Cheerleading
The Police Activities League cheerleading programs are governed by the Pop Warner Mid-South Regional Little Scholars, Inc. The Pop Warner organization provides youth cheerleading programs in 42 states and several countries around the world, consisting of approximately 400,000 young people, ranging from ages 5 to 16 years old. Pop Warner is the largest youth cheerleading program in the United States.
As the only national youth sports organization that requires scholastic aptitude to participate, since 1929, Pop Warner is committed to developing America’s young people on the field and off. Each year Pop Warner continues to expand its efforts in team and activity participation, as well as, visibility and outreach in the community.
The Police Activities League philosophy has been that athletics and scholastics go hand in hand. At every level, the Police Activities League seeks to develop well-rounded young women who learn not only the fundamentals of cheerleading and dance, but also the importance of education in an atmosphere conductive to developing sound character while having a good time.
The Police Activities League (PAL), a non-profit association dedicated to bringing the benefits of organized cheer to the youth of Charlotte. We provide opportunities for girl’s ages 7 to 13 to participate in cheerleading. Our organization is run entirely by volunteers, most of whom have children in our football and cheer programs. We have sponsored football and cheer in Charlotte for over 40 years, so long that now some of our alumni have children in our program and serve as coaches. Our teams are known as the Central 49ers, Metro Bears, Westover Bengals and Eastway Jets.
Cheerleading is an integral part of the PAL program. Our cheerleaders inspire excitement and enthusiasm that is appreciated by the entire PAL family.
Our program begins with practices starting August. Football games commence in September and October, every Saturday, and continue into November depending on football playoff results. The Pop Warner Little Panthers Competition takes place in October 2009.
Each squad has a Head Coach and/or Coaches and a number of trainers who will teach them cheers and dance routines. In addition to maintaining a regular practice schedule, the cheerleaders attend football games at which they lead cheers and perform cheer and dance routines. Every year each of our cheer squads participates in what is called Pop Warner Little Panthers Competition.
Sign Ups start in May 2011. You will not be considered registered until all required payments have been made and all required paperwork has been submitted.
CHEER DIVISIONS
We provide cheer instruction as well as performance and competition opportunities for girls and young women ages 7 to 13. The program is appropriate for first time cheerleaders and seasoned veterans. The goal of the cheer program is for our cheerleaders to have fun yet (a) develop self-confidence, (b) learn cheer and dance routines that are increasingly sophisticated with their age and experience and (c) perform at games and a competition event.
SQUAD PLACEMENT
Girls will be placed on squads according to age and ability, each of which is associated with one of our PAL football teams. As in football, placement is not left up to the parent; rather there are certain criteria for squad placement. The Cheer Coordinator(s)/C0-Coordinator will have the final say. Please do not ask for your cheerleader to be placed on a particular squad. We understand that your child may desire to be with a friend or cheer for a particular football team, but we are confident that wherever they are placed they will make new friends had have a wonderful experience.
CHEER PRACTICE
General
Cheer practice location will be advised once the league receives our field allocation from the city. Everyone must arrive at practices on time and be appropriately dressed in spirit wear (socks and tennis shoes, no jewelry or jeans). Hair must be pulled back and secured in a ponytail and out of the face. Girls not dressed properly will not be allowed to practice. Water is supplied by the Head Coach. No gum will be allowed.
Regular Practices
Practices starting the first week in August and will consist of three, two-hour sessions per week. The head coach of each squad will determine the exact practice schedule. We cannot overemphasize the importance of participating in practices. We stress both individual cheerleader development and commitment to the squad. Precious practice time is spent learning and practicing cheers and dance routines, which includes a lot of coordinated activity by the squad that can only be learned through practice and repetition. If two or more practices are missed during the week, your child will NOT be permitted to cheer at that week's game. If attendance becomes an issue further action will be taken.
We ask that you support coaches and cheer staff working with your child in order to encourage a positive and enjoyable experience for all. Although tempting, please do not coach from the sidelines. Leave the coaching to the coaches. Each parent will be required to sign an Adult Code of Conduct contract at the beginning of the season.
COMPETITIONS
Every year our cheer squads are required to participate in the Pop Warner Little Panthers League Competition. At this event, hundreds of cheerleaders from 23 sister organizations compete in cheer and dance routines in front of an audience numbering in the thousands. Cheerleaders and parents should anticipate that this is an all day event.
The cheer squads will develop and practice a complex routine they will perform at Competition. A panel of judges will judge the performances. They consider degree of difficulty, perfection, personality, technique, precision, appearance, movements, eye contact, jumps, and poise. Dance routines are further judged on music and originality of music. If our girls qualify at the league level they advance to regional.
In addition to the mandatory Pop Warner league competition, we offer the opportunity for our squads to go on and compete at the regional. While these competitions are not mandatory, we strongly encourage full participation. The regional competition is usually held the day after Thanksgiving.
FOOTBALL GAMES
Each cheer squad is associated with one of the PAL football teams. Attendance by all Cheerleaders is mandatory for all their team's football games, including scrimmages, regular season games, and playoff games. Regular season football games will begin on Saturday, September 5th and continue thru October.
Even though football teams are organized into leagues based on geographic considerations, it is important to know that some travel is involved and distances can be as much as a 100 mile round trip.
Before you register your child, make sure that you completely understand the travel requirements and the importance of your child's total participation in every event, home and away.
PHYSICALS & EXAMINATIONS
Physicals are required for all cheerleaders. PAL will arrange for physicals to be performed the second or third week in July. Check the website for time and location. There no cost for the physical exam.
If you cannot attend this event, or if you wish to have the examination performed by a personal physician, the examination will be at your expense. If a private physical is performed, the physician must complete and sign the Pop Warner cheerleader contract. Physicals are required before a cheerleader is allowed to attend practice. Please contact your Cheer Coordinators for additional information.
PARTICIPATION FEES
$50 Registration fees include:
- Cheer Uniform (to be returned once season is over)
- Pom Poms (to be returned after season is over)
- PAL membership (Participation in all PAL events for 1 year)
- League Cheer Competition
- Participation Trophy and Banquet
- Cheering at Regular Season Games and Post Season Cheer Competitions
What is NOT included in your Registration Fees:
Mandatory items:
- Cheer Accessories (Shoes, Socks, Bloomers & Bows)
Not Mandatory, but something we like to do as a team:
- End of year party
- Coach’s/team mom gifts
- Treasure Box gifts (weekly drawing for good grades)
UNIFORM FITTINGS
Uniform fitting date is TBD. You will not receive a uniform until membership fee has been received in full.
APPLICATION PROCESS
An application must be completed for every cheerleader. Payment in full must be received by first day of practice. An application may be completed by registering on-line (charmeckpal.org).
All information requested on the application must be provided accurately. This information is used to prepare an Pop Warner player contract required for the certification process. An incomplete application will not be accepted and may result in a cheerleader losing a spot on squad. Please, as a courtesy to our all-volunteer staff, make every effort to ensure that your application is complete and accurate. Additionally, in order to prepare player contracts, parents must provide us with their daughter’s original birth certificate and end of year report card (showing all four quarters). We understand the importance of this document and will be kept with the application at all times. Certification day is the week of August.
VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers Are Critical!!
Our program would not exist without volunteers. We do not compensate any of our volunteers, including coaches, board members and team moms, yet they and many others devote a substantial amount of their time and energy to support our youth sports program.
For example, consider the time our coaches and trainers devote. They attend 10 hours of practice per week and attend PAL and Pop Warner meetings and training sessions. During the season, they attend games every Saturday and devote a long Sunday to Competition. They also spend time talking with parents and their cheerleaders outside of practice.
Volunteering is a lot of fun. You get the chance to interact with other PAL family members and to contribute to the program. Without volunteers, we do not have a program, any football players or cheerleaders. Please do your part!
