00-9:00 to allow working families plenty of time to travel to and from the gym. What kind of travel and travel expenses can I expect? While it is true that our teams travel to National competitions, we currently do not travel anywhere that requires a flight. Almost all of our competitions take place in Illinois, and usually only about 3 competitions are two days long and require hotel stays (less for Tiny and Mini teams). Our far away National competition for the 2007-2008 season will be held at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells, WI. The tentative competition schedule for each season is planned in advance so that families can have ample time to make any necessary arrangements. In addition, when the gym selects hotels, cost is a primary consideration. Most importantly, our Fundraising Committee provides numerous opportunities throughout the year which helps our athletes to raise funds for these trips. All athletes have the opportunity to participate in fundraising offered by our Fundraising Committee and all money raised will go directly to the individual. What are the costs associated with being on the Lions? Costs include monthly tuition, uniform/warm-up/practice shirts, competition entry fees, annual gym membership fee, summer choreography camp (Junior and Senior teams only), and hotel stays for 2-day competitions (1-4 per season depending on team). Our Fundraising Committee sponsors about five fundraisers each year to help off set the costs associated with our teams. All funds raised will go directly to the individual. In the past, we have had many athletes raise a large amount of money through fundraisers. |