Prep Clinic - April 26, 2024 | 4-8 P.M. | OCA Gym
Participants will arrive at the OCA Gym to check in and receive a number that will be used for both days of tryouts. The coaching staff will lead our prep clinic without judges present.
The coaching staff will teach the material for each round, along with giving corrections and tips for tryout day. This is an opportunity to practice tryout material and ask questions before you are adjudicated. Participants will have access to videos of tryout material at the end of the Prep Clinic to practice before adjudication.
Tryouts - April 27, 2024 | 9 A.M. - 2 P.M. | OCA Gym
Mandatory Team Meeting - April 29, 2024 | 6-7:30 P.M. | OCA Gym
Participants should arrive at 8:30 a.m. to check-in and prepare for adjudications. We will run a group warm-up and the coaching staff will review material briefly before participants perform in front of the judges. Adjudications will start once we are done reviewing.
Judging Process
Participants will perform in front of 3 unbiased judges selected by the coaching staff. Judges consist of experts in cheer, pom, and dance. Each round will be scored separately, and scores will be combined at the end for a final score. Scores are based off how the participant performs in that round. Judges will be looking for a variety of qualities that a great teammate might possess. Score sheets are confidential and will not be available for participants to view at any time. There won’t be cuts between rounds, just one final cut at the end of round 3.
Participants will be Judged in 3 Sections
- Round 1: Technique/Skills
- Participants will perform certain cheer and dance skills in front of the judges. We will go over the logistics of this round during our clinic.
- Round 2: Sideline Cheer
- Participants will perform 2 of our official sideline cheers
- Poms will be provided, and each participant must use them for adjudications
- Round 3: Sideline Routine
- Participants will perform a short sideline routine, like what we perform on the sidelines at football games (3-4 8 counts)
- Poms will be provided, and each participant must use them for adjudications
Attire (Both Days)
We expect members of the team to always present themselves in a professional and collegiate manner. Participants must wear athletic attire appropriate for a cheer/dance team tryout. NO crop tops or half tops.
- All black athletic wear
- Athletic shorts or leggings
- Fitted athletic top
- Hair and makeup appropriate for cheer/dance tryout
- Bring running shoes AND jazz shoes
OCA Spirit - Making the Team
Summer Practice Dates (OCA Gym)
- July 19 - 12-3:00 P.M.
- July 24 - 12-3:00 P.M.
- July 29 - 12-3:00 P.M.
Summer practices are not mandatory but HIGHLY recommended. If an athlete is absent during a summer practice, it is their responsibility to learn what they missed. If an athlete is not performing to our program’s standards by the beginning of the season, game participation will be at the discretion of the coaching staff.
Season Practice Schedule
Our team practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:30-9:00am. Athletes will attend school during PM session. We condition and practice dance technique, aspects of cheer, pom technique, performance quality and some tumbling and stunting for football games.
Sideline
OCA Spirit cheers during football games and basketball games on the sidelines and dances at select halftimes performances.
Competition
This will be the second year that our program will compete in SCDA endorsed competitions. This season we will enter 1 large group routine in the Gameday category. This is a routine with elements of cheer, pom, and jazz. We will hold 2 weekend competition practices for choreography and will use our normal practice times for competition practice once we get to that point. Everyone will participate in our competition season.
Mandatory practice for choreography:
- September 14-15, 2024
- October 5-6, 2024
Summer Camp
This season, our head coach Aimee Brown will run summer camp. Summer camp will run for two days, and athletes will condition and learn our team material to prepare for the fall season. Summer camp is mandatory for all athletes. Camp dates are below.
June 20-21, 2024
9 A.M. - 4 P.M. (both days)
Lunch will be provided
Fundraising Responsibility
As a team, we will hold two fundraising campaigns this season. One will be an online donation fundraiser and we will also hold our annual Little Landsharks Clinic for kids. Fundraising is mandatory for all. Our goal is to be able to pay competition fees, provide more practice gear throughout the season, provide gameday gear and enjoy team bonding events!
Uniforms
Coach Brown will assign each athlete three team uniforms in which you are responsible for the general upkeep and care. If a uniform is lost or damaged, it’s the athlete’s responsibility to replace or fix the uniform.
Financial Responsibilities
**All practice wear must be ordered and received by summer camp on June 20.
- Athletic fee $75 (before tryouts)
- Team Jacket
- You will be sent a payment portal
- Team Bookbag
- You will be sent a payment portal
- Performance Nike Cheer Shoes
- Purchase one pair of Sideline IV shoes from one of the links below. I’ve provided a backup store in case they don’t have your size.
- Nike - Sideline IV
- Cheer Outfitters - Sideline IV
- Practice Shorts - Purchase one black and one white
- Practice Tank
- Shoes (Same shoes at both links)
We will order custom practice wear once we have finished our first fundraiser!
The payment for required personal items and other fees is the sole responsibility of the athletes’ parents/guardians. The cost of cheerleading can be overwhelming to a new athlete’s family, yet it is the goal and wish of the program that the cost does not PREVENT any interested candidate from trying out for the team. OCA Spirit supplies uniforms, some practice gear, competition registration, game day needs and other items, such as transportation, choreography, signs, etc., through fundraising and OCA support.
Special payment plans or arrangements can be made to assist a family that may need help in payment of required financial responsibilities. Any family needing assistance is expected to contact Coach Brown as early as possible to work out an individualized payment plan or arrangement. All payment plans and arrangements will be held in strict confidence.
Absence Summary
- Summer Practices – Not mandatory but HIGHLY recommended
- Summer Camp - NO absences allowed
- Fall Season Practices (Aug-Nov) – 2 absences allowed
- Fall Athletic Events/Performances – 1 absence allowed
- Competition Choreography Weekends -- Mandatory for all athletes
- Winter Season practices (Dec-Mar) – 2 absences allowed
- Winter Athletic Events/Performances – athletes will signup for a minimum of 5 games
- Competition is mandatory for all athletes
Being a member of Oceanside Spirit is a huge time commitment. We expect full dedication from all athletes.
If absence rules are violated, the coaching staff reserves the right to choose an appropriate consequence for the situation. If an athlete is going to miss for any reason, this should be communicated with the Coach Brown two weeks in advance.
Extra Details
- Candidates who meet the qualifications will not be discriminated against because of race, gender, creed, religion, or educational handicap.
- There will be no spotters for tumbling in tryouts.
- Any candidate currently participating in a spring sport at OCA should not miss any scheduled practice or event with the spring sport. The spring sport takes priority over OCA Spirit tryouts. It is the duty of the candidate to make coaches aware of his/her involvement in a spring sport to make accommodations for spirit tryouts at least two weeks prior. Candidates should not quit a spring sport in anticipation of spirit tryouts. Please keep in mind, all events are mandatory for OCA Spirit once you make the team.
