Spirit

Spirit Announcements

Hair Adornment (Feathers, Tensile, Etc. Not Permitted)
Cheerleaders/Dancers will not be allowed to wear feather hair extensions (latest trend in adding style and texture to hair), tensile, etc. in their hair during practice and competition. This is considered "ADORNMENT" and is not permitted by the NFHS and KSHSAA rule. All KSHSAA sports codes are consistent, feathering will not be permitted during any activities under NFHS rule jurisdiction.

KSHSAA Spirit Safety Meetings 2012-2013
Are Required For All Head Coaches

Head Spirit Coaches/Advisors (grades 7-12) shall attend a mandatory meeting annually, intended to promote and provide fundamentals of the activity and participant safety.
Face-to-face spirit rules meetings will be conducted at the KSHSAA Summer Cheer/Dance Conferences and Fall Spirit Spreader Clinics.
Spirit Coaches/Advisors shall complete a test with information provided and discussed at the spirit safety meeting.
The KSHSAA strongly recommends head spirit coaches attend a face-to-face safety rules meeting if their team performs stunts during the school year.
Head Spirit Coaches/Advisors assuming positions after the scheduled meetings are concluded or who have been granted special permission by their administration may meet the above requirement by taking an online meeting which will be available August 19 until October 14.
Schools failing to submit the mandatory spirit safety test will be listed in the Activities Journal and subject to a $25 penalty.

Required head cheer/dance coach certification--
If you are a competitive cheer/dance squad then your head coach must hold a current teacher certificate or be a certified Rule 10 coach. One of the following combinations is needed for cheer/dance Rule 10 certification:

a) Complete both the ASEP Coaching Principle course and the ASEP Sports First Aid course.
b) Complete both the NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching cheer & dance online course and the NFHS First Aid for Coaches online course.
NOTE: The AACCA Spirit Safety course may be substituted in place of the ASEP Coaching Principle course or the NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching course.

If your cheer/dance squad only does sideline cheers and performs at halftimes during your school team’s ballgames, then Rule 10 certification is NOT required but is recommended.

Attention spirit Coaches and Activity Directors
KSHSAA member schools may NOT attend competitions or evaluative events unless the event is listed on our KSHSAA “approved list”. Only certified teachers or Rule 10 coaches may sponsor students at these types of events. If you receive a brochure or invitation to attend a Cheer Competition, Dance Festival, or Drill Team Championship, etc. you need to check the KSHSAA “approved list” link on our front web page (http://www.kshsaa.org/Public/General/ApprovedEvents.cfm) before signing up. If the event isn’t on the list and you want to attend, contact the host school and ask them to contact Reg Romine at KSHSAA to see if the event can be approved. Do not rely on a brochure or invitation that says it is KSHSAA approved. Check the official website “approved list” to make sure. Remember, during the school year, only member association schools may host spirit competitions or evaluative events.

Artificial Noisemaker Limitations
Artificial noisemakers (including megaphones, cow bells, thunder sticks, air horns, sirens, etc.) are not to be used and bands are not to play (including the beating of drums) while the game is in progress, indoors or outdoors. If the host school administration questions the safety or appropriateness of any noise maker it shall not be permitted. Please refer to the KSHSAA Music Manual, page 21, relating to when bands can play.

By policy of the KSHSAA Executive Board, use of fireworks, cannons, air concussion cannons, hand-held explosives, and other devices, is not permitted at any KSHSAA post-season athletic event. Member schools have the authority to determine if they permit such devices at their regular-season events

Cheerleaders and dealing with officials
Cheerleader positioning – Facilities vary greatly from one school to the next. Some facilities have ample space and some do not. Both cheerleaders and officials need to work together to assure the safest possible environment while the game is in progress. There are some things we can do as cheerleaders and officials to avoid any problems around the court or field.

Understand the cheerleader’s role – Remember that cheerleaders have worked long hours practicing just like the teams have in preparation for the game. Cheerleaders can and should be an ally in good sportsmanship management throughout the game. However, protecting the players and officials must be the #1 priority.
Attentiveness – Officials are watching the players, not the cheerleaders. Cheerleaders must always remain alert and ready to move out of the way while the game is in progress. This becomes increasingly challenging depending on the facilities, size of squad, and the space available from the playing surface to the cheerleaders.
Work with officials before the game – Regardless of the sport, officials are required to be present long before the game starts. There is ample time for the cheerleaders, cheer coaches, and officials to visit about cheerleader location before the game. Officials and cheer coaches should survey the area and help cheerleaders determine the safest place to cheer. Cheerleaders tend to position themselves on the baseline, especially at basketball games. When there is little room on the baseline for the officials, it’s a problem. Officials should handle this by requesting cheerleaders to move long before the game begins so the game starts without a hitch, or if numbers dictate, suggest that they limit the number of cheerleaders on the sideline by alternating quarters. It is important for cheerleaders to remember they may never be inside the 3-second lane extended to the wall or bleachers when the game is in progress.
Safety first – Cheerleaders should never be hesitant to cooperate; however, if this happens, officials are instructed to explain to their coach or advisor that their positioning is a safety issue. Cheerleaders need to know they may be requested to move in order to protect them, the players, and the officials from potential injury. Just like any other injury situation, when in doubt, officials, cheer coaches, and cheerleaders need to err on the side of safety.
Involving the host administrator – If there is a major disagreement between cheer coaches and officials, the host administrator should be consulted to help you take care of the situation. Once the administrator understands the official is simply trying to protect the game’s participants and protect the school from any possible litigious situations, the cooperation should get easier. If there are continual problems associated with the cheerleaders positioning, contact the KSHSAA.

Why should you send your students to KSHSAA sponsored summer cheer & dance camps?

KSHSAA catastrophic insurance only applies to KSHSAA camp students.
All safety rules will be modeled by our cheer/dance teaching staff during our camps.
All safety rules will be enforced throughout the camp; this will get students in the habit of following the same rules their coaches must enforce during the school year.
KSHSAA provides a camp director 24 hours a day for added supervision and organization.
All practice facilities for both Dance and Cheer will be air-conditioned.
Your students will NOT be solicited to attend National Competitions during our camps. Keep in mind; National Competitions are prohibited for Kansas schools to attend.
Students will only be taught stunts that are legal according to KSHSAA rules. Some camps follow NFHS safety rules which include basket tosses that are illegal in Kansas.
Our camps are the only camps which provide the mandatory coaches safety rules meetings.
Our camps are among the lowest priced non-commuter camps in the state.

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