Preliminary Time Frame for Saturday, November 9, 2024

This is a tentative schedule for this year’s competition to assist you in planning your day. The times are based on last year’s attendance. Please also examine the “Sample Grid Formats” in the forms on the website to see how your team will progress from registration to awards. Once this year’s schedule is finalized it will be posted on the website for coaches, team members and spectators to view. You must check the website: ayosinoffcheerdancecamps.com on Friday, November 8th to confirm YOUR team’s check-in, warm-up, competition and awards time slots.

If you have any questions, please contact Andy Yosinoff at (617) 877-8049 or Lisa Moskow at (413) 531-2095.

10:00 am:  Registration times begin for all Dance divisions including Mighty Mites, Mites, Pee Wees, Jr. High AND all Tiny Mites/6U and Mighty Mites/8U Cheer teams.

11:00 am:  Competition begins for Dance and Tiny Mites/6U and Mighty Mites/8U Cheer teams.

12:15 pm:  Registration times begin for Mites/10U Cheer teams.

12:30 pm: Awards for all Dance, Tiny Mites/6U and Mighty Mites/8U Cheer divisions.

1:15 pm: Competition begins for Mites/10U Cheer teams.

3:00 pm:  Registration times begin for Pee Wees/12U Cheer teams.

3:15 pm:   Awards for all Mites/10U Cheer Divisions.

4:00 pm:   Competition begins for Pee Wees/12U Cheer teams.

5:30 pm:   Registration times begin for Junior High/14U, Mixed Level, 18U and College Cheer teams.

5:45 pm:   Awards for Pee Wees/12U Cheer Divisions.

6:30 pm:   Competition begins for Junior High/14U, Mixed Level, 18U and College Cheer teams.

8:00 pm:   Awards for Junior High/14U, Mixed Level, 18U and College Cheer teams.

Mats Layout Diagram

The mats will be laid out exactly as shown in the diagram below.  There will be seven rolls of mat (6 feet by 42 feet each) extending vertically from the judges table, with five strips of velcro crossing them horizontal to the judges table.  There will also be an additional roll of mat on each end, attached to the main 42×42 square by a strip of velcro running along the length of the seam.  This will make a 54 by 42 foot rectangle, though teams can remain within the traditional 42×42 square area if they choose.  There are no penalties for going off the mat.

RULES FOR CHEER COMPETITION

(Teams competing in the Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond divisions, plus College)

1. Routine length is limited to 3 minutes with no more than 2 minutes and 30 seconds of music.
   
2. Timing will begin with the first organized motion, word, or note of music and end with the last organized motion, word, or note of music.
3. Squads must adhere to the National Federation Spirit Rules Guidelines (www.nfhs.org) (AACCA for College teams – AACCA.org) as well as any specific restrictions or allowances their individual organization requires.
   
4. All squads must use the mat provided to perform their routine. Squads will be performing on an official competition mat. All stunts and gymnastics must be performed on the matted area.
5. Safety Judges will evaluate all stunts in the practice room for compliance with the rules, but it is ultimately the coaches responsibility to ensure the legality of all skills in their team’s routine.  Safety Judges will assist teams in eliminating or changing illegal and/or out-of-level skills in the warm-up area prior to competing their routine.  Teams with out-of-level skills will also have the option of moving up into a higher level which allows the skills they are performing, rather than changing them. Any illegal or out-of level skills done during the competition will result in that sequence being ignored by the judges, as though it had not been performed.  No points will be accrued for those skills.
   

6. Medical release forms for all participating cheerleaders must be turned in to the registration table on the day of the competition.

Sportsmanship

All participants agree to conduct themselves in a manner displaying good sportsmanship throughout the contest. The advisor and/or captain of each team is responsible for seeing that team members, coaches, parents, and any other persons affiliated with the team conduct themselves accordingly. Severe demonstrations of unsportsmanlike conduct are grounds for disqualification.

DANCE RULES

1. Time limit will be a maximum of 2 minutes and 30 seconds. This does not include entrances; exits and positioning which will not be judged. If music is used for the entrance and/or exit, it will be timed in the 2:30 minutes as part of the routine. Timing will start with the first note of music.
2. Teams must adhere to the safety guidelines presented by the National Federation specifically for dance teams. These rules can be found online at www.NFHS.org. Dance teams will also follow rules set out by UDA for their routine choreography: http://uda.varsity.com/Competitions/Rules-Divisions-Scoresheets
3. Teams can choose to perform their routines on the marley floor laid on the rubberized surface of the field house or on the cheer mats (see diagram on website).  Teams must signify their choice when registering for the competition, not the day of the tournament.
   

Sportsmanship

All participants agree to conduct themselves in a manner displaying good sportsmanship throughout the contest. The advisor and/or captain of each team is responsible for seeing that team members, coaches, parents, and any other persons affiliated with the team conduct themselves accordingly. Severe demonstrations of unsportsmanlike conduct are ground for disqualification.

Greetings to all Cheerleading Coordinators and Coaches!

This year’s tournament will again be held at the Reggie Lewis Track and Field Center, the number 1 indoor track arena in the United States. Cheerleaders can be dropped off right at the entrance, and ample parking is available between 100 and 500 yards away, with signs to direct you and security personnel on hand to assist you and your fans.

Arrival/check-in, warm-up and competition times will be assigned during the week prior to the competition and will be available for viewing on our website by Friday, November 8th at (ayosinoffcheerdancecamps.com). An example of how the scheduling grid looks is currently available online.

• As your team arrives to check-in, there will be two locker rooms available to them, as well as two separate bathrooms. Please arrive on time, teams who are delayed in their arrival may be placed at the end of their division.
• The practice gym is divided into two sections. Side 1 is where squads report for their assigned Stretch times, Side 2 is for the safety judges to work with teams during their assigned Warm-up times. No teams will be permitted on Side 2 until their assigned Warm-up time. Squads are welcome to arrive and begin their warm-ups and stretching on Side 1 whenever they choose but MUST check in with the staff there at their assigned Stretch time. There will be small sound systems available for your use in the back gym if you’d like to play your music during your assigned Warm-up time on Side 2.
• Once a team has completed their Stretching and Warm-up (Safety checks) on the Stunt mat, they will be escorted to the competition area where they will be seated in lines by their competition mat. After they have performed they will move to the other side of their mat to view the rest of the competition. We have two panels of judges to minimize downtime for the cheerleaders and fans. The mats are set back-to-back (though separated by a number of yards) and each mat has its own panel of judges seated with their backs to the crowd. This set-up allows fans to be in front of their teams as they perform. Signs will be posted (visible upon entering the facility) indicating which divisions will be facing which sides, so fans can select where to sit. If your team is assigned to compete on the ‘West’ mat, instruct your fans to turn left upon entering the field house, the ‘East’ mat will be to the right.
• We realize that things may change for your team in the weeks between your registration for the tournament and the big day. Two weeks prior to the competition, we will be emailing each team to confirm the age group they have registered in, an email address to send their oral critique to, an update on the number of cheerleaders competing, and a final declaration of their level (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum or Diamond). Based on this up-to-date information (response required by Sunday, November 3rd) we will set the schedule. Once the final grid has been released, NO changes will be allowed unless WE have inadvertently listed your team in the wrong place.

You must check the web site (ayosinoffcheerdancecamps.com) on Friday, November 8th for the finalized schedule or call 617-877-8049 to confirm your check-in and competition times.

To decide which division to enter, a coach should look at what grades the majority of cheerleaders on their roster are in. If, for example, the majority of them are in 3rd or 4th grade, they would enter the Mites division. If the majority of them are in 7th, 8th or 9th grade they would enter the Midget (JH) division. If it’s evenly split between, say, 2nd and 3rd graders, the coach can decide which division to enter based on the amount of experience her team has. If most of them are new this year, it might be best to enter them as Mites, while if many are returners they could go into the Pee Wee division.  We are again offering a ‘Mixed Level’ division this year for teams comprised of cheerleaders from 5th through 8th grade.

Our 6U division, called “Tiny Mites” is intended for teams comprised of pre-school, kindergarten and first graders.  This division is exhibition-only, teams will not be scored or critiqued, but will have their performance recognized with a participation trophy.  There will be no registration fees for teams in this division if older teams from the same town are also registering.  If a Mitey Mite (8U) team would like to perform in this division rather than entering the competitive “2nd grade and under” choice, they are welcome to do so as well.

We’re keeping the 18U division for teams comprised of cheerleaders who are 18 or younger as of July 30th, 2024.  Why should the little kids have all the fun?

Maximum overall time limit for cheer routines remains 3 minutes, with the length of the music portion limited to 2 and one-half minutes. The scoresheet is available on the website. The top category reflects points awarded to both traditional cheer/music and all-music routines – go with your team’s strengths!

Please closely examine the guidelines on the website for the Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond levels to be sure your team is entered in the correct division for the skills you have in their routine this year. The specific restrictions can be found in the “Cheer Division’s Level Restrictions” form. Please call Lisa Moskow at 413-531-2095 with questions if you are unsure about what level your routine fits into!

The primary goal of this tournament is to offer teams an opportunity to show off their routines and be recognized for the hard work they have put into preparing them. Squads from many different organizations attend, and they all have different rules and requirements. We strive to create broad enough categories to reduce the need for teams to make drastic changes to their choreography while still offering a somewhat level playing field. We make adjustments each year based on feedback from the coaches who’ve attended, and will welcome yours after the event!

Please contact me if you should have any questions and/or need additional information and I look forward to seeing you at the Reggie Lewis Track & Field Center on Saturday, November 9, 2024.

Sincerely,
Andrew Yosinoff, Competition Director