Season 10 Information

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Where can I find out all the documentation relevant to Season 10?

​You can find all the documentation here on the website. If you head to our "Documents" section, you'll find everything you need, including the Season 10 Handbook, Season 10 International Handbook, and all our most important policies. Please don't hesitate to ask us any questions on whiterosecheer@gmail.com if you wish to clarify something. We'll get back to you ASAP!

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How do I sign my athlete up for Season 10?

Our main placement week has now passed for Season 10, but we do have a mid-season intake. Equally, our Recreational Stream, Oysters, has intakes around every 6 weeks or so, plus any athlete can join our Tumbling Academy at any time. Please email us on whiterosecheer@gmail.com if you wish to know more! 

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Do I have to commit to the competitive teams?

No! We have a few development streams and non-competitive classes, including our ever growing Recreational Program. If you wish to book onto our Rec Classes, you can click on our two-week trial link in the header. 

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Finance

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What do my monthly fees go towards?

Your monthly fee pays for the costs of our venue - contributing to lighting, heating, water and other utilities, alongside rental and insurance costs. All training costs, including coaching costs, plus one tumbling class per week are also included. Equally, if your athlete is competing in Germany or they’re part of a Development Stream, these costs are included, too.

Personal athlete insurance is - yep, you guessed it - included! 

 

What is NOT included?

Outside of these regular weekly/monthly training sessions, our extra costs are Competition Entry Fees (between £120-£499 depending on which competitions, and how many teams you are a part of), Competition Uniform (between £0-170 depending on which team you are on), and any optional extras such as Spectator Tickets to events, and Training Kit. You can pay your competition entry fees three ways: all in one go, in three (unequal) instalments, or event-by-event in line with the Competition Event Providers’ deadlines. 

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​How much is cheerleading going to cost me per month?

​That all depends on which team you are placed in. We pride ourselves on being the most value-for-money program in our area, and because of this costs are as low as possible. Our Tiny Novice team Otters is our cheapest team at £30 per month, and our Worlds team is £59 monthly. This change of fee is reflected in the training hours and the competition schedule. If your athlete is a crossover, they will have £22 per month added to their fees to take into account their second team, and £12 if they cross to a third team.

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How do I pay my monthly fees?

​All athletes will be registered with our chosen sports software system, Coacha. From here you will be sent an email request to sign up for your monthly fees. You manually input your chosen card details and on the 1st of the month, your monthly fee will be taken. You only need to input your details once, and the system will do all the hard work! If you're wishing to sign up, check out the "Join Us!" section of this website. 

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Communication

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Who can I contact when I have a question?

​Your first port of call for day-to-day running of the club is your Team Group on WhatsApp, manned by your Team Rep, and then our private Spond Group, “White Rose Cheer”. Here, there are lots of people who may have the answer. For the more major updates, an email will be sent to the address we hold on file and an update will be placed on the “news” section of this website. ​If you wish to discuss something personal with the director, please email whiterosecheer@gmail.com.
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Are there any rules regarding Social Media usage whilst being a member of the club?

​All social media usage by athletes and parents alike must be positive, and reflect the club in a good light. This is throughout all Social Media platforms, White Rose Cheer Facebook groups, and anonymous forums. Please check out the Code of Conduct within the Season Handbook, which all athletes and parents are expected to abide by. We also ask that no parents share full routines across their Social Media accounts until the conclusion of the season. 

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Competitions

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Why do we compete?

​The main reason we compete is to have fun, and to show off how hard we have worked! Competitions are the highlights within our season and a clear, focused goal for all our athletes. Our main aim at each competition is to produce a Zero Deduction routine (known in the cheerleading world as Hitting Zero). Any trophies or accolades we win are a complete bonus. 

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How many competitions are there in one Season?

​Our teams compete in 4-5 competitions each year. The cheer season runs from August to July, with our first competition usually being in late January. Our Novice/Prep teams usually compete four times locally (within the North of England/Yorkshire) and our Allstar and Elite Program usually attend one or two National events each year. 

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What is Hitting Zero?

​Hitting Zero means that the athletes perform their given, choreographed routine with no mistakes or errors, earning them Zero Deductions from the judges. We always strive to achieve this at every competition. 

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Whereabouts are the competitions held?

​We strive with our regular competition schedule to ensure proximity to Leeds, to remove the necessity for travel and accommodation costs. For example, this season, the bulk of our program is travelling to Sheffield, Manchester, and Blackpool. Additionally our Allstar and Elite Program are travelling to Nottingham and Bournemouth. Our International Teams are travelling to Germany, and our Worlds Team is heading to Orlando for the IASF Cheerleading Worlds. 

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Are competitions mandatory for all athletes?

​Yes - all athletes in a White Rose Cheer competitive squad are expected to commit to all competitions for their squad in a season. We do not authorise absences for a competition unless in case of emergency, which is judged on a case-by-case basis. If your athlete is recreational only, they are not expected at competitive events. 

 

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Training and Attendance

 

How often does my athlete train?

​All athletes train with their team once a week, between 1-2 hours depending on their age group. Crossover athletes will train twice weekly in cheerleading, once with each team. All athletes will then train 90-120 minutes each Saturday with our Head of Tumbling to work their all-important gymnastics skills. Tumbling remains optional but heavily encouraged.

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Do the athletes train in the school holidays?

​We close for two weeks over Christmas and two weeks over Easter, reflective of the school holidays. During the long Summer break, we run to a skeleton timetable with a smaller training schedule. During the three half-term breaks we are open and running as usual. The details of this skeleton timetable can be found in the Season Handbook. All training during the school holidays is optional, but all athletes are encouraged to attend unless they have plans away from the UK. 

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What is Red Zone?

​Red Zone is the two weeks leading up to any competition where attendance at cheerleading training is mandatory with no exceptions. This is to allow us to maintain productive sessions throughout this crucial time. Any athlete unable to attend a lockdown training, for whatever reason, will be removed from their team for the upcoming competition to allow their teammates to train fully. The only exceptions to Red Zone are School Leavers events for Year 6/11/13 only, during our Summer Competitions only. 

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Extra Training 

 

​​My athlete needs a little extra help in perfecting a skill, is there anything I can do to help that?

Yes! Our coaching program holds a number of private classes which are scheduled sporadically. All athletes can book a 30 minute private for £13+ to work on their skill set that they wish to improve. These are advertised in our Spond Group and can be booked directly with your coach. Stunting privates are held at £25 per half-hour and can be shared. 

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How does my athlete become eligible to travel abroad with one of the International Teams? 

For most of our International teams, entry is open for anyone who wishes to travel. At the start of each season, we will ask all parents and athletes if they wish to be a part of the Travel Teams, and will then create the teams accordingly. Please note, registering your interest does not automatically believe a place will be offered. We must base our teams on the strength/age of the general pool of athletes that register their interest. Please note that for teams travelling to IASF Worlds, the expectations both in terms of skill level and commitment are much higher.

 

Cheerleading in General 

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What elements are there within a typical cheerleading routine?

​Within cheerleading, we perform acrobatic stunting, gymnastic floor tumbling, jumps and a short dance section. No, there is no Pom-poms or “cheering”! 

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What are the various stunting positions?

​There are several different stunting positions and no single position is stronger than another. Over the course of an athlete’s time within cheerleading, they will probably find themselves having held all roles at some point. Backspots focus on stability and safety of the stunt, and are often the tallest. Bases work in partners and are usually equal height to one another, use their strength with great technique, are reliable, and have great stability. Flyers are often the shortest in the squad, have brilliant performance skills, great flexibility and are fearless. We greatly value versatility within stunting positions and all athletes are expected to try everything. 

 

How are athletes assessed for a team?

​New athletes are invited for a free class, following discussions with either themselves or their parent (age depending) into a team that coaches feel they’d be a good fit for. They will be informally assessed during the session and then made a firm offer if we feel that team would be a great fit for them. We look at their tumbling and their stunting skill set, if they have previous experience. We do not place athletes necessarily where their friends are or where their skill set does not compliment the team - we want every athlete to feel like a shining star!

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What is a crossover athlete?

​A crossover athlete is an athlete who performs on two teams (I.e. Youth Level 2 and Junior Level 4). They train once per week with each team and compete with both teams at competitions. Crossover athletes must be dedicated, pick up quickly, have a versatile skill set and have great stamina! There is an extra time and financial commitment connected to being a crossover. 

 

What are the basic requirements for each level?

This is a very tricky one to pin down! At White Rose Cheer, we like to ensure that all of our athletes are contributing to the entire skill set of their team, but equally we do always have spaces for tumbling and stunting specialists, especially in the higher levels. We always need to ensure that we have the correct percentages according to the scoring systems we will be scored on for the season. As a very, very basic guide, here is a small breakdown of each level:

 

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Novice:

Emerging - stunts at prep level and below prep level

Rolls and Cartwheels

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Prep:

3 Elite Skills including ¼ twisting stunts and braced single leg stunts at prep level

Forward and Backward Walkovers

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Level 1:

5 Elite Skills including ¼ twisting stunts and braced single leg stunts at prep level

Valdez, Switch-leg Back Walkovers and creative walkover combinations

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Level 2:

Two footed extensions, single leg stunts at prep, straight ride baskets, ½ twisting stunts

Front and back handsprings, walkover combinations through to back handsprings, flysprings

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Level 3:

Single leg extensions, full twisting stunts, releases at prep, single shape baskets

Running combinations through to tuck, standing multiple handsprings and jump handspring combinations

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Level 4:

Full twisting extensions, twisting releases at prep, two shape baskets

Running combinations through to layout, standing combinations through to tuck and jump handspring to tuck combinations

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Level 5:

1.5 twisting stunts, releases at extension, inversions at extension, three trick baskets

Running combinations through to full, standing combinations through to layout and jump handspring to layout combinations

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Level 6:

1.5 twisting stunts to single leg, releases at extension with stretches, inversions at extension with stretches, three trick baskets including a double twist

Running combinations through to double full, standing combinations through to full and jump handspring to full combinations

 

Above all of this, each skill needs to be performed with solid technique for us to be able to include it in a competitive routine. Technique is always the stronger focus! 

 

What is a Development Team?

A Development Team is a non-competitive team that runs once a month, with the sole intention to up-level skills for each athlete in attendance. Development attempts to bridge the gap between an athlete’s current level and where we know their potential can reach. We find these sessions to be very productive and successfully close this gap, enabling the athletes to reach higher levels/skill sets in the future. 

 

What are Bids that get given at competitions? 

There are a great number of further and higher opportunities given at various competitions to prestigious events around the world:

• ICC award bids to Battle Of Champions at their regional and national event - the UK’s only Invite-Only event which provides FREE entry for bid winners. This is held in Nottingham in July.

• ICC also award bids to Nfinity Finals, which is held in May each year in Orlando, Florida and is considered a World Level Event. Last year, WRC won twelve bids to this event. 

• Revolution and Energy Events award bids to All-Star Worlds, which is held in April each year in Orlando, Florida and is considered a World Level Event. Last year, WRC won two bids to this event. 

• ICC, BCA and Future Cheer award bids to The Summit and The Youth Summit, held in May each year in Orlando, Florida. This is considered within cheer circles to be a widely prestigious World Level Event. WRC have won two bids in our history to The Summit. 

• ICC, BCA and Future Cheer award bids to the IASF Cheerleading Worlds held in April each year in Orlando, Florida. This is the recognised official World Championship in our sport and being invited to go is a huge honour. WRC have won three bids in our history to IASF Worlds. 

 

All bids won are the property of WRC, and choices are made each and every year as to whether we will accept bids, or defer them to the following year, or decline them. In 2024, we took four teams to All-Star Worlds and IASF Worlds. In 2025, we are only taking one team to IASF Worlds only. In 2026, we predict a much larger trip which we hope will encompass at least three of the events mentioned above. The cost of a trip to Orlando can be significant and we do predict in future years that we will run a large trip encompassing several teams across several events every TWO years (so for example 2026, 2028, 2030) and on the other years (2025, 2027, 2029 etc) we will run a skeleton trip to IASF Worlds only for the WRC team(s) invited to represent the country there. 

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If you do have any further questions, please email whiterosecheer@gmail.com.

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