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Parents


You've just signed up or been assigned

 

to the Committee for:

  • Uniforms/Equipment
  • Year end Banquet
  • Fundraising
  • Decorations
  • Travel Coordinator
  • Special Events
  • Competition parent
  • Team parent

What are you supposed to do? What is your role? How do you get help? The OACC will help.  We feel the parent's role and involvement is a very important one. We will provide resources, ideas, protocols and information for your success.


My Daughter wants to be a cheerleader

 

My daughter, the cheerleader

When my daughter J was born, I was thrilled to be the mother of a girl. And what a baby girl she was; spunky, gorgeous, outspoken, and funny from the beginning. When she was young, I would stare at her as she slept, imagining her future: competitive athlete, school newspaper editor, crusader for women's rights, community organizer, Supreme Court Justice....... I told her often that her life was hers to compose - she was in charge - and I encouraged her  to dream big by telling her that she could be anything she wanted to be, as long as she set her mind to it.   ....    Today, as an 8th grader, Jane has set her mind to becoming...a cheerleader.  

My Daughter wants to be a cheerleader

How Many?

 

Your football squad had 24 members, but for the basketball season your coach is only taking 8 cheerleaders on the squad! 

Free Throw Lane Extended - DiagramGenerally, it isn't the coach who has made this decision.  The basketball court for scholastic play is 50 feet by 84 feet.  The court can accomodate the same 24 teammates.  The maximum number of cheerleaders and mascots allowed on the sidelines for basketball is not limited to eight by any state standard.  If your cheerleaders cheer from the short side of the court, they are limited to the 50' area minus the 12' extended Free-Throw lane.  All Spirit participants (including mascots) must not stand in the extended lane.  Exception:  If your school belongs to the Ohio High School Athletic Association, you will be limited to 8 on the court at any one time during tournament play (not regular season), including mascots.


My Fundraiser Card - High Profits for You

 

High profits for you!


Which to cheer for?

 

If your daughter/son is torn trying to decide which school team to tryout for, here is some guidance to help all of you. Be sure you check with the Athletic Department or coach to verify participation overlaps for the winter season.  Cheerleading is a very time consuming sport.  If your child or family has/wants other activities and obligations, cheering for wrestling or volleyball may be a better fit in your schedule and lifestyle. Be sure that the wrestling cheerleaders aren't also obligated as a crossover to cheer for the Girl's basketball games too.  The winter season brings 5 teams to cheer for:  1. Boys basketball  2. Wrestling  3. Girl's Basketball  4. Volleyball   5. Your own Competition team.  Your coach will have schedules and crossovers, plus special events, performances and competitions. Time, Money, Family and very importantly academic grades are all factors to consider.


The Best Coach's Gift

 

The Best Coach's Gift  Each season it get's tougher to decide on a coach's gift.  They are already perfumed and lotioned, the restaurant gift certificate is invalid, the sweater doesn't fit...   The Best Coach's Gift ...  A membership or membership renewal to the OACC. A gift the coach really can use all year long.  It's economical and can easily be split amongst the team for less than $2.00.  The best part - everybody benefits! Coach's Membership Gift


Does your team meet your expectations?

 

Does everyone understand why the team was created?

Is the framework clear? Commitment is a must. Who controls who?

How do we collaborate and coordinate?   click on link below

What do you expect from your team?

Gifted Athletes

 

Gifted Athletes

Another new coach?!

 

The start of the season has sharply increased the cheer coaching turnover.  Please continue to share with us your ups and downs of new coaches, old coaches, no coaches and more than one new coach per season. To gather statistics and information see the Director's Page.


The Value of Team parents

 

Team Mom - Team Dad

The importance of a Team Parent

Teams Moms and Dads assist in maintaining appropriate etiquette and protocols during practice and games. Your behavior and your spirit does influence the behavior of other adults. Team parent provides support to the coaches and squad members, communicates information to parents, coordinates snacks for games, and are the focal point for team parties.

In some cases the Team Parent (Mom or Dad) may even have duties assigned that are more like a team manager than a team parent. You may be assigned to be equipment organizer, keeper of uniform inventory, may be responsible for the first aid kit, team picture day or logistics schedulings.

The OACC feels that a team parent should attend practices frequently. You should stay informed on team events, issues and concerns. A parent acts as an extra adult for safety precautions and for the coaches protection against being alone. You are the impartial observer. Should problems or disputes arise down the road, you can offer your input to the other parents as to the happenings at practice.


OACC Dues

 

Coaches, Volunteers and Cheerleaders all need good learning resources, materials and a point of contact.  Your Booster Club or Budget, should have a line item for your $30.00 Membership Fee.  Membership may aid in keeping your Risk Management policies and Insurance in check.



Problems with a coach

 

"the coach can make a difference"

Every cheerleader who participates deserves a concerned and caring coach that many kids are fortunate to get. But far too many bad coaches exist. It will take support by concerned parents, caring coaches and dedicated administration to remove and replace the bad ones. A problem coach figure or team member can be a difficult and frustrating situation you and your child face. Trying to overcome or offset the negative impact a bad coach is having on a child is practically impossible short of removing the child from the team - which should be the last resort.

Complaint Procedures

As part of our effort to constantly improve our industry policies, practices, and behaviors, the OACC Ethics Committee has adopted the following procedures to govern the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints regarding unfair treatment, stress, deceptive practices, harassment, bullying, safety, character, and verbal and physical abuse ("Complaints"). It is the OACC’s policy to treat complaints about a team member or associate seriously and expeditiously.

Can I Submit a Complaint on an Anonymous Basis?

YES. You can submit complaints to the OACC Ethics Committee on a confidential and anonymous basis through telephone messaging, email or regular mail. We will endeavor to protect the confidentiality of the reporting person’s identity to the extent possible.

You may remain anonymous, without fear of retaliation, threats for continued or additional mistreatment, either stated or implied whether the complaint is about the conduct of a coach, assistant, director, fellow parent, booster, another cheerleader-team member or not, or any party related to the cheerleading team.

With a need to investigate the complaint and the best interests of students, should you be asked to reveal your identity, the OACC will contact you. The OACC will not reveal your name without your consent. If you continue to remain anonymous, we may not be able to help you address your specific issue.

The OACC will contact the supervisor and or organization with your complaint. Your anonymity will be protected as you request. However-- if a serious violation has occurred, the organization may ask for further information from you to lend credibility to the complaint and take action. We shall not reveal your identity unless you give us permission.

Recommendations:

New to Mounting/Stunting?

 

The Minimal Mount Guidelines set a standard of safe participation for you and your cheerleaders.


P.A.S.S.

 

Parent Ambassadors for Sports Safety  

PASS is a network of parents that establishes a link between youth volunteer coaches, sport organization administrators, parents and athletes. Your help and commitment to raising the standard will ensure that youth athletes in every sport facility are safe.

  Contact the NCSS for membership with parents that support sports safety.   NCSS


WIN OR LOSE A Guide to Sports Parenting

NCYSwinorlose.bmp

WIN OR LOSE A Guide to Sports Parenting This is the resource youth sports organizations have been waiting for! Quick, easy-read. Inspirational. Good ethics messages. Wonderful tips for sports parents. Written to enrich your journey as a sports parent. Great banquet gift. Use as a fundraiser. $6.00 http://www.ncys.org/publications.html http://www.ncys.org/pdf2/winlose.pdf


Parents of Athletes

 

As a parent:

  • Remind kids of the importance of sportsmanship and model that behavior during all competitive activities. Teach children how to be good sports when competing, cheering for their team or playing games in the backyard.
  • Teach them to enjoy the activity for the sport. Do not put pressure on kids to be the best.
  • Exhibit good sportsmanship yourself. Bad behavior on the sidelines or in the stands is just as bad as bad behavior on the field.
  • Request that school coaches promote good sportsmanship, good conduct and leadership qualities early in the season.

 

Six Dos
Memorize and say the following to your cheerleader before and after every sports activity:

Before:
1. "I love you."
2. "Good luck."
3. "Have fun."

After:
4. "I love you."
5. "It was great to see you play."
6. "What would you like to eat?"

This advise comes from Coach Bruce Brownlee, soccer coach and soccer trainer.

 

Self-confidence is a determining factor for success in athletics. Learning to build self-confidence in your child as well as learning to regain lost confidence requires knowledge, understanding, implementation, and constant maintenance. 

  • Understand Confidence. Learn the answers to these key questions: What is confidence? Where does it comes from? Why is it so important?
  • Self-Talk.  Learn to use positive self-talk rather than negative self-talk.
  • Be an Actor.   Act confident to assist in building confidence.
  • Trust Yourself.   Learn how to use mental cues to assist in developing self-trust, i.e. self-confidence.
  • Competition is the Reward.    Embrace competition, rather than fear it.
  • Mistakes Happen.   Even the most confident athletes deal with mistakes. Learn strategies for dealing with self-disappointment in ways that will not shatter your confidence.   


How to cut costs when participating in cheerleading

 

The cost of new shoes, uniforms, bags, warm-ups, poms, signs, banners, traveling, and equipment adds up to hundreds of dollars a season. So you might be asking, "Is there anything I can do to reduce the costs? Some expenses you can’t control. But here are a few solutions to cut costs without cutting the level of participation:

Cost Cutting Tips

Our time and energy is being consumed by our participation in cheerleading

 

What's Important And What's Not

Finding The Right Balance

Keep a Proper Perspective

Is It All Worth It?

Urban Legends

 

Or are they?

In Virginia, a cheer mom paid $50 to have a rival beaten up.

In Florida, a cheer mom paid a “hit man” to “take out” her daughter’s competitor on the same squad.

Akron, OH dad choked an 18-year-old CYO basketball referee after a game.

In Texas, both knee caps of a cheerleader were broken by a baseball bat swung by a cheer mom just days before try-outs.

Parent attacks coach after daughter cut from team, Shaker Heights, OH.

Woman gets serious jail time for punching coach in Pittsburgh.

In Ohio, Cheer coach arrested on charges serving alcohol to minors.

Overbearing Basketball dads are bad, but nothing compares to the pandemonium of an over zealous, disordered cheer mom.

Parents beg, borrow, lie and pay to obtain cheerleading status on the winning team and to get the placement on the squad they desire. It happens at all levels.

There are some widespread problems about which we need to be concerned. As parents, we have a responsibility to steer our children clear of behavior that will endanger their development into strong, healthy adults. We have the responsibility to learn appropriate behavior of an athletic child and share it with our peers.

Teaching adults the difference between right and wrong, parents and coaches, takes much more perserverence than teaching our kids.

The OACC believes in setting good examples and promotes the "Six Pillars of Character": trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship along with our own character core values.

If you would like sportsmanship and parent training for your organization, email oacc@ohiooacc.com     You may always contact any member of the OACC Character and Ethics Committee for assistance and grievances.

 


Special Needs Team

 

Very special coaches are providing cheerleading for some very special kids.  The OACC is compiling a list of cheer programs in Ohio that offer Special Needs Teams or Special Needs Cheer Camps.

Aspiring cheerleaders with physical and cognitive disabilities now experience a sport that typically would be challenging, and not readily available to those with special needs.

MidwestCheerExpo comments from their Winter Cheer & Dance Classic competition hosted 12/2/08:    "I believe it is an experience that is very profound.  It seems to have an effect on the spectators, the event staff and the other competitors.  It is as if everyone becomes one for that moment in time; to share the excitement that the special needs team emits from the floor from the time they enter the arena.  They contain an energy and love of the sport  that is evident throughout their routines.  They love being out there,they share it and everyone shares it.  There is no pity for them, just admiration, respect and love that produces a standing ovation each and every time.  They touch your heart.  there is no other way to put it."  

 

COA Cheer & Dance  is extremely proud of special needs athletes and the cheer programs they represent. COA has offered a special needs division for over five years. They have seen a tremendous growth in this area.    "Watching a special needs team run onto the floor with all the excitement in the world, is why I love to work in the spirit industry," says Carol Benedetto, COA’s Director of Events.    We are all aware of how a special needs athlete can benefit from being part of a team, but it is also heartwarming and exciting to see the entire crowd cheering on their feet for a team that has already accomplished so much.

 


Double Standard

 

Maybe. But we call it a higher standard. You've seen your daughter's friends attend the football games in painted tank tops or sports bras. Their stuff hanging out, bouncing or showing.   Hmm all spirited fun? Maybe. But if a cheerleader did that would she be stereotyped as easy or sleazy? Probably. Would that type of dress lend to a negative reputation for your child and the team? Again - probably.  Fortunately we don't have much of this problem.  Thank your children for dressing in fun, spirited, wacky sportsmanship garb in a manner fitting of young adults.  Please continue to have these conversations with your daughters and keep Ohio's cheerleaders proud and repected teammates and people.  Take the parent role and speak up to any child you feel is dressed inappropriately.  Their parents will thank you, their organization will thank you. Thank you cheer parents!


Overloaded, stressed no time...

 

Years ago, an all-star mom told me that my 8 year old daughter had "what it takes" to be at the gym her daughter goes to. After an initial rush of pride, I let it go and did not pursue it. For the next three years of football seasons, the mom approached me at least once on the cheer sidelines. It wasn’t until this daughter was on the Junior High cheerleading squad that a cheer mom I didn’t know called me. She asked to take my daughter with hers to their all star team’s practice. She pointed out her abilities and skills and she wanted to see what she could do.  The All Star team wanted her. I wondered how this "honor" might impact our family. We had three children – this one was the oldest. Up until that point, sports had been a pretty low-intensity activity that fit easily into our vision of balanced family life.

By contrast, the all star team commitment sounded enormous: practice three days a week, competitions on Saturday and Sunday, and special practices held in between. Convinced that our young family could manage, we said "yes" and in doing so, embarked on an epic struggle between cheer life and family life. Over the years, we saw one family activity after another bow its head to cheerleading activities. Dinner at home, reading before bedtime, visits to grandma's house, household chores, games in the backyard, picnics, weekend jaunts into the countryside, camping trips, school vacations - all casualties of the children's sports schedule.

Would we do it again?  You bet – absolutely.  And we have two more times!


Are you the best Sports Parent you can be?

 

Become a Certified Second-Goal Parent.   

Positive Coaching AllianceWhy?   

*  Ensure you are doing all you can to help your child get the most from youth sports.
*  Our live and online courses provide techniques to strengthen your overall relationship with your child.
*  Get downloadable tips and tools to remind you of the lessons in our courses.

 


Parent's Gear

 

GTM Parents


Homecoming Spirit

 

Parents~  Please share your favorite homecoming ideas with your cheerleader and the cheer coach. Old traditions can become new traditions.  Be involved to make your Homecoming Week a successful event.   Homecoming - Parades, Bonfires, Floats, Spirit Wars, Community Fun!


Bullying and Excluding

 

A significant feature of the play environment we provide our children these days is exclusion (from coaches and teams) and bullying (from both peers and coaches). Children who don’t make a team are already made to feel “less than”. Many coaches and teachers tend to value the more talented children, even to the point of excusing certain behaviors. On the flip side, many coaches and teachers engage in bullying behaviors. Yes, these issues have been around for a while, but have greater consequences now with the electronic age. Social media and modern communication devices confer the ability for bullying and exclusion to follow a child around, literally.   Blog


Mean Girls Mean Moms?

 

And in the article “The Playground Gets Even Tougher,” Pamela Paul reports on the increase in “mean girl” behavior among kindergartners, and the apparent role of many parents:

A kindergarten teacher at one of New York City’s top private all-girls schools observed, “The mean girls are often from mean moms.” …

In certain cases, the parents themselves seem to be pleased. When her daughter Julia was in first grade last year, said Lea Pfau, a mother of two in Sherman Oaks, Calif., one girl threatened that, unless Julia did as she ordered, “I’m going to tell my mommy, and she’ll set up a meeting with your mommy, and you’ll get in trouble.” The girl then orchestrated a series of exclusive clubs in which girls could be kicked out for various infractions. “I was surprised by the fierceness,” Ms. Pfau said. “But I was more surprised at the other parents. Rather than nip it in the bud, they encouraged it.”

Eileen O’Connor, a lawyer and mother of five girls in the Georgetown section of Washington, has also witnessed trickle-down meanness in her daughters’ classrooms. “To be honest with you, the parents not only enabled it, they engaged in it,” she said. “The parents of mean girls often think, Great, our daughter is so popular!”

Students: Tell us what your parents teach you about behavior. Do your parents think it’s funny or cool if you are tough on other kids? Do your parents ever side with you against school authorities or encourage you not to comply with them? Do you see this kind of thing happening among your peers? Do kids at your school tend to respect or defy the authority of teachers and administrators?



Model for setting up a Parent Club

 

Huron Booster Club
Team Representatives Guide


Introduction
Huron High School Booster Club is composed of hard working committed parent volunteers who make an important contribution to the overall excellence of our high school athletic program. Through this organization, parents work to promote and support the interscholastic athletic programs while forming a stronger bridge between their child’s home and school life.


The commitment of parents to common goals and objectives is an essential element of the Booster Club. The organization and structure of the Huron Boosters plays a major role in establishing and maintaining this tradition of commitment and involvement. Through well defined positions and clear objectives within the organization, the Huron Boosters establish a core group of parent leaders who serve the athletic program by demonstrating support and participation as well as calling upon the rest of the athletic parent community for larger projects and fund raisers.

While all parents and other persons interested in the athletic community are encouraged to become members of the Booster club, the business affairs of the club are generally managed by an Executive Committee comprised of the school’s athletic director, the club’s officers, committee chairpersons and a parent representative(s) from each sport.


Athletic Team Representatives
Athletic team representatives are the heart of the Huron Boosters. A two-year term in office is a common and recommended practice. The first year as team representative-elect, or alternate team representative, and the second year as the primary team representative. A two-year term helps assure orientation, training, and continuity to the role of team representative and provides a broad base of parent leaders for club projects.


Team representatives should communicate frequently with the coaching staff. Both the representative and coaches should work collectively to plan and organize the various activities of the sport and coordinate the efforts of the sport’s parent group with that of the booster club as a whole.

Team representatives are generally the workers and leaders of a successful booster club. By structuring the duties of the team representatives as described above, the leadership and work of a booster club are both shared and distributed among many facets which will result in a powerful organization that makes critical contributions towards its athletic program.
Executive Board Officers
President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary

Executive Board Members
Athletic Director
Elected At-large Members
Membership Chair
Spirit Shop Chair
Concessions Chair



Team Representatives

Guidelines for Team Representatives

Each team or club is expected to recruit a team representative and an alternate from among the families of the team members and/or coaches. We encourage participation from underclass parents, so as to facilitate a smooth transition from year-to-year.

Team representatives may not be a team representative for more than one sport. Executive Board members may not be a permanent team representative.

Team representatives are not necessarily responsible for being the only persons from the teams who participate in Booster Club activities. Their responsibility is to ensure that, when needed, they can provide the Booster Club with volunteer parents and athletes from their sport to carry out the projects of the club. Other duties include securing Booster Club memberships from the families involved in the sport represented, working with the coaches to establish and communicate the annual needs of the sport and to communicate Booster Club projects regularly to parents of the sport represented.

A Team Representative is expected to

q       Attend all Booster Club general meetings. Be prepared to represent the 
     coaches and sport on all issues, especially those which require a vote. 
     If you cannot attend a meeting, the alternate representative or a 
     member of the coaching staff may serve as a substitute.
q       
Coordinate efforts with the team alternate representative.
q       
Chair, co-chair, or actively serve as needed on at least one major 
     recognition program during the year.
q       
Chair, co-chair or actively serve as needed on at least one fund raising 
     initiative during the year.
q       
Assist in obtaining booster club memberships from team parents, friends 
     and fans directly involved in the sport represented.
q       
Secure volunteers from the sport represented when support is needed for 
     various booster club activities.
q       
Work with the coaching staff to establish annual needs of the sport
     represented.
q       
Communicate booster club projects and initiatives regularly to all parents 
     form the sport represented.

Team representatives must participate in at least one Booster Club fundraising project, one work project and one recognition program during the fiscal twelve-month term as team representative.

Example Projects:

Fundraising Projects

 q           Membership Campaign
 q          
Concession Programs
 q          
Spirit Shop
 q          
Brick Program
 q          
Golf Outing
 q          
Advertising Sign Program
 q          
Artisan Market
 q          
Endowment Campaign

Recognition Programs

 q          
Leadership and Coach Forums
 q          
Scholar Athlete Program
 q          
Hall of Fame Banquet
 q          
Parent and Coach Appreciation events

Work Projects

 q          
Campus beautification
 q          
Trophy case cleaning
 q          
Concessions cleaning
 q          
Student registration table
 q          
Spirit Shop Cleaning

Participation in the above, as well as attendance to the general meetings is imperative for inclusion in the following Booster Club programs.

1.    Concession lottery draw held prior to each sports season.
2.   
Banquet funds available from the General Fund ($2 per active athlete on 
    the roster, minimum of $50 per fiscal year).
3.   
Consideration for additional funds (from the General Fund) to assist in 
    paying for extraordinary team expenses.
4.   
Participation in the grant fund program requesting supplemental
    funding for team equipment.