COMPETE, ACHIEVE AND HAVE FUN!
Competitive Cheer Program Overview & Highlights
Our mission is to provide a fun, safe, encouraging environment, while teaching our athletes to develop a positive attitude, leadership attributes, teamwork mentality, and qualities such as determination and perseverance.
Park Ridge Competitive Cheer, often known as PRC, is managed solely by parents and volunteers. We have many experienced coaches, including previous Park Ridge Falcons Competitive cheerleaders who cheer for Maine South. We pride ourselves on fostering leadership. In fact, year after year, PRC is thrilled to welcome back former Falcons cheerleaders who become Junior Coaches to our athletes. These alumni are typically very passionate about our program, are eager to be involved, and have a strong desire to give back the same wonderful experience with PRC that they have enjoyed in years-past.
Park Ridge Competitive Cheer follows the American Recreational Cheerleading (ARC) rules and regulations for recreational competitive cheerleading. We are a member of the Illinois Cheer Association (ICA), where all teams are classified by the grade-level of the athlete and compete at ICA Cheer Competitions within Illinois.
Since 2016, nearly every PRC team has qualified for the ICA State Cheerleading Championship.
Our Competitive Cheer program for Competition Season is structured with four teams:
– Tiny Team: 1st/2nd grades- cheer for Flag Football
– Mini Team: 3rd grade – cheer for Flag Football
– Junior Team: 4th/5th grades – cheer for Falcons Tackle Football
– Senior Team: 6th, 7th, and 8th grades- cheer for Falcons Tackle Football
Over the past 3 years, we have experienced a tremendous interest in our Competitive Cheer program. Unfortunately, with limited practice space for all of our PRC athletes, we have a maximum athlete capacity of 20-25 girls per team level. Currently ALL of our PRC teams are filled to capacity. If you would like to place your daughter on our waitlist, please email the following info to <prcompetitivecheer@gmail.com>:
Parent name
Athlete name
Athlete current grade
Email
Cell
If anyone drops from the program we will reach out to the waitlisted athletes.
PRC offers two season options every year- Spring Season and Summer/Fall Season, also known as Competition Season.
Spring Season
Spring Season is a shorter, abbreviated season, enabling new participants to check out our program and see if Competitive Cheer is something they want to be a part of. This 8-week season typically runs from mid-March to mid-May with two (2) practices a week; athletes focus on conditioning, flexibility, jumps, stunting and tumbling skills.
Registration for Spring Season opens in February to current 1st through 7th graders. Early-bird priority registration for the previous Fall Season PRC athletes will open first. Remaining spots will open to the public one week later and will be first-come, first served. After the maximum team number has been filled, we will move to a waitlist.
During the spring, PRC teams do not compete in any cheer competitions. Instead, our coaches begin planning for the upcoming fall competition season by getting to know athletes who are new to the program and understanding the entire team’s strengths and areas for improvement.
Summer/Fall Season- Competition Season
Our Summer/Fall Season is a much longer commitment than Spring, lasting approximately 6 months, with the bulk of the activity during the fall months. Practices are held twice a week from mid-June through December. Practice times vary, depending on the team, and can be anywhere from 3 to 8 hours weekly.
Fall season focuses on choreography, cheers, conditioning, flexibility, jumps, stunting, and standing/running tumbling skills. This preparation will ultimately develop into performing a 3-minute competition routine composed of tumbling, stunting, pyramids, dance, and cheer segments.
All of our PRC athletes cheer for Park Ridge Football teams, as well as compete at local competitions. Football sideline cheer begins in August and lasts through October. Competitions begin in late September and the season concludes with the ICA State Championship in early-December. Our end-of-season Cheer Banquet is held at the Park Ridge Country Club in mid-December.
SuperRec Evaluations
Due to an overwhelming amount of interest in our Junior and Senior teams, PRC will now have SuperRec tryout teams for Competition Season. Athlete evaluations (for the Junior and Senior teams only) will be held in mid-May for the Summer/Fall Competition Season with athletes trying out for a spot on each team of 25 athletes. Anyone is welcome to try out, and does not have to be a PRC Spring Season athlete. We are looking to add new members to the team, as well as returning members.
The Tiny and Mini teams do NOT have evaluations/tryouts. Registration typically opens in early May for our Summer/Fall Competition Season. Please note: priority registration always goes to athletes currently enrolled in PRC- this is due to the significant time and costs already invested in the program by the participant.
What We Teach Student-Athletes
Competitive Cheer Program Structure
Participants must be entering the 1st grade (up to 8th grade) at the time of registration. It is preferred that the participants have a previous cheer or tumbling experience, but not mandatory.
The level of commitment and competition may be higher depending on the skill levels of each team, but most importantly we want everyone to have fun!
Program
Senior Team
Junior Team
Mini Team
Tiny Team
School Grade
6th – 7th – 8th
4th – 5th
3rd
1st – 2nd
Sideline Cheer
Falcons Football
Falcons Football
Flag Football
Flag Football
Stunting
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Competitions
4+ State
4+ State
4+ State
4+ State
Competitive Cheer Program Details
Park Ridge Competitive Cheer squads will practice twice a week. Practices will begin in July. All practices will be held at Maine Park Leisure Center, 2701 W Sibley St, Park Ridge, IL or Prospect Park- O’Connor Room, 733 N Prospect ave, Park Ridge, IL.
Squads cannot have effective practices or perform successfully with absent participants. Due to the nature of the sport, a practice missed by one cheerleader has a significant impact on the squad; particularly on that cheerleader’s stunt group, who are unable to stunt without every member present. In addition, when the coach must re-teach material to those who have been absent, the whole squad’s practice time suffers. As a result, attendance at all practices & games is a must.
Practice Attendance Policy: Cheerleaders will be allowed to miss up to three (3) practices from the start of the season through August. The cheerleaders will be allowed to miss up to three (3) additional practices from August until the end of the season in early December. If a participant misses more than the allotted amount of practices, their continued participation in the program will be reviewed and decided upon by their Head Coach and the Director of Cheer. If you have any questions or concerns regarding our Practice Attendance Policy please contact the Director of Cheer.
Practice Attire is as follows: Black t-shirt or tank-top, black shorts, cheer or gym shoes, and hair pulled back. No jewelry, no candy, no gum. All cheerleaders should bring a water bottle to practice.
Park Ridge Competitive Cheerleaders will excite the fans at our home Park Ridge Falcons Football games through sideline cheers and half-time performances.
The cheerleaders will participate in the homecoming festivities, including a half-time rose ceremony and an after-the-game party.
Attendance at all home games is mandatory.
Competitions
Park Ridge Competitive Cheerleaders will learn and perfect a routine that they will use to compete in local competitions against other cheerleading teams. There will be four season competitions- attendance is mandatory for all competitions. Competition entry fees are included in the PRCC program cost. Competition dates will be announced as soon as Park Ridge Cheer is registered and confirmed in July.
If any of the squads place 1st in any one of their competitions, they will compete in the ICA State Competition at Sears Centre, Hoffman Estates in early December. The state competition entry fee for cheerleaders to compete varies annually and is NOT included in the Park Ridge Competitive Cheer fees for the season.
Scoring Criteria
| Scoring Item: | Points |
| Voice/Expression/Projection | 10 |
| Motions | 10 |
| Jumps | 10 |
| Tumbling | 10 |
| Stunts | 10 |
| Pyramids/Basket Tosses | 10 |
| Formation & Transitions | 10 |
| Synchronization | 10 |
| Degree of Difficulty | 10 |
| Perfection of Routine | 10 |
| Total | 100 |
In late August, all teams will learn their entire choreographed routine for the fall season at the Maine Park gym. This clinic is extremely important whereupon cheerleaders will learn their entire competition routine. Dates will be given to parents in mid-June and attendance to this 2-day weekend clinic is MANDATORY.
Participants should plan to bring a small snack, along with a water bottle.
Uniforms
All Park Ridge Competitive Cheerleaders purchase their own uniform. The uniform amount is due during the custom uniform fitting, which will be held in July.
Park Ridge Competitive Cheerleading has an established uniform program whereupon we make a two (2) year commitment to a particular style of uniform.
At the end of the season, we encourage cheerleaders who will not be returning for the following season to participate in our consignment program where Park Ridge Competitive Cheerleading connects gently-used uniforms to new cheerleaders for a fee, benefiting both departing and incoming participants.
Dress Code
The Dress Code for the season is as follows:
Cheerleaders shall wear their full competition uniform to all competitions. It is the responsibility of the cheerleader to ensure that the uniform is kept clean.
Hair should be up, with our cheer bow, and to coach’s specifications, prior to arriving at all competitions.
Cheer shoes and NO SHOW white ankle socks will be worn during competitions. Please do not wear your cheer shoes outside or to any other events in an effort to keep them perfectly white and clean.
No jewelry, nail polish, or glitter is permitted for competitions due to the chance of disqualification. Fingernails should be kept short for a safety precaution as well.
All squad members are required to maintain and uphold the reputation of the Park Ridge Competitive Cheerleaders through their own conduct and squad spirit. Our participants are required to be courteous, polite, friendly, and try to have a smile for everybody. All cheers and chants shall be of a positive and sportsmanlike manner. Bullying is never tolerated.
It is our core belief that participation in competitive cheerleading provides a wealth of opportunities and experiences that assist participants in personal and athletic growth. All Park Ridge Competitive Cheerleaders are encouraged, and expected, to exhibit good sportsmanship by demonstrating positive support for all participants and coaches.
As parents of student-athletes, you also have committed yourselves to certain responsibilities and obligations. These responsibilities and obligations will be outlined in further detail at our Parent Meeting at the beginning of the season in June, which we expect all parents to attend.
The Park Ridge Falcons Competitive Cheer (PRC) Spring Season will focus on
building cheerleading skills, along with teaching leadership and teamwork to every participant. Weekly practices will
consist of conditioning, tumbling, jumps, and learning choreography for high-energy dances as we ramp up for our
Fall Competition Season.
Registration is
open to all current Kdg through 7th graders. Early-bird priority registration for Fall Season PRC athletes opens in February. Remaining spots will be first-come, first served. After the maximum team number has been filled, we will move to a
wait list.
Participants do not compete in any cheer competitions
for Spring Season, however, all participants will perform for parents in mid-May for our PRC Showcase Performance.
Generally 2 practices a week in the evenings with one dedicated to learning a routine and the second practice dedicated to
conditioning and tumbling instruction.
At the beginning of the season, participants will receive a black PRC t-shirt with their name on it that they should
wear to every practice, along with black shorts, and clean, DRY cheer shoes. Hair must be pulled back. No jewelry,
no candy, no gum. Every athlete should bring a water bottle with her name on it.
Uniforms are not necessary for the spring season. Each participant will receive one apparel item (TBD) mid-season
to wear for the Showcase Performance in May.
Volunteers
We cannot be successful without the support and involvement of our parents. Please consider joining our Team Mom Committee ~ each team has its own committee of 2-3 moms who help with a variety of aspects of the program including fundraising, communication, pictures, social media, and apparel.
If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the Director of Cheer.
