Handbook, Tryout Info, and Permission Slip
Subscribe to our Newsletter2018-2019 Team Handbook, Tryout Info & Permission Slip
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS TO BE READ BY EACH PARTICIPANT AND THEIR PARENT(S)/GUARDIANS. (BEFORE TRYOUTS)
Thank you for your interest in the Howell Middle School Pompon program. This handbook will help you to make an informed decision before proceeding through the tryout process. Our team is a competitive pom program and are currently ranked 4th in the State!
TEAM REQUIREMENTS
1. Signed permission slip / information form TURNED IN ON THE FIRST DAY OF TRYOUTS
2. COPY of your Current Physical dated on or after April 15, 2018, TURNED IN ON THE FIRST DAY OF TRYOUTS (Forms available on Howell Athletics site)
*Urgent care gives sports physicals for about $30.00 any day of the week* 3.Copy of Latest Report Card, Turned in First date of Tryouts
4. 100% commitment to ALL practices and football games
5. Agreement to FULL PAYMENT of team essentials. (See “Financial Responsibility” below for further details).
WHAT TO EXPECT AT CLINIC/TRYOUTS
We will be looking for team members who focus and listen throughout the entire clinic and tryout process. Your attentiveness, attitude and behavior will be evaluated daily. Experience is not necessary. We will be looking for girls with POTENTIAL not perfection :)
TRYOUT ATTIRE:
Clinic Days: Comfortable practice clothing, athletic shoes and hair pulled completely back. Tryout Day: Solid white tee shirt(no tank tops), solid black or navy shorts, athletic shoes or cougars. Hair completely pulled back. **Bring a water bottle every day! No jewelry, no gum.**
The clinic and tryout are closed to spectators. During the clinic you will be taught the tryout routine. On the day of tryouts you will be grouped in predetermined pairs to perform for the judges. **You must attend both clinic days in order to tryout on tryout day.
CLINIC DATES: April 25, 2018 5:30pm to 8:00pm ** Informational Meeting Reserved for Questions about the sport and handbook starts at 5:30!!** April 26, 2018 6:00pm to 8:00pm
TRYOUT DATE: April 27 , 2018 6:00pm to 8:00pm or until all girls are finished trying out. *** Location: Highlander Way Gym****
Results will be posted on the team website: www.leaguelineup.com/howellnorth and the girls who made the team will be notified via email.
Tryout result disclaimer: There will be no quotas for the team! We will not pay attention to grade level or past experience at the tryout, only the scores earned by the candidate’s skills. Please wait 48 hours before contacting the coaches about tryout results.
FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITYThis is a parent funded team so fundraising is necessary the better success we have in fundraising, the less funding we need from parents!
You will be required to purchase specified team essentials. Essentials include your uniform extras, warmups, camp clothes, poms etc.
Other expenses will include but are not limited to: Summer Camp, competition and event fees, coaching fees, team expense fund, end of season team banquet etc.
Total ESTIMATED cost: $1,010
Total ESTIMATEDfor returning members: $925
*See fundraising info below for details to off set your out of pocket expense. ***We will be having a parent meeting, April 30th. 5:30pm at Hutchings Elementary in the Gym. We will be discussing the layout of our season, fundraising, and schedules. The first payment of $175 is due this day!***
Payment Schedule:
ALL PAYMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO LATE FEES. If your payment is not on time at the beginning of practice, a $15 cash late fee will be due along with the original payment the following practice. An additional $15 cash late fee will apply for every day your payment is late.
VETERANS: Certain items will be re-used as long as they’re in good condition/still fit. All items will require Coach approval before being re-used. **We can set up for you to sell items you've out grown to other team members. This would require a parent to organize and run.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Prior to making the team you must have a physical dated AFTER April 15, 2018. (Can get them at Urgent care for $30.00)Any medical conditions that may restrict a pommer MUST be brought to the coaches attention prior to tryout. Pommers will condition and build endurance to sustain the pom season.
FUNDRAISING
We will be holding at least THREE team fund raisers in the summer/football season. Participation is mandatory.
Additional fundraisers can be done to off set individual costs and participation would be optional. This would require parent(s)to organize and run. If interested in putting on a fundraiser for the team, please contact coaches. Fundraisers must be pre-approved.
Since 80% of your expenses will come during the first few months, early fundraising is suggested!!
TEAM SCHEDULE
Please review the following schedule. If you have any conflicts you should reconsider trying out for this team. A pom team requires attendance by all members in order to be successful. It is unfair to the team for girls to miss even partial practices or games due to dance classes, piano lessons, other sports, doctor appointments, clubs,vacations etc. , therefore attendance will be strictly enforced. Our season begins in Mid-May and ends in Mid-February.
**H.A.J.F.L. Participants: Our practice schedule conflicts with that of the H.A.J.F.L program. Unfortunately, participating in both programs will not be possible.
PRACTICE SCHEDULE
It’s all about the practices…. Our success is 100% dependent upon the efficiency of our practices.
Practice: TBD 3-4 evenings a week in May and June until the week of pom camp, which will then be the 4 evenings right before we leave for camp. 3 evenings a week in September, 3 evenings a week in October, 5 evenings the week before high kick (the first weekend in November) 3 evenings a week in November and December, and 3 evenings a week and all Saturday mornings in January and February until State Competition (first weekend in February)
Weekend practices CAN be added with at least a month advanced notice during our competition season if needed. Christmas break practices will take place in addition to our regular schedule in the 3 to 4 weeks leading up to competition. Attendance is mandatory.
Practices will be closed to spectators. Parents may view the last 10 minutes of any practice. Athletic shoes must be worn at all times. Cell phones will remain off during practice time.
SUMMER PRACTICES:
After camp, the team will have the rest of June, July and the first two weeks of August off of practice. Practice will then start back up to 3 evenings a week. To collect payment, team bonding, size for uniforms, discuss camp, plan fundraisers etc. Attendance is mandatory.
SUMMER CAMP: We will be attending Mid American's 4 day overnight camp at Davenport University in June. We will be attending Camp 1 on June 21st - 24th. We leave the night before on June 20th. OVERNIGHT CAMP IS MANDATORY
COMPETITION SEASON RECOMMITMENT: All team members and parents will be asked to sign a recommitment form at the last football game of the season. This ensures that you are committed to compete with our team at High Kick, Regionals and State competition and participate the remainder of the season. If you chose not to continue on the HMS pompon team after our camp and football season, you will be finished after our last football game. There will not be a another tryout for any team member for competition season. PERFORMANCES / EVENTSJV FOOTBALL PERFORMANCES: (approximately 4) We have been asked to perform at the JV Football games. Games start at 7:00pm on Thursday's. Games begin in late August or Early September.BASKETBALL PERFORMANCES: (approximately 4) We will perform at selected 7th and 8th grade boy’s basketball home game halftimes at Highlander Way and Parker. Games start at 3:00 or 4:00 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays. Games begin in late November or Early December.
FANTASY OF LIGHTS PARADE: The Friday after Thanksgiving.
ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES: We will be performing at a few HHS games/events (TBD)
POM EVENTS/COMPETITIONS 2017-2018: We are a competing Pompon team. HMS placed 3rd at the Mid American State Championship in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016, and 4th in 2017 and 2018, and 5th in 2014.
2018-2019 Competition Schedule:
MAPP High Kick: November TBD 2018 location TBD
MAPP Regionals: January TBD 2019 at Northville High School
MAPP State Championships: February TBD 2018 at MSU
Parental Conduct
It is not uncommon for concerns to arise throughout the season regarding issues that are covered in the handbook.
First and foremost, this handbook is a signed agreement and the rules listed will be followed.
If, after consulting the handbook there is still a concern, the coaches may be contacted in the proper chain of command order either through e-mail, phone, or in a face-to-face meeting.
Meetings with coaches must be scheduled ahead of time and will not occur in front of the team (before or after practice is acceptable, however, this must be done either before girls from the team arrive or after the last girl has left). Meetings may not be held at games or competitions.
If the parent uses any inappropriate language or temper, either party is given the right to adjourn the meeting for a 24 hour period before reconvening to develop a new plan for addressing the initial concern involving the varsity coaches, the middle school coaches, and the parent.
Reminder:
Re-read the handbook before setting up a meeting. 9 times out of 10 the concern is addressed in the handbook.
ATTENDANCE COMMITTMENTS
Pompon teams are unique. We do not have extras or alternates, and all team members are utilized and depended upon. Consequently, when an athlete misses a performance, it negatively impacts the entire team. We depend on everyone on the team to have the same level of dedication and commitment. Pom is truly the ultimate team sport in that every member must provide the exact same amount of preparation and level of performance as their teammates. Our attendance policy is a follows and will be strictly enforced.
1. Attendance/Absences - Unless you are contagiously ill, you are expected to be at every practice. A phone call, text or email is mandatory if you are absent and must be well in advance of practice and a doctor's note may be required. If a practice is missed for a doctor's appointment, a note WILL be required.
2. Excessive absences - If absences are frequent and/or chronic, regardless of reason, removal from the team is probable. Attendance will be taken daily. If you have 3 or more absences during this season you will be put on probation and possibly benched for a performance and/or removed from the competition routine. This will be at the coach’s discretion. THIS APPLIES TO BOTH EXCUSED AND UNEXCUSED ABSENCES!!
3. School related absences- Absences for activities such as choir, student council etc. will be excused. You need to inform your coach as soon as you know of any school-related conflict. YOU CANNOT MISS FOR ANOTHER SPORT OR PARTICIPATE IN ANOTHER SPORT DURING POM SEASON!
4. Benching - There are consequences to being unable or unwilling to fulfill the physical and time commitment to your team. You can and will be "benched" for not knowing your routines, excessive absences, sit-outs, missing the practice right before a game or performance or behavioral problems. In the event that you are excluded from a performance, you must still arrive on time and in uniform and remain with the team before and after the performance.
5. Removal from Competition routine: If you are unable to perform at the level expected you will be placed on probation. You will then be reevaluated at a later date and possibly removed from the competition routine.
Grade Requirements
You must maintain a grade point average minimum of 2.0 in order to participate in practices, performances, and competitions. You must also be passing 5 out of 7 classes. We will have grade checks throughout the season which will require you to print off a copy of your grades the day the grade check is due. This will help us ensure you're eligible to participate.
*Girls removed from the competition routine will continue to perform the camp routines during the regular season and will learn the competition routines to strengthen and further enhance their pom skills.
It is our goal to have the entire team perform at competition and we will strive to do everything we can to reach that goal. We do not wish to remove anyone from the routine. The cutoff date in November is due to the fact that we will have 20+ formations in this routine and simply cannot wait until the end to remove someone. Doing so creates changes throughout the entire routine for the entire team, and will cause a major set-back in the preparation process.
6. Removal from team: You will be removed from the team at the Coaches' discretion for excessive absences, sit outs or behavioral problems.
7. Quitting the team after first tryouts, or after signing recommitment agreement for competition season: There will be no refund.
It is up to you to manage your time with respect to school and other activities. Finals, special projects or papers will require greater time management on your part due to your commitment to pompon, and are not a valid excuse to miss practice. So plan ahead for your studies.
EFFORT/ATTITUDE COMMITMENT
The goal of this team is to prepare girls for the high school pompon team. Making this team is just the beginning of the hard work so please delete the idea of “good enough” from your minds. You will need to have a strong work ethic to succeed. Not only will you be a performer, you will also be an athlete! There is so much more that goes into the 3 minute performance than just the choreography. We fully expect every member to strive for constant self improvement in the way of fitness, form, showmanship, and timing. This does not happen overnight and it does not happened without hard work, so be prepared!
PARENTS: - We welcome your questions, concerns or comments prior to tryout clinics as we will not have time during clinic. Please feel free to contact us via email: howellmiddleschoolpompon@gmail.com
We look forward to meeting you at the clinic!
Sincerely,
Howell Middle School Pompon Coaching Staff
Please click on contact info for coaching staff , email addresses and phone numbers to contact us. We would be happy to hear from you :)
**Print the permission slip and turn in on the first clinic day.
HOWELL MIDDLE SCHOOL POM PON TEAM PERMISSION SLIP
And Personal Information Form 2017-2018
PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY
NAME: _________________________________________________________________
Address: ________________________________________________________________
Grade in 2017-2018: _______ School Attending for 2018/19: ________________
Parent (s) name: __________________________________________________________
Home phone #_________________ Parent’s Cell/Work #_____________________
Parents Email: __________________________________________________________
*Pommers Email: ____________________________________
Pommers Cell_______________________ Can you receive a text? ______
**99% of communication is done thru email. Please list ALL contacts necessary. Text messages are sent if there is a last minute change of plans or necessary reminder.
Parent Permission: __________________________________ has my permission to participate in the middle school pom team tryouts. If my child is chosen for the team, I will be able to transport her to and from practices, games, events, and pay any and all expenses.
If you have any conflicts regarding our schedule this must be brought to my attention PRIOR to tryouts.
List dates& reason of conflict:________________________
We have both read the entire team informational packet and understand the commitment and responsibility.
Parent Signature: _________________________________________Date:____________
Student Signature: ________________________________________Date:____________
Parent Email:______________________________________
Pommer Email:_____________________________________
