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Hilliard Optimist Club Youth Sports

Hilliard Optimist Club Youth Sports

Cheer

 

   


The Hilliard Optimist Club Youth Cheerleading program is designed for boys and girls in grade K- 6th and for all experience levels. 


Cost for Football Cheer: $200
Cost for Basketball Cheer: $180


Cheer Director - Kristina Clifton: [email protected]
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The Benefits of Cheerleading
Just like those bright pompoms on the field, the benefits of cheerleading are easy to spot. If your kids want to join a cheerleading squad, they’re on their way to good health and a good mood. This aerobic activity is great for hearts, bones, and muscles. Plus, exercising with others is motivating, and has proven, lasting psychological benefits.

It Builds Strong Bones
While many people argue that jumping hurts your knees and joints, science begs to differ. “Jumping increases bone density, so you can actually prevent osteoarthritis by jumping,” says Rachel DeBusk, CPT at Unstill Life.  To reduce risk of injuries, which are most often sprains and strains in the lower extremities, make sure you get some base strength around your joints, incorporate stretching, flexibility, and regular exercise (outside of cheerleading practice).

Happiness Is Basically a Requirement
Cheerleaders are encouraged to smile even when the game isn't going their way, and that might make them happier in general. “We smile because we are happy but smiling also makes us happy,” says the University of Cardiff’s Dr. Michael Lewis. He conducted a study that showed that people who couldn’t frown because of Botox injections reported feeling less sad than the control group. So, keep smiling — it could cheer you up.

Cheerleaders Might Get a Better Workout Than the Whole Team
A youth football game is in play for 32 minutes.  Add timeouts and halftime, and the game could easily go for an hour and a half. Cheerleaders are active throughout that time. “From core strength for stunting to powering every muscle in your body for tumbling, cheerleaders are the strongest athletes around,” claims Danielle Wechsler, founder of cheerFIT Training.  She estimates that each cheer practice burns 600 calories.

It Beats Singing Alone in the Shower
You don’t have to pass a singing audition to become a cheerleader. Still, singing fight songs with your cheer team can have emotional and brain benefits, and you don’t even have to be good at it. That’s right, a study conducted at the University of Sheffield indicates that even if you’re a bad singer, you can benefit emotionally, socially, and cognitively from singing with a group.

Cheerleaders Are Leaders and Team Players
Cheerleading produces active, engaged citizens. According to a survey conducted by Varsity Brands, a company that runs cheerleading camps and makes uniforms, cheerleaders were more likely to hold a leadership position in their school or community. Cheerleaders work together as a team across racial, social, and economic boundaries.

Using Your Voice Is Encouraged
We spend half of our lives telling our kids to use their “inside voices,” but the deep breathing that supports a cheerleader’s yells is very good for you. Diaphragmatic breathing (that is, inhaling and exhaling deeply) has several medical benefits including reducing the negative effects of stress. So, let those kids holler. When you send them off to the big city for college, they may be able to handle the transition and the demands of college more easily.

                                   
   




 

Registration Listing

2024-2025 Basketball Cheer

BASKETBALL CHEERLEADING FOR GRADES K-6

Important Information & Dates:
  • Uniform fitting will be held on October 30th from 6-8pm at Hoffman Trails Elementary.
  • Practices start first week of December. Practices are once a week for 1 hour. Coaches choose which day to practice.
  • There will be 8 games in January & February. Games are played in the gymnasiums at different Hilliard Elementary Schools and Sixth Grade Buildings.
  • All cheerleaders will receive a uniform. The uniform includes a shell, skirt, briefs, socks, bow & pom poms.

Cheer squads are not assigned to a specific team to cheer for. Squads are scheduled to cheer at certain games and they will be cheering for both teams. If the cheerleader has a sibling that plays basketball, we cannot guarantee that they will get to cheer for their siblings team.

If you are interested in coaching, please contact Kristina Clifton at [email protected]. This includes new and returning coaches.

Basketball Cheer

Registration closes on 10/27/2024 at 11:59 PM
Season Dates: 12/02/2024 to 03/08/2025
$180.00

2024 Football Cheerleading Important Info and Dates

Uniform Fittings 
6/8/24 from 10-12 at Hoffman Trails Elementary at the outdoor classroom / shelter house.
6/11 from 5:30 at Hilliard Municipal Park at the shelter house by the baseball fields. 

Practices
Practice will start the week of July 29th.

Games
All games are played at Hilliard Station or Scioto Darby
8/24/24
9/7/24
9/14/24
9/21/24
9/28/24
10/5/24
10/12/24
10/19/24

Cheerleading Showcase
11/3/24 at Darby High School (tentatively)

All The Good Stuff

IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS

LINDSAY'S LAW
Lindsay’s Law is about Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) in youth athletes. This law went into effect in 2017. SCA is the leading cause of death in student athletes 19 years of age or younger. SCA occurs when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. This cuts off blood flow to the brain and other vital organs. SCA is fatal if not treated immediately.
You are REQUIRED to watch the short video, read the Parent Information, and sign the Parent Signature page and give to your coach at your first practice.
No child is permitted to participate in any practice or game until your coach has received your signed paperwork.

PARENT INFORMATION

PARENT SIGNATURE PAGE

REQUIRED VIDEO

MEDICAL EMERGENCY FORM
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