• Cheerleading is a Team Sport. We expect a high level of commitment for the team. There are no try-outs, children are placed on teams according to their grade. Dance and Gymnastics experience is strongly recommended.

• Prior to the first day of practice each cheerleader must provide a copy of their birth certificate, signed Parent/Player Contract, Anti-Bullying Contract
  

• Each cheerleader is expected to attend ALL practices, games, and competitions.

• If your daughter is absent, she and her teammates will not have the benefit of practicing as a full squad.  Each squad performs as a team – not as individuals. All girls are placed in a stunt group and if one girl misses ~ the entire stunt group cannot practice.

• Once the season begins, if you must be absent from a practice or game, due to illness, school or religious reasons, you are to notify your Team Head Coach directly and promptly. No exceptions will be made for mandatory camps, choreography, and competitions! All illness related absences will require a doctors note due to COVID.

• Practices will be 3 days a week for Green & Gold Team and White Team (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) and 2 days a week for the Lil' Team (Tuesday & Wednesday) prior to Labor Day beginning in August and 3 days a week post-Labor Day for Green & Gold Team, 2 days a week for White Team & 1 day a week for K-2nd Team. Choreography will be on a weekend in late August or early September for 3rd - 8th graders. Once school begins, cheer teams will practice indoors. Practice days will vary depending on each team's designated facility. A schedule for each team will be given prior to moving indoors.  

• Choreography is MANDATORY! If you miss choreography you will not have a place in the routine we use for competing. 3rd - 8th graders will be given dates by early March for a weekend in August or September.

• Promptness is crucial for a successful practice session. Arrive on time and be sure to use the restroom prior to the start of practice.  Wear appropriate clothing – hair pulled back in a ponytail, socks and cheer shoes, no jewelry, no gum, no long nails, no sandals and/or flip flops. Absolutely no cell phone use unless to call parent(s). 

•  Please do not leave your cheerleader unattended at a practice or game until you have visual confirmation that an adult coach is present. Cheerleaders should never be dropped at the entrance of a facility. Please walk your cheerleader in and meet her outside the gym at the conclusion of practice. If you find that you will be more than 5 minutes late to pick up your cheerleader please call your team coach immediately or make other arrangements to have someone pick up your cheerleader.   

• Once practices move inside they are closed to any visitors. While parents and friends make a great audience, they also can provide an easy distraction. Distractions can be a safety issue. 

• Cheerleading practices and games are never “optional”. Your cheerleader will be performing in all kinds of weather. It may be hot, cold, raining and even snowing. Please plan for these conditions and know your cheerleader is expected to attend these practices and games (and stay to the conclusion) no matter what the weather or temperature, unless you are otherwise notified by your Team Head Coach.  

• There will be an optional team stunt/gymnastics class set up at a gymnastics facility. Stunting and gymnastics is a big part of cheer and we want our girls to be able to compete to the best of their ability.

• Safety is our number one consideration. Under no circumstances will a participant be allowed to participate in practice or a game without the required uniform, adequate practice participation and/or physician clearance to return to participation after an illness or injury. If the team coach determines that there is a player safety issue, that child will be removed immediately from any further participation until the safety issue has been satisfactorily resolved – NO EXCEPTIONS.

• Cheerleaders are required to attend practice time for as much as (1) one hour prior to each game. If you do not attend the practice for that time, your participation in the half time performance is at the Team Coach’s discretion – this is a safety issue.

• Each cheerleader should arrive in full uniform, ready to cheer, meaning: eaten a healthy meal, visited the restroom, hair pulled back in high ponytail with game ribbon/bow in place. Cheerleaders are required to stay with their team from the time they arrive before the game until the game has ended.   

•  It is extremely important that every cheerleader and parent be aware that the White Team and Green & Gold Team are Competitive Cheer Squads. These teams will compete at several competitions at the local high schools on weekends running October 15th - November 20th.

• All competitions are mandatory! (With the exceptions of our Lil' Team)

• Videos of our routines, competition and half-time, should never be posted in a public forum (such as youtube or Facebook) until our competition season is over.

• Indoor practice locations will be determined in August or September based upon availability.  We will make every effort to keep practices close to the football practice to accommodate families with participants in both cheer and football.

• We will post a game schedule at the end of August or beginning of September. You should be prepared to cheer every Saturday and / or Sunday in September and October and into November.  Please be aware, the season is not officially over after the last regular season game; competition and play-offs are also mandatory and typically extend into mid-November. The season starts the 1st Saturday after Labor Day. We still attend games on days we have choreography, clinics, and / or competitions.

• Please note that game times and locations are not set by us but by Football League. It is normal that your daughter will have a game at the same time each week, but know that this time is subject to change. If there is a change you will be notified. We play (on average) 4 home games (at North Hunterdon High School). The remaining games of the season are away. You will be given directions to the away fields via our website. Games are local or within a 35 minute drive.

• Having all squad members present at practices is particularly crucial for our competitions. Please be advised this will have an impact on the girls needing to be available for practice and/or competitions during NJ Teachers Convention Week.  Please be advised there may be a mandatory practice scheduled the Friday before a competition.

• Please be cooperative and respectful of your coaches, both adult and student. All are volunteers!  Parents, if you have concerns about the team, please wait until after practice or a game to address things with your Head Coach or Cheer Board only. Parents, if you have concerns with any of your daughter’s coaches, please wait until after practice or game to address all concerns with the Commissioner only!

• Each girl will be provided a uniform(s) to be returned at the end of the season. The uniform will consist of a skirt, shell (vest), warm-up jacket and warm-up pants.   

• Parents are required to provide practice uniforms (camp wear) and hygienic wear. These items are available for purchase through a  vendor that we will choose. You will be notified about what items you will need to purchase.

• It takes a considerable amount of money to purchase equipment and run the entire program. Registration does not cover our entire operating budget. For this reason we will need to participate in fundraising activities throughout the season. Our aim is not to burden the families with theses activities but to provide carefully selected programs that are simple, rewarding to both the league and our participants, and provides a value to those who support our efforts. 

• Parents are asked to volunteer to help. During the summer, team moms or coaches will inquire as to the availability of each family.  Most jobs are simple and require a minimal amount of time on the part of the family. Remember, this is a volunteer organization for the benefit of your child. If you feel you can add or help out in any way, please feel free to talk with your coach or Cheer Board. There is always something you can do to help out.

 Who can join JR Lions Cheerleading?
Girls entering K-8th grade in September 2024

What are the dates of the season?  

Jr. Lions Cheerleading runs from

August 5th – November 24th

  How are teams set-up for 2024?

Kindergarten - Cubs Team Exhibition only

1st Grade - Lils 1 Team Exhibition only

2nd Grade- Lils 2 Team 8 & under

3rd & 4th Grade ~ White Team 10 & under

5th & 6th Grade ~ Green Team 12 & under (+ select 4th graders, more information below)

7th & 8th Grade ~ Gold Team 14 & under (+ select 6th graders, more information below)

NEW THIS SEASON: Swing Grades

Are you an incoming 4th or 6th grader? If you are willing to make the commitment of the older team you can move up to that level. 4th grade can join the Green team and 6th grade can join the Gold team. 

What does this mean? It means you are willing to do the additional practices, camps and competitions that team requires. If you can’t or do not wish to you can stay in the level you would normally be in. 

Girls need previous coach endorsement- absences will keep you from moving up. 

reach out with any questions jrlionscheer@gmail.com

What are the practice schedules? 

Summer practices run August 5th – Labor Day

Summer Practice days and times: 

 Lil's 8 & under team will practice 2 nights a week

6-7:30 pm in the summer

            White, Green & Gold Teams will practice Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays 6-8:00 pm in the summer

  Practice location:  North Hunterdon High School  

Starting in September, after Labor Day, practice nights are set for

Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays

Lil's Team will practice 1 time per week ~

Wednesday 6-7:30 pm 

 White Team will practice 2 times per week ~

Tuesday & Thursday 6-8:00 pm 

 Green & Gold Team will practice 3 times per week ~

Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 6-8:00 pm  

 ******Please be advised: Practice times may be changed due to scheduling conflicts within practice areas and coach schedules. We will never practice before 5:30pm or beyond 8:30p.m.******  

 What are the game schedules?  

 Green & Gold Team - Saturdays or Sundays HOME and AWAY

 White Team - Saturdays or Sundays HOME and AWAY

Lil' Lions & Cubs Team - Saturday or Sundays (time TBD)

We will get the dates in early August; however, times will not come out until a week before the 1st game.

 What are the approximate fees involved?

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS OPEN UNTIL APRIL 30

Late registration(+$25) UNTIL MAY 31

2024 Program Fees are listed on the Program Fees page, by team

Email jrlionscheer@gmail.com if you have any questions

Is there a fundraising requirement? 

All cheerleaders are required to participate in fundraising activities! This season we expect to have several opportunities for canning days (mandatory at all ages) as well as other fundraisers.

What are the opportunities for camp?

There are 4 camps offered for the Green & Gold Team, 3 are MANDATORY  and 1 is optional*.

There are 3 camps offered for White Team, 2 are MANDATORY and 1 is optional*.

There is 1 camp offered for the Lil' Team, it is optional. 

*The 1st is a day camp experience at North Hunterdon High School for grades K - 8th. It's typically held the last week of July from 9:00 am - 12:00pm. Date TBD by North in the Spring.

The 2nd camp experience is MANDATORY for Grades 3rd- 6th. This is a day Cheer and Stunt Camp held early August at Evolution in Bridgewater, New Jersey.

The  3rd camp experience is limited to girls on the Gold Team (7th & 8th graders) and is a MANDATORY requirement for participation. This camp is an overnight that is towards the end of August at the Nationally Renowned UCA Pine Forest Cheer Camp in the Pocono Mountains.

The 4th is a stunt clinic the 3rd - 8th graders attend. It usually takes place early October for 3 hours. During this clinic teams clean up stunts for the approaching competition season.  

What are the opportunities for Cheerleading Competitions?

The primary goal for the Jr. Lions Cheerleaders is to support the football program and support local High School Cheer Competitions. We cheer at games in all kinds of weather.  The Jr. Lions White, Green & Gold Teams (3rd - 8th graders) are competitive cheer teams and will typically compete four times per season in October and November.  The Lil' Lions exhibition once during the season.  All competitions are sponsored by local high schools and are governed by UCA competition rules.

There may be a MANDATORY practice Friday night before a competition. If your child is unable to make this practice they will not be able to cheer in the competition the following day.

***Choreography is scheduled - August 24th for the Gold Team, and September 7th for the Green Team. Choreography practice is MANDATORY for all cheerleaders on the White and Green & Gold Teams. If your child is unable to make any of these practices they will not be able to compete for the entire season.***

If you have any questions please contact 

Lana Brennan at

jrlionscheer@gmail.com