A MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD!

IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ!

The Lions Youth Cheerleading organization is proud to kick off another successful season for 2024! Registration for our Field Cheer, Game Day and Traditional Competition Cheerleading programs will open on April 1st. Our Game Day and Traditional Competition Cheerleading teams will be capped at 28 cheerleaders on the mat (with the exception of the 5 year old team, which will be capped at 20 cheerleaders).  When the registration period closes, if more registrations come in than Competition spots are available for any age level, evaluations and selections will be held to fill the roster for that team/ age group.  Information on this will be sent out if necessary and evaluations / team placement will be done in May 2024. New uniform orders for anyone that needs to order a brand new uniform will be done in June 2024. We also have a Facebook group for buying / selling West Islip Cheer Gear where anyone can post their used uniforms for sale or look to buy a used uniform at a lower cost for their child.

Our available programs for 2024 are:

*Age 5 on or before 11/30/2024: Field Cheer or Traditional Competition Cheer

*Age 6 on or before 11/30/2024: Field Cheer or Traditional Competition Cheer

*Age 7 on or before 11/30/2024: Field Cheer or Traditional Competition Cheer

*Age 8 on or before 11/30/2024: Field Cheer or Traditional Competition Cheer

*Age 9 on or before 11/30/2024: Field Cheer, Game Day or Traditional Competition Cheer

*Age 10 on or before 11/30/2024: Field Cheer, Game Day or Traditional Competition Cheer

*Age 11 on or before 11/30/2024: Field Cheer, Game Day or Traditional Competition Cheer

*Age 12-14 on or before 11/30/2024: Game Day

Competition Cheerleading is a big commitment.  The success of each team depends on the reliability of all team members.  A strict attendance policy will be enforced this season.  In the event of 3 unexcused absences or excessive absences, a participant may be removed from the Competition Cheerleading team and replaced with an alternate.  Please be sure to read all policies when submitting your registration.  All team members on a competition team must be at all weekly practices.  Teams will practice twice per week in July and August and will likely increase to 3 or more practices per week in September through November.  Competition season starts mid October and runs through November (it usually ends right before Thanksgiving).  It is to be expected that practices will increase to 3 times per week leading up to the start of competitions and that these added practices are mandatory and become a priority over other events and plans for all team members. Vacations after September 1st are unexcused and strongly discouraged.

Also back by popular demand is our Game Day division.  We started this program in 2023 and it was a huge success! Our Game Day team became the 2023 SCYCA Champions! This program is a competitive cheerleading program and this team will compete in the same competitions as of Traditional Competition Cheerleading teams, however the content of the routines varies. The Game Day performance is scored upon elements of crowd leading / cheerleading for a football game. New Game Day participants must be 9 or up by 11/30/24. Anyone that was on the Game Day team for 2023 will still be allowed to remain on the team.

The Field Cheer program will consist of sideline Cheerleading at West Islip Youth Football games.  This program will teach basic skills and motions of cheerleading. Participants will learn sideline cheers, stunts, dances and halftime routines with a more lenient practice schedule than that of Competition Cheerleading.  This option enables beginners who want to try out cheerleading for the first time the ability to do so in a less intense program than that of Competition Cheerleading.  It also gives a child who plays multiple sports, and or belongs to other clubs and dance classes a cheerleading program they can be a part of without the inability to give full commitment to Competition Cheerleading.  The Field cheer program will have the same uniform as our Competition Cheerleading program.  A uniform must be purchased at the cost of the participant as it is not included in our registration fee.