Updated March 5, 2017 by WYFC.
Welcome to Walpole Youth Cheerleading. Thank you for your interest in our program. Cheerleading is a great sport that combines gymnastics, cheer, stunting and dance in a team environment that is fun, challenging and rewarding!
All of our squads cheer at football games in the fall and learn a choreographed routine to perform at one or more competitions throughout the season. With a winning season, our older squads may have the opportunity to perform at the AYC Nationals competition in Florida. The Nationals competition in Florida has representative teams from all eight of American Youth Cheerleading’s regions including Desert Pacific, Mountain Northwest, Midwest, Southwest, Big East, Atlantic, New England and Southeast.
This page should serve to answer most of your questions. Please read through this completely as it contains a lot of important information.
Participation Requirements:
Girls and boys who are 7 years old (by July 31st) thru 14 years old are welcome to cheer for Walpole Youth Football and Cheer. Participants should be residents of Walpole or surrounding towns (who either do not offer a cheer program or who’s roster(s) are full).
Practice:
Practices begin the first week of August on Stone Field (30 Stone St in Walpole). Once teams have been assigned and schedules have been finalized, coaches will reach out regarding specific days and times assigned to your individual squad. During the month of August the choreographers creating our competition routines will be spending a few extended practices working with each squad.
Practices move indoors starting in September. WYC has practice space located in upper Blackburn Hall (135 School St, Walpole) and in Bird Middle School’s gymnasium (625 Washington St, Walpole). You can expect 2-3 practices per week in addition to a football game on either Saturday or Sunday. Our first game historically takes place over Labor Day weekend.
Please note that practice times and locations may change.
Practice Cancellations: if practice is canceled we make every effort to post it on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/walpolefootballcheer) at least 15 minutes before practice starts. You will also receive and email directly from your coach. Often times we make a last minute call so check before leaving to practice and NEVER drop your cheerleader off unless a coach is present. There are frequent passing storms in August and September and usually we can wait it out and still practice.
Please Review Our Attendance Policy On It's Own Page Under The Cheerleading Tab.
Equipment and Uniforms:
You will be provided with a uniform vest and skirt before the first game. Please do not alter it in ANY way (including pins). The uniform must be returned at the end of the season. We ask that it be laundered (according to manufacturer’s instructions) prior to being returned and be returned in the condition it was received. Every effort will be made to fit each cheerleader with the correct uniform at one of our mandatory uniform fitting/paperwork nights. Once the dates are announced, parents are welcome to bring their cheerleader at any time during the provided time window. Cheerleaders MUST attend one of these nights but not both. Orders have to be processed together and no late orders will be allowed, to ensure we keep the costs down.
Please be prepared to purchase uniform accessories as needed. *Please be prepared to spend approximately $190.00 for these items.
The bulk of the accessories will be purchased online thru our GTM team store http://teamstore.gtmsportswear.com/WalpoleYouthCheer. Pom poms will be purchased by WYFC in a bulk order, therefore please be prepared to pay via credit card, check or cash during uniform/paperwork night for these.
- Each cheerleader MUST have (or place an order for) a WYC track suit. Samples will be available for fitting purposes. This item will be purchased thru our online team store.
- All cheerleaders MUST have (or place an order for) bloomers and crop tops. Samples will be available for fitting purposes. These items will be purchased thru our online team store.
- All cheerleaders MUST have (or place an order for) cheer sneakers. Some samples will be available for fitting purposes. (E2 squad is not required to purchase our sneakers and can purchase white cheer sneakers thru a vendor/store of their choice.) Sneakers can be purchased online thru our online team store.
- All cheerleaders MUST have (or place an order for) pom poms. WYC will be placing a bulk order for these items. Payment is due at uniform fitting/paperwork night.
- Optional – various Walpole Cheer items and game day approved accessories will also be available for order thru our online team store.
- Walpole Cheer T-Shirt’s are included in your registration. These will be distributed in early August. Please be sure to confirm with us that we have your proper t-shirt size that was originally entered in the registration system.
The above items will belong to you and can be used from season to season.
Volunteers:
Our program runs only with the help of volunteers. Each family is asked to help in the volunteer effort or may opt to pay a volunteer opt-out fee during registration. When the game season draws near, parents will be contacted to set up their time slots for their volunteer obligation at the Snack Shack (unless they paid the opt-out fee during online registration). The Snack Shack is our concession stand run by parent volunteers during Walpole’s home games and is our largest source of fundraising throughout the season. Additionally, volunteers from each town will be required to help run our local cheer competition.
Please review the WYFC volunteer policy located on it's own page under the Cheerleading tab.
Fundraising:
There will be plenty of other opportunities to fundraise throughout the season. We ask that everyone participate, especially our older girls that may qualify to advance to Nationals.
If you have any questions please send an e-mail to:
