Cheer Faqs
RANCHO HILLS TITANS CHEER 2023 SEASON INFO:
Season Dates:
We start off the season on August 1st. Flag Cheer will end with a local competition held at the end of October or through the beginning of November depending on bowl games. Mitey-Mite, Jr. Pee Wee, Pee Wee, Jr. Varsity, and Varsity will cheer at games through the beginning of November then continue with local, regional and National competitions (depending on how they place at qualifying competitions) and/or Jamz competitions through the end of January.
Important Dates:
May 6th: Uniform fitting and Parent Meeting. All cheerleaders must attend!
**Uniform costs are to be paid separately from registration fees. Each uniform is made specifically for each cheerleader and is theirs to keep. The uniforms for our Flag division cost approximately $125. Uniforms for Mitey Mite, JPW, PW, JV and Varsity divisions are approximately $250. Uniforms include: Shell, long sleeved liner, skirt, briefs, and poms. Also pink pom and bow for October. Shoes will need to be purchased at an additional cost. Bow will be included in league fees paid for on the registration site.
MANDATORY PLAYER CERTIFICATION: Pop Warner certifications are to ensure player eligibility for each division. It is mandatory that your child attends. If your child cannot be there they will not be certified to play in the 2023 season. Please advise your Head Coach as soon as possible if there are any conflicts.
- Date/Time: August 12, 2023 Times TBD
- Location: TBD
Practice starts August 1st! This will be the start of our mandatory conditioning (minimum of 20 hours). Please try to schedule family vacations around this time period, as any conditioning hours missed will need to be made up prior to entering the regular cheer practice schedule. We strongly recommend that your child begin to prepare for this conditioning at least one month prior to the start date.
CONDITIONING : Week 1 (4 hours + camp 6 hours)
- August 1st – August 4th Practices times and locations TBD before season start.
CHEER CAMP: August 4th-6th
CONDITIONING: Week 2 (10 hours) [Days and times are subject to change based on coaches’ availability and preferences; if 10 conditioning hours are not completed within this week, conditioning will continue into the following week until a minimum of 20 total conditioning hours are completed.]
- August 7th – August 11th times and locations TBD before season start.
EARLY SEASON PRACTICE :
Dates TBD but will be two to three days a week depending on team with games on Saturday for the duration of the season.
- TBD: LOCAL CHEER COMPETITION location and time TBD
- TBD: Wescon Regional Competition Long Beach (only qualifying teams)
- TBD: National Competition in Florida (only qualifying teams)
They key to each team’s success will be the cheerleaders, coaches and parents. All will work together to make it a great season and develop the cheerleaders to do their best.
If you have any questions about our program please don’t hesitate to rhtitanscheer@gmail.com.
Q: When does the season start:
A: Our season starts August 1st. This will be the start of our mandatory conditioning, which will last for the first 2 weeks (or until a minimum of 20 hours of conditioning is completed). We ask that vacations are not taken during this time otherwise your child will have to make up the hours. Please contact the rhtitanscheer@gmail.com with any questions or issues regarding the start date
Q: When and where is practice held?
A: The first practice starts August 1st. We will hold practice two days plus Cheer Camp (Saturday or Sunday, depending on age group). The second week will continue with mandatory conditioning Monday-Friday. Following will start the pre-game practice season, with up to 10 hours a week, usually Monday-Thursday. After Labor Day, practice will be reduced to three days a week. Practice times are typically 5:00-7:00pm. The days and times are determined by each team’s coach. Practices will be at either Valhalla High School or Granite Hills High School TBD
Q: How many football games do the cheer teams cheer at during the season?
A: Flag plays a total of eight games with a final Flag Fest at the end of the season for a total of nine games. Mitey Mite plays ten games plus a Championship Bowl game for a total of eleven games. 10u through 14u teams play ten games with possible playoff and championship games.
**Cheer teams will have competitions scheduled beyond these dates**
Q: Where are the games played?
A: Home tackle football games are held at Granite Hills High School. There are typically 3-5 home games a season for our tackle teams. Most of their games will be held other locations throughout our conference.
We are part of West Coast Conference and we will play many teams north and south of El Cajon, including Scripps Ranch, Poway, RB, PQ, Escondido, Torrey Pines, La Costa Canyon, Coronado, Point Loma and Oceanside. We also travel to other locations such as Valley Center, Ramona, Fallbrook, Temecula and Murrieta, so families should be prepared to travel to away games on certain Saturdays. Please visit the West Coast Conference website for more info on the field locations of the other associations we compete against.
Q: Can I get a refund if my child drops out of cheer?
A: A participant has until June 30th to drop out of RHTPW to receive a 50% refund of your registration fee. NO REFUNDS WILL BE GIVEN AFTER JULY 1st. This refund policy applies to both football and cheer programs.
Participants who plan to drop must notify their head coach or business manager by email or phone. The date of notification is the effective cancellation date. Participants who qualify for a refund will receive the refund once all equipment is returned to their team Business Manager or Head Coach. No exceptions will be made.
If the participant is injured during the course of a RHTPW game or practice and cannot continue the remainder of the season, a refund may be given at the discretion of the Board of Directors. The Board may provide a partial refund or award a credit to the participant, which will be applied to the following season’s registration.
Q: Why is Pop Warner so expensive?
A: Compared to most recreational sports there is significantly more participation time and equipment provided to a participant in Pop Warner. Tackle football athletes and cheerleaders are supervised in RHTPW programs for almost 700 hours of practice and game time during a regular season. Your registration fees contribute to the following costs: fees for use of the schools, fields for practices and games, game day custodians, referees, field lights, uniforms, West Coast Conference fees, game day onsite EMTs, insurance, cheer accessories, cheer competition, cheer camp, cheer mats, cheer music, equipment reconditioning, and new equipment purchases.
We also heavily rely on fundraising efforts to support our Rancho Hills Titans football and cheer association. Without these funds our organization would not be able to exist.
Q: Do the cheerleaders compete in cheer competitions?
A: Cheerleading is not just about the games. Our girls not only practice hard to be there for their fellow RHTPWfootball players and families, but they are also ramping up and preparing for their biggest day of the season…The West Coast Conference Cheer and Dance Competition!!!!
The Cheerleading competition is a very exciting and worthwhile experience for our girls. Not only do they showcase to their family and friends the culmination of all their hard work during the cheer season, but they also compete against girls their own age and skill level. Many parents are simply amazed at how much their child has grown and learned during the season.
Watching the girls during the competitions will make you realize what talented, dedicated, and hard-working individuals each one of them are. Their spirit and energy are truly contagious!
The West Coast Cheer and Dance Competition is usually held on the last Sunday in October (dates are subject to change). Cheer Teams (Jr. Pee Wee level and higher) will compete with other local teams for advancement to the Regional Cheer Competition. While Flag and Mitey Mite Cheer Teams attend the event and showcase their skills, they do not compete.
First and Second placed teams will attend the Wescon Regional Cheer Championships to qualify for Nationals. The Wescon Regional events are held every year on the Saturday prior to Thanksgiving. The venue location for the event is subject to change as the Wescon Regionals comprises of 12 leagues and approximately 480 teams.
The First and Second placed teams at the Regional Cheer Competitions are then invited to perform in Florida in hopes of winning a national championship for their local association.
Some teams might choose to participate in JAMZ competitions which are not sponsored by Pop Warner and paid for separately. They have qualifying competitions in November and December and a National Competition in Las Vegas at the end of January.
Q: Do the cheerleaders have to do fundraising?
A: All fundraisers will be determined at each squad level in order to provide financial relief for families associated with travel expenses, or other needs as determined by the squad, coaches and parents.
Q: What does my child wear to practice?
A: Navy or black shorts (Soffee and similar brands are available at Target, Kohls & Sports Authority) plain white t-shirts or tank tops. Athletic style shoes must be worn to practice.
Please note – no spaghetti strap shirts, baggy shirts, street shoes, nail polish, long nails or jewelry are allowed. Hair must be tied back.
*Earrings are not allowed at practice or on the game field. Any Cheerleader with earrings will be asked to remove them, even if the piercing is new. This is for the safety of our cheerleaders.
Q: What is included in the registration fee?
- Jamz Camp registration fee
- A minimum of 8 games for Flag and 10 games for Tackle teams as well as possible playoff game(s)
- Fees pay for Pop Warner insurance and West Coast Conference team fees as well as all high school field, lights, custodial, EMT and referee fees
- Registration fees also cover all training, practice equipment
- October pink pack-bow and poms
Q: How much does the cheer uniform cost?
A: The uniforms for our Flag division cost approximately $125. New uniforms for Mitey Mite and all older divisions are approximately $250.
Uniforms include: Vest, long sleeved slimmer, skirt/briefs, pom poms. Pink pom and bow for October