7^th and 8^th Grade Required Skills

Evaluation Elements

• Individual Cheer with incorporations (optional jump and/or tumbling)
• Sideline Chant
• Dance (will include a double toe touch)
• Jumps (toe-touch, hurdler, pike).
• Standing tumbling (back-handspring and/or tuck)
• Running tumbling (minimum pass is round off two back handsprings)
• Stunting (8th-grade only - one-man with step-over lib and one-man compression back to extension)
• Overall spirit
• Coach’s Score (coachability, work ethic, leadership, character)
• A "C" average in all classes

Materials/Skills Clinic

• The cheer, chant, and dance are choreographed and taught by an outside vendor.
• Attendance at the clinic every day is mandatory.
• Coaches will be evaluating candidates during the week of the clinic in the areas of coachability, work ethic, and leadership.
• The clinic is closed to the public.

Clinic Attire:
Each day, hair needs to be in a high ponytail and absolutely NO jewelry.  A ribbon is recommended.  Candidates should wear shorts and a t-shirt. No cheerleading-accessories or clothing bearing cheerleading affiliation of any kind may be worn during evaluations.  

• Coming to the clinic dressed appropriately counts towards the coach’s score.

Coach’s Evaluation Elements

• Standing tumbling (minimum requirement: back-handspring and/or tuck)
• Running tumbling (minimum pass: round-off, 2 back-handsprings)
• Jumps (toe-touch, hurdler, pike)
• Stunting (8th grade only - required stunt: one-man extension to step over lib  & one-man compression back to extension)
• Additionally, coaches will be evaluating candidates during the week of the clinic (and from the previous year for rising 8th grade) in the areas of coachability, work ethic, and leadership.
• Running and standing tumbling, jumps, and stunting must be performed each day of camp - candidates cannot wait until final scoring to throw their tumbling and other skills for the first time.
• Please see the assessment rubric for the point value of each scoring category.

Judges’ Evaluation Elements

• Outside judges will be contracted to judge the following elements:
• Individual Cheer with incorporations (optional jump and/or tumbling)
• Sideline Cheer (group cheer)
• Dance (jump may be incorporated)
• Overall spirit
• Please see the assessment rubric for the point value of each scoring category.

NOTE:

The requirements above are ONLY for the 7th and 8th-grade squads.

9th-grade tryout requirements are posted on the MBHS Cheerleading website.