Cheerleading is a unique sport, wherein the absence of one team member affects the entire squad. We cannot emphasize enough the importance of attendance. Planning family activities around our season is important. Family event conflicts should be cleared with Administrator well in advance.
In order to help athletes and families keep track of team practices, competitions, important events and holidays, our season calendar is linked below.
Absence request forms
click here for the absence request form link
This form should be submitted to request an absence from a Junior Charger practice/event. This form should be used for excused or unexcused absences, and flex practices; it is not required for illness, family emergencies, or KML Schools’ athletic activities. One absence date and one athlete per form please.
Each athlete is allowed ONE absence request per season for:
Family Vacation/Wedding
Required School/Church Obligation
This form MUST be submitted by September 1, 2024 for all athletes. After September 1st you must email jrchargercheer@gmail.com to receive the Absence Form link.
If this absence is requested AFTER September 1st, if it does not meet the criteria listed above, or if it is for a SECOND absence request, please note that it may be considered UNEXCUSED per our program policies. UNEXCUSED absence requests must be made at least a week prior to the absence. Per our program policies, the FIRST UNEXCUSED absence may require an in-person meeting between program staff and parent(s). A SECOND UNEXCUSED absence will require an in-person meeting between program staff and parent(s) and may result in an athlete being moved out of their spot in their routine or removal from a competition or performance.
Unexcused absences may require scheduling of a private practice.
EXCUSED absences require contacting the Head Coach BY THE WEDNESDAY PRIOR TO THE NEXT PRACTICE to find out what the athlete will be missing, so that they can practice at home. If the athlete is not caught up, a private practice may have to be scheduled.
Program staff will contact you with approval/follow-up.
team practices
Starting in September, the teams will practice Sunday afternoon/evening at KML. If there are gym conflicts, practice may be held at Elite Tumbling Factory. Please see the team calendar for the exact schedule at: www.juniorchargercheer.com.
Flex Practices
We will have two “Flex Practices”, one in October and one in January. These are scheduled during typical breaks from school. These practices will help us better prepare for our competitions without starting the season earlier. We would ask that athletes attend unless a family vacation, etc. is already scheduled. If an athlete can not attend, please complete the bottom portion of the Absence Form by September 1, 2024. This absence will NOT count against the athlete’s allotted excused absence.
competitions and performances
Competitions are an opportunity to use the gifts God has given for His glory.
All teams will participate in FOUR (4) local competitions. Potential competition dates are indicated on calendars. Final competition dates will be determined once organizations have finalized dates for their event.
Please note that we do our best to choose local competitions whenever possible. However, it is possible we may attend competitions up to 1.5 hours from KML in order to provide competitive opportunities. At times, our teams need to report early (ie. 8:00am). Families may consider staying in a hotel near the venue due to possible travel length/inclement weather.
The detailed performance schedule is typically published by the competition host a week prior to the event.
Please note that competitions rarely cancel or reschedule due to weather. We ask that families plan ahead for extra travel time to get athletes to competitions when weather is less than favorable.
For all scheduled competitions, we will make sure to coordinate the cheer performance schedule with any KML Schools that may also attend these competitions. The athlete WILL be able to perform both for JCC and their school team, with some time to rest and change between performances.
We also offer a few additional performance opportunities for the team (see calendar):
Join the KML Cheerleaders for Junior Charger Night Football Game (optional)
Family & Friends Showcase
KML Competition Exhibition
We strongly encourage parents, family and friends to attend all performances to help show support for all of our teams. All athletes will be expected to be present and show support for all Junior Charger Cheer teams. The support of others within the program is important for each team’s success and promotes sportsmanship throughout the program.
awards banquet
Awards Celebration date TBD (February or March). All athletes will receive an individual award, team memories will be celebrated, and a program slideshow movie will be enjoyed! Based on feedback from last season, we will continue to hold our Awards Celebration in the KML PAC. A date will be chosen once the PAC schedule is set for those months. Please note that while we hope for everyone to be able to attend, we realize this may not be feasible. This event is not mandatory.
Tumbling
The Junior Charger Cheer Program highly encourages all athletes to take tumbling classes if they wish to learn, improve and add to their tumbling repertoire as the time constraints of our season do not allow us to teach or develop tumbling skills. Classes/open gym opportunities at Elite Tumbling Factory can be found at www.elitetumblingfactory.com. We highly recommend this gym with its very experienced coaches that work solely with cheerleaders and dancers.
Optional summer Stunt Practices
In June & July, we will offer OPTIONAL stunt practices for 5-8th grade athletes. This will allow the athletes extra opportunity to work on stunting skills. These are offered at no cost to the athlete.