KU Cheerleading Tryouts2009/2010 results will be posted Tuesday May 5 at 5pm at the KUathletics.com Spirit Squad page. Tryouts for the 2009/2010 season were May 2nd and 3rd, 2009. Last year's info is posted below to give you an idea of how our tryouts are run. For help improving your skills for tryouts, see the Clinics page. To receive email updates on our tryouts and clinics, see the Email Updates section of the Recruits page. Our SquadsSpring tryouts fill all the spots on our squads (ie, we don't have a Fall tryout). We'll take approximately 14 coed couples and a few extra guys. For the 2009-2010 squad I'm tentatively planning to have each squad member cheer:
Travel to away games and post-season tournaments is usually limited to 3 to 6 couples per trip, so a squad vote is the main factor in who travels. In the fall, we select 9 guys and 7 ladies (plus 2 alternates) to compete at UCA nationals in Disneyworld in mid-January. Selection Criteria / RequirementsCandidates will be selected based on who will create the best squad by the time our season starts. That means we'll consider more factors than just skill level; we'll consider potential, squad partnering, pyramid positions, physical fitness, work ethic, and attitude. For specific skills, it's hard to estimate what is needed to make the squad since we just take the best 14 couples that show up, but listed below is what we look for. Also note that all returning squad members must try out every year. Ladies should have good stunting fundamentals and be easy to stunt with or show good potential. It helps (but isn't required) to have experience with elite stunts like full-ups, rewinds, and double-twisting cradles but make sure you only work on those if you're ready for them. For standing tumbling, we like to see a solid standing back handspring and back tuck (standing fulls are great, but rare). For pass tumbling, we hope to see fulls, but back handspring series to tuck or layout might be enough to make the squad if your stunt scores are high. Guys' skill levels at tryouts vary more than the ladies, so they're harder to predict. In general, we really like to see guys who can both stunt (ie, at least toss stunts) and tumble (standing tuck and pass fulls), but we also take guys who are stronger in one area and weaker in the other. We may also take guys who have little to no cheer experience if they show potential by being strong and athletic. In 3 out of the last 5 years, we took every guy who tried out, so if you're worried about not making it you should just go ahead and try out! The 2009 Tryout FormatPrelims: Saturday 10:00am - 1:00pmEveryone will be asked to perform the tumbling skills listed below and you'll be judged on how well you perform each. I don't expect people to have ALL of these skills so don't let the list scare you, but it will show me exactly what tumbling you can and can't do and how well you do each. All tumbling will be performed on non-spring mats.
After tumbling, you will do a fairly basic stunt (the stunt will not be announced until the day of tryouts) with one of several partners provided at tryouts. Female candidates' stunts will be judged on technique, toss height, and on how easy the guy stunter felt it was for them to hit the stun. Male candidates will be judged on solidness and technique. Once everyone is finished with their tumbling and stunt, we'll break and announce the semi-finalists. Semi-Finals: Saturday 2:00pm - 4:00pmCandidates will do two more stunts with two different partners provided at tryouts. The stunts will not be announced until semis begin but the stunts I'll choose from are listed below.
The stunts will be judged in the same manner as in prelims. When everyone is finished, we'll announce the finalists. Finalists' Saturday 5:30pm - 8:00pmFinalists will do a third stunt, be interviewed, and will learn a 30-second fight song. Finals: Sunday 9:30am - NoonishFinalists perform the following in groups of three for a judging panel:
Posting of ResultsResults will be posted at http://www.kuathletics.com/sports/c-spirit/kan-c-spirit-body.html no later than Tuesday at 5:00pm. All decisions are final. Tryout AdviceHere are some random thoughts and tips on preparing for tryouts:
What to Wear at Tryouts
Summer ObligationsSquad members will need to be in Lawrence several times over the summer for practices, to teach our camps, and attend to UCA camp (in Milwaukee). It's helpful if squad members live in Lawrence over the summer so they can work on their skills together, but it's not required. Here are our probable summer obligations:
Questions?If you have any questions about tryouts or KU Cheerleading, check the Recruits page. If you can't find the answer there, email me (Corey) at cheer4ku@ku.edu. Thanks! |
At both days of tryouts, ladies should wear a sports bra, athletic shorts or spandex, athletic shoes, no jewelry, and your hair should be pulled back out of your face. Men should wear a plain T-shirt, athletic shorts, and athletic shoes. Note that these requirements are for safety reasons, and also note that a small part of your score in finals is "Overall Image," so it's in your best interest to look game-ready.