2021 Team Placement Day Information

WHAT ARE TEAM PLACEMENTS?

Team placements are an opportunity for our coaching staff to evaluate the 

fitness level, jump and tumble skills, and in some cases flexibility and flying 

skills of an athlete. Athletes will be placed on a team that best fits their age 

and skill level as determined by our coaches. All athletes attending team 

placements will be placed on a team. 

WHAT CAN I EXPECT IN MY TEAM PLACEMENT SESSION?

Your team placement session will consist of a variety of athletic ability evaluations 

such as jump, tumbling and flexibility skills. Most importantly, we will be looking 

for athletes who demonstrate a positive attitude, and a willingness to learn. 

We have a team for everyone so experience is not necessary to cheer at MCA. 

HOW DOES PLACEMENT DAY WORK? 

1. Make a booking via the MCA website for your team placement session (link below) https://melbournecheeracademy.com/2021-team-placements/
2. Find your confirmation email in your inbox and complete the personal details form
3. On the day of your team placement, fill out our MCA COVID-safe Health Check Form (link below) https://melbournecheeracademy.com/health-check/
4. Arrive at MCA for your pre-booked team placement session ready to go!
5. When your team placement session begins, you will have 15 minutes to warm up and then you will complete a 15 minute relaxed skills evaluation
6. Once completed, give yourself a pat on the back and expect your team placement email to follow shortly. 

WHAT TEAMS ARE WE HAVING NEXT YEAR AT MCA?

Teams for the 2021 season will be confirmed once we have completed our team placements, then after that more teams may be added based on interest and skill. To gain a rough indication of the teams offered for 2021, refer to our 2020 teams list as we are aiming to keep as many of our teams together as possible after such an unexpected 2020 season.. In some circumstances it may be necessary to move athletes, based on their age or for safety reasons.

If you are new to cheerleading, or do not have the required level 1 Elite skills or higher, you will automatically get placed into your choice of one of our CheerSport or Novice teams. 

If you wish to be considered for a position on an Elite competitive team you will be assessed on the skills, work ethic and training commitment required. 

CHEERLEADING LEVELS EXPLAINED

The International All Star Federation develops competition rules and guidelines. The rules and regulations for each level are designed to ensure athletes progress safely and appropriately through skills. At MCA we make every effort to offer the most up to date practices in safety, education and ethics. We pride ourselves in building our teams around the IASF levels to ensure success for all our teams. Coaches will assess the all-around skill level of each athlete and place him or her on the team that best suits his or her ability level and will adequately challenge them. It is also important to note that levels are the same for all age groups. For example, Level 2 Mini, Youth, Junior, Senior and Open age divisions are all allowed to perform the same skills. Please refer to the skills rubric for a list of entry requirements for each level.

WHEN ARE TEAM PLACEMENTS?

Team Placements for all prospective MCA athletes will be held on SATURDAY 12th DECEMBER FROM 3:30PM at our Box Hill gym. Athletes are to attend the time slot they have pre-booked on our website (due to COVID restrictions). If athletes are unable to attend the team placement day or are running late to their booked time, please contact the office to arrange an alternate time for skill assessment! 

** PLEASE NOTE **

All current 2020 MCA members will hold their position in their 2020 team for the new 2021 season. There is no need for returning athletes to attend on the day. If they would like to be considered for a higher level team in 2021, they will need a recommendation from either their squad or tumble coach to attend a team placement session. Team Placement Day is for new athletes interested in joining, and is a more relaxed environment than previous placement days.

WHAT SKILLS WILL I BE ASSESSED ON?

Athletes at MCA are placed on teams according to their complete skill set.

There are no prerequisites for athletes on our CheerSport or Novice teams, however to be eligible for our Elite teams, athletes are generally required to have mastered the skills listed in the Skills Rubric attached at the end of this information pack. Please note that team selection is not based 100% on tumbling skill level. Current 2020 coaches will be asked for an assessment of stunt skills, attitude, past attendance, and coachability which will all be taken into consideration where applicable along with flyer flexibility, jumps and overall strength.

FLYER REQUIREMENTS

Athletes interested in trying out for a position as a flyer in 2021 will be required to display their body positions on Team Placement day. Athletes will be assessed on their Heel Stretch or Bow and Arrow as well as their Scale or Scorpion standing on their right leg on the day. 

NON-TUMBLE ASSESSMENTS

In 2021, MCA will be offering various Non-Tumble teams. The Non-Tumble division was only just recently introduced in 2018, and has been growing in popularity since. Non-Tumble routines are exactly the same as All Star cheer routines, however they do not do any standing or running tumbling and only go for 2:00min instead of 2:30min. At this stage, in Australia there are only Non-Tumble divisions offered in the Open age category, meaning all athletes must be 14 or over the year they are competing.

Athletes interested in trying out for a Non-Tumble team at MCA in 2021 will undergo the same assessment process for jumps and flyer skills, however they will not be required to do a tumbling assessment, and instead will perform a specific non-tumble fitness and strength test.

SHIFT WEEK

In 2021 we will once again be having our SHIFT WEEK. This will be a period during Term 1 where athletes may be moved up or down levels, age groups or into a different team based on the skills they are performing in training. We want the very best for our teams in 2021 and have a very clear range of skills that each team requires to be competitive in their division. Any skills that are lost over the break or simply unable to be performed in Term 1 of classes are effectively the same as not having the skill for the level, a situation that simply results in the athlete being moved to a lower level team where they do have the skills. Shift week also goes both ways – athletes who have gained new skills over summer may be given the opportunity to be moved up into a higher level team if a position is available.

WHAT SHOULD I KNOW/BRING FOR TEAM PLACEMENT DAY?

• Come prepared by reading this Team Placement information package. We also recommend that you carefully review our 2021 All Star Information Pack and Attendance Policy when it is released later this year.
• An online registration form must be filled out by ALL ATHLETES prior to participating so please make sure you have received your confirmation email and completed this form before arriving for your team placement. If you have not attended the MCA gym in 2020, a waiver form must also be filled out & signed by a parent (if under 18) prior to participating.

https://enrol.melbournecheeracademy.com/participant-waiver/

• Please wear shorts/leggings, a t-shirt and cheer shoes or runners. Long hair should be in a ponytail and all jewellery must be removed.
• Review the Team Placement Skills Rubric to determine the tumbling skills you will be performing.  Please talk to your coach or our reception staff if you have any questions.  Beginners to cheerleading do not have any skill requirements.
• Come with a smile and a GREAT attitude!
• All team placements will be emailed out by Dec 22nd.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call us at 9998 6493 or email reception@melbournecheeracademy.com

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER TEAM PLACEMENTS?

Once your team placement session is over our coaches and team placement assessors take great care to go over all the notes and to work out which is the perfect team for everyone who attends placement days. Team offers will be emailed out by Dec 22nd along with the registration package for the season. If you accept your position on the team you must pay your 2021 enrolment fee and submit your completed forms to secure your position.

2021 Term 1 classes start on the 1st of Feb. There will be a full summer classes program available to be booked in via our website. We highly recommend athletes attending as many summer holiday sessions as possible to ensure that they keep up their skills over the long break between team placements and Term 1. Higher level teams may be required to attend some holiday training classes to maintain skills.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do I need to attend team placement day?

All our current athletes will be assessed in their normal squad classes during the final weeks of term 4. There is no need to come to the Team Placement day. Athletes will need to attend if they have plans to be considered for a higher level team for 2021. Athletes wanting to attend placement day must seek permission from either their squad or tumble coaches.

I am currently in a team at MCA and I was absent when my team had assessments – what do I do ?

All current 2020 MCA athletes will be offered their current position on their team for 2021. If you do not plan on returning to MCA please get in touch with the MCA office on reception@melbournecheeracademy.com 

I am currently in an Elite level team at MCA and I was assessed in class, but would like to come to a Team Placement session – is this allowed?

If you are interested in being considered for a higher level team in 2021, please seek the advice from either your squad or tumble coach as to whether you should attend a team placement session.

Do I need to prepare anything?

Yes, ideally we would like you to make a booking for your team placement session. As a part of our COVID-safe plan, we do have a limit on how many athletes we can take through in one session. When making your booking, you will need to register your personal details so we can make contact with you. Please also make sure this is complete before coming in for your team placement session.  On the day of your team placement, please also complete our COVID-Safe health check form which can be found here- https://melbournecheeracademy.com/health-check/ 

What do I need to wear and bring?

Please wear comfortable sports clothing such as leggings or bike shorts and a t-shirt and runners like you would wear for school sports. If you have cheer shoes please wear these instead. Fitted clothing that you feel comfortable moving in is ideal for tumbling and stunting. We also recommend bringing along a water bottle to stay hydrated.

I’m unable to attend the day – does that mean I miss out?

Not at all, individual placement assessments can be organised before Team Placement Day for anyone unavailable on the day. Please contact our MCA office on reception@melbournecheeracademy.com or 9998 6493 to organise an alternate time.

I really want to be on “a certain team ” or in “a certain level”. How can I achieve this?

Our coaches make sure to take everything into consideration when placing athletes onto each team. Areas that are considered include tumbling skills, stunting position, past performance, willingness to learn, attitude, potential for growth and attendance. If you or your child is placed on a team or level and you are unsure about the decision please contact MCA to talk more thoroughly about the placement decision.

Please note that in 2020 we will also be holding ‘Shift Week’ part way through Term 1. This will be an opportunity for coaches to move athletes to a different team if the initial placement no longer fits due to skills progression or other routine requirements.