Our 2017 MCA Team Placement Day will be held on Sunday 11th December at our Box Hill North gym location 1 37/39 Lexton Road Box Hill North. Team Placement day at MCA is as stress free as possible, athletes are only asked to demonstrate skills they are already comfortable with.
Please note that no previous experience is required, and EVERYONE WHO ATTENDS TRYOUTS WILL BE PLACED ON A TEAM. Parents and athletes are notified approximately 1 week after the day via phone and email.
11 & UNDER – 9AM – 11AM
12 – 14 YRS 11AM – 1PM
15 – 17 YRS 1PM – 3PM
18+ YRS 3PM – 5PM
PHOENIX IOC5 TRYOUTS (14 + ONLY) 5PM *specific requirements, please contact reception@melbournecheeracademy.com for details
All current 2016 MCA members in levels 1 and 1 Elite will be assessed during the final week of term four and there is no need to attend on the day. Team Placement Day is for new athletes interested in joining, and for current athletes on levels 2 and above.
One of the most common questions we are asked here at Melbourne Cheer Academy is how the tryouts process works. Please find below some more detailed information about the day and required skills to progress through the levels.
What will happen on the day?
On arrival athletes (or their parents) will be required to fill out a tryout sheet with basic information including their name, date of birth and contact details. We also ask you to list any relevant experience such as a previous cheerleading team or gymnastics. Each session will run for 2 hours to accommodate everyone, but athletes will only be required for approximately 30 minutes. Tryouts will begin with a group warm up of basic activities to get warm including running, lunges and star jumps followed by a stretch. Athletes will then be broken down into smaller groups of approximately 10 people and asked to demonstrate any tumbling skills they can already confidently perform on their own. There are no minimum requirements and athletes do not have to do any skills they are not comfortable executing. Groups will then rotate through the other stations – jumps and dance where they will learn a small sequence and perform one at a time. Finally, any girls interested in being a flyer will need to demonstrate their flexibility including cheerleading body positions such as heel stretch, scale and scorpion. These can be demonstrated by a senior athlete if new people are unsure what this involves.
Do I need to prepare anything?
There is no need to book in or prepare anything on the day – just show up at the appropriate time for your age group.
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.
What happens after team placement day?
Once the day 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 tryouts. All athletes who attend the day will be placed on a team. An email will be sent out 1 week after tryouts, and follow up calls will be made to check in if athletes are accepting their position.
I’m unable to attend the day – does that mean I miss out?
Not at all, individual tryouts can be organised for anyone unavailable on the day. Please contact reception to organise an alternate time.
I want to join! How do I secure my position?
Fantastic – welcome to the MCA family! In order to secure your position you will need to respond to the email or phone call accepting your place. We will also require payment of the 2017 enrolment fee and all returned enrolment forms (including the direct debit paperwork) to finalise the process. If we do not hear back from you by a certain date we will assume you are not interested and you risk losing your position. Please note that some of our teams are very popular and places are limited so we recommend responding as soon as possible to secure your place.
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 2017 we will also be holding a ‘Switch Week’ for the first time partway 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.
We hope to see you at our 2017 team placement day on Sunday December 11. Good luck!
23 October, 2016
