Q: Who is eligible to participate in the Marblehead Youth Football Cheerleading (MYFC) program?

A: MYFC is a recreational cheerleading program open to youth who live in or go to school in Marblehead, MA. Our teams are composed of youth in grades 1-8.

 

Q: How are the MYFC teams organized and what team will my child be on?​

A: Our program has 4 competitive teams and one inspiration team: 

​

• Inspiration (non-competitive): Age 6+

• U8 (formerly E Team): Under 8, typically 1st/2nd grade

• U10 (formerly D team): Under 10, typically 3rd/4th grade

• U12 (formerly C team): Under 12, typically 5th/6th grade 

• U14 (formerly A Team): Under 14, typically 7th/8th grade

​​​

Q: Are there tryouts or evaluations? Do all athletes make a team?
A: Yes, all registered athletes will be placed on a competition team (U8-U14). Coaches will conduct individual evaluations to assess skills (tumbling, stunting, jumps, motions, etc.) early in the season to determine what position is best suited for each athlete (flyer, base, back spot, tumbling, jumper, etc).

​​​​

Q: Can my child participate if they do not want to compete or cannot attend ALL competitions/practices?​

A: No. This program has been modified for athletes dedicated to attending ALL practices, football games and competitions. This is a team-based, competitive program that requires full commitment from athletes and their families.​

​​

Q: What is the inspiration team?
A: The Inspiration team was created in 2024 and ​​is an inclusive cheer team for athletes of all abilities ages 6 and up. Each inspiration cheerleader will be matched up with a unified partner and will participate in practices and games, based on their abilities.

​

Q: What is the time commitment?
A: Our season consists of practices, football games, and competitions beginning in August and lasting through mid-November.

• Mandatory practices are held 1-2 times per week depending on the team. More practices are often added as we get closer to competitions.

• MYFC athletes cheer at Marblehead youth football games on Saturday or Sunday each weekend from September to November depending on playoffs. Each team cheers at one game per weekend, which lasts approximately 1.5 hours. We do not find out the game schedule until the cheer season has already begun.

• There are 2-3 mandatory competitions depending on the team, which are held on weekends between mid-October and mid-November. 

• All competitions and practices are MANDATORY. If you have any pre-scheduled plans in the month of October or early November that would require missing practices and/or competitions, then your athlete should not join this program. We do not find out the dates/times for competitions until the season has already begun.

​​

​​​Q: My child does other fall sports, and one of the practices is the same night
as cheer. Can they miss one practice per week, or show up late for that practice?
A: No, we cannot allow regularly missed practices due to the safety of our cheerleaders. This is a team sport and requires all members to be present to have an effective and safe practice. If one person on the team is missing, then an entire stunt group cannot practice, which puts team members at risk of injury due to lack of ability and stunt building progression. This is a short season, with fast moving choreography. Missing even one practice can put a team member behind and others at risk. Please plan other fall activities accordingly around cheer practices, games and competitions.

​​​​​​

Q: When do summer practices take place?
A: Summer practices begin in early August and are held 2x/week in the evenings outside. All MYFC athletes are required to attend pre-season/summer practices. However, we will allow 3 unexcused absences during summer practices as we understand camps and vacations may make it difficult to attend.

​​​​​

Q: Where are fall practices held and how long do they last?
A: Fall practices are held in the Marblehead Community Center gymnasium 2x/week for 1-2 hours depending on the team. Fall practices typically start at the end of August/beginning of September.  Additional practices are often added in October, as we get closer to competitions. 

​​​​

Q: How many competitions are there? What if my cheerleader has to miss one?
A: We typically compete at 2-3 competitions per season. Attendance is MANDATORY for all competitions as well as practices. If a cheerleader is ill or injured prior to a competition, we must rework the routine which could result in additional practice time. Please refrain from scheduling any events, parties, trips, etc. from early October to mid-November until the competition schedule is released. Cheerleading is a competitive team sport, missing practices and competitions affect the entire team’s ability to perform safely and at their top level. 

​

Q: Is attendance at football games mandatory?
A: Yes, although we do understand fall weekends can be busy with other commitments,
we ask that families make attendance at all games a priority. 

​​​

Q: What cheer gear is needed?
A: Athletes need to purchase a team jacket, set of pom poms, bows, practice tank(s), game-day jersey, and underlayer. In addition, all athletes will need to provide their own white cheer sneakers, practice shorts, leggings, and white no-show socks. Recommended links will be sent out prior to the beginning of the season for this gear. Competition uniforms will be provided by the program and are expected to be returned in good, clean condition after the season.

​​​​​​​​​​​​

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

This is a volunteer organization and can only run with the help of our amazing parents, guardians and community members. We can use help in all areas with various time commitments. 

​

Q: Do I need any experience with cheerleading/dance/gymnastics to volunteer?
A: No experience necessary! There are many opportunities to help with MYFC. Whether you have an interest in coaching, being a team parent, helping with uniform distribution, or a position on the board, we can always use your help. Our organization will help coordinate background checks, CORI and any training needed prior to the beginning of the season.
 

If you have prior experience in All-Star, high school, or collegiate cheerleading, gymnastics and/or dance and would like to support our team of amazing coaches, please reach out to us at myfcheering@gmail.com.

​

We reserve the right to change the following information to comply with current local and state guidelines