Thank you for your interest in PortCity Athletics
All-Star Cheerleading Program!
We feel fortunate that you have chosen our gym as your home for the 2017-2018
season, and we are excited to provide you with a safe and positive atmosphere
where lessons from our professional, certified staff on teamwork, dedication
and sportsmanship will empower your child.
We look forward to building a lasting relationship with you
as you unearth your legend at PCA.
Welcome to our Family!
Owners: Devin Rheaume, Jeffrey Langlois & Susan Copp
1-866-741-6302 / 207-370-6711
www.portcityathletics.com
Welcome to PortCity Athletics – Maine’s Newest Premier Cheerleading Gym.
With this packet, it is our goal to provide families with costs and expectations for the 2017-2018 season.
We require that every child and their parent/guardian review EVERY PAGE of this packet thoroughly, and ask any questions prior to completing and signing the acknowledgements.
The following items need to be completed and returned as follows:
At TryOuts: Registration Form First Practice: Financial Obligation Agreement
Liability Waiver
Copy of Birth Certificate Parent Meeting: PCA Packet Agreement
You will not be allowed to participate in any classes, practices, camps, clinics or choreography sessions until these items are returned with the proper signatures.
TEAM PLACEMENTS:
Once teams are selected, results will be posted and emailed. Each teams’ USASF Level will be determined by the coaching staff, and we will try to match the overall level of each athlete the best we can. Please trust the judgement of our coaches for what is best for your child for a competitive, yet rewarding season.
Refer to the table below for information on the various aspects of team placements.
We will follow all USASF guidelines, using the age of the athlete as of August 31st.
Age Requirements / Your child will be placed on an “age appropriate” team. Provided all skill levels are the same, they will be placed on the lowest possible age team, and then given the opportunity to cross-over to an older team provided they can meet all the requirements for the older team as well.Tumbling
Requirements / Team placement will be based on both “difficulty” and “technique”. Your child must have the minimum standing AND running tumbling difficulty, with the proper technique. A chart outlining specific skills for each level is included.
Building
Requirements / Your child must earn their stunt position spots on each team. PCA will not guarantee any child a specific position, and coaches will determine the best athletes for each position (flyer, base, backspot, front). All athletes must be able to “stunt” at their team level to maintain a position on their team.
Mental
Requirements / Your child is expected to keep up with the pace of their team’s choreography and practices, along with skill progressions. Athletes who are unable to keep the pace will be moved to a lower “skill” level or “age” level team, regardless of them having all of the tumbling or building level requirements for the level team they are currently on.
Skill Requirements / Your child is required to meet the High range for their team’s skill level. If at any point in the season your child is lacking in any area, they will be required to enroll in additional classes to obtain those skills. Evaluations will determine when they have acquired the necessary skill and are no longer required to take classes. Any athlete not meeting their team-level requirements for skills will be moved to a lower level team.
MANDATORY PARENT MEETING:
Informational parent meetings will be held for each team following placements, where all aspects of our all-star program will be covered in detail. Meeting dates and times will be provided with the tryout results and practice schedules. These meetings are MANDATORY and no child will be allowed to participate in practices without a parent attending the meeting. It is important to us that everyone understands all aspects of our program. All parents will be required to sign the PCA Packet Agreement at the conclusion of that meeting.
PROGRAM FEES:
Please carefully consider the financial commitment you are making by joining a PCA all-star team.
The fees below do NOT include Summit expenses - refer to the separate Summit information section on the following page.
Monthly Tuition and Expenses:
The following items will be paid on a monthly basis in equal installments due the first of each month as follows: All-Star Teams: 11 months beginning June 1, 2017 and ending April 1, 2018
Tiny Tuts: 8 months beginning September 1, 2017 and ending April 1, 2018
All-StarTeams / Pre All-Star
Exhibition Team
MONTHLY TUITION / $140.00 / $10.00
MONTHLY EXPENSES / $120.00 / $55.00
*breakdown below
TOTAL MONTHLY FEE: / $260.00 / $65.00
*Breakdown of Monthly Expenses:
Competition & Coaches Fees / $1130.00 / $405.00
Clothing Fees / $190.00 / $35.00
Totals: / $1,320.00 / $440.00
Monthly Tuition:
Includes all team practices and one dedicated team tumbling class per week.
Competition & Coaches Fees:
Teams will begin competing as early as December, and hopefully finish with Summit in May. A detailed listing of all competitions will be released at the end of August. All fees are as listed regardless of actual cost. We will not audit at the end of the season. If, however, a competition is deleted from the schedule and not replaced, a credit will be provided.
Clothing Fees:
Includes practice wear (all-star teams only), competition bow, team t-shirt, and one specific comp t-shirt.
One Time Fees and Deposit:
Due to the nature of these items, the following expenses will be billed at the beginning of the season. The Deposit Amount listed will secure your child’s position on their team. If the deposit is not made, that position will be opened up to other athletes, or for the next round of tryouts.
All-Star Teams / Pre-TeamsChoreography & Music / $350.00 / $40.00
Uniform/Wiglet** / $435.00 / $235.00
USASF registration / $35.00 / $35.00
TOTAL: / $820.00 / $310.00
Payment Schedule
Deposit – Due Immediately / $275.00 / $110.00Due 15th of July / $275.00 / $100.00
Due 15th of August / $270.00 / $100.00
Choreography & Music:
Every child/cheerleader will be required to pay their portion of choreography and music fees for their routine, regardless of when they join the team. We only contract with professional choreographers and music producers who are accredited and up-to-date on latest rules and techniques.
All-Star Team Choreography is currently scheduled for AUGUST 18-21st, 2017. Specific time blocks per team will be provided as soon as possible. ALL athletes are REQUIRED to attend choreography, so please be sure to keep these dates available.
Uniforms & Wiglets:
Uniforms will vary depending on age of team, and will follow all USASF regulations. Sneakers are not included. Any crossover from a Senior level to a Junior level team may be required to purchase a second uniform or top. Color-matched wiglets will be purchased every year to keep them and to accommodate changing styles.
USASF Fee:
Each year, every child must be registered as an active PCA athlete through USASF. If you have been registered previously with another gym, please provide your memebership number with your registration form
PortCity Athletics upholds to promptly release from USASF any child who leaves our gym either mid season or after a season is over. We will not use your child’s information to improperly register another child to any team. We will not allow your child to use any altered birth certificate for their registration.
TEAM BACKPACKS:
Any All-Star athlete who does not aleady own a branded PCA/Rebel backpack must purchase one through the pro-shop prior to their first competition. Estimated cost for a backpack is $125.
D2 SUMMIT:
All PCA teams who receive bids to the D2 Summit will attend this prestigious end-of-year event, held at Walt Disney World’s Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando, FL in May. Additional costs will include (but are not limited to) registration fees, coaches travel fees, competition specific t-shirt and bow, etc. Information on costs will be provided as soon as calculated after a bid is received, and will depend on the level of the bid (wild card, at large, or paid).
DISCOUNTS:
PortCity Athletics will allow the following discounts to be applied to your BASE Monthly Tuition rate:
Sibling Credits:
All children/cheerleaders must be from the same household
First Child: Full Price
Second Child: 10% off
Third & Subsequent Children: 25% off
Paid-In-Full Credit:
Any family wishing to pay their base monthly tuition fees in full for the year will receive a 10% discount.
Returning Athlete Credit:
Athletes who have cheered on an all-star level team (does not apply to half season, summer team, rec teams, etc.) will receive a $50 credit on their second year, a $100 credit on their 3rd and 4th years, and a $200 credit on years 5 and after.
ADDITIONAL COSTS:
Sneakers:
Your child will be required to purchase cheer specific sneakers (through the ProShop or otherwise) at an additional cost. Used sneakers may be used, and must be in good condition and free of visible wear such as rips, stains, etc. Please note that cheer sneakers are designed to last for ONE competition season/year. PCA staff reserves the right to require new sneakers if used ones do not meet team guidelines.
Travel:
All families at PortCity Athletics are responsible for their own transportation, tolls, parking, airfare, hotel costs, etc. for all competitions. PCA will provide room blocks and special pricing when available, with instructions to each team on how to secure these discounts. Please remember that booking airfare in a timely fashion can greatly reduce your travel expenses, but will not be reimbured by PCA if it needs to be cancelled for any reason. Many of the competitions in New England are within driving distance, but many families will choose to stay overnight to avoid commuting or early morning/late night driving.
Specialty Classes & Clinics:
PortCity Athletics will provide specialty classes for tumbling, jumps, stretching & flexibility, conditioning, etc. – along with specialty clinics with industry recognized instructors. Spots in specialty classes and clinics will be limited to keep proper instructor/athlete ratios, and offered on a first-come-first-served basis. All-Star athletes will always have first option for signups, and we will always try to secure discounted pricing for our athletes. Please refer to facebook or gym postings for packages and rates.
Crossovers:
Athletes who choose to cross-over from one team to another will have additional charges associated with choreography, music, competition fees and uniforms. Please indicate on your information page if your child has an interest in being a crossover, understanding that there is a higher financial commitment. Teams that utilize crossovers will be determined by the PCA staff on a very select basis. If your child is chosen as a crossover, a detailed list of additional costs and expectations will be provided.
REFUNDS:
Any payments for uniforms, competition fees, tuition, camps, clinics, choreography, music, etc. are non-refundable. If your child decides to leave the program or is asked to leave the program, you will not be reimbursed for any deposits or payments already made, and you will lose rights to any garments that you have paid for or put a deposit on.
PortCity Athletics reserves the right to move a child from one team to another at any point in the season. PCA is not responsible for reimbursement of any travel arrangements if your child is moved from one team to another, or removed from the program.
FUNDRAISING:
PortCity Booster Club is a parent-run 501(c)3 organization created for the sole purpose of supporting the athletes of PCA. As an athlete of any PCA team, you are automatically a member of the PortCity Booster Club, and participation in certain gym-wide fundraising events will be mandatory. Parent participation is needed, and we welcome you to reach out to Sharri Olsen, Booster President for more information at .
Sponsorships:
Through the Booster Club, PortCity Athletics will allow athletes to obtain personal or corporate sponsors to help cover any and all costs for the season. An approved sponsorship request form will be provided by the booster club, and should not be altered in any way. 100% of all sponsorships received will be applied directly to the athlete’s individual account. Any family obtaining a sponsorship will be provided with a receipt showing how it is applied.
There will be NO outside fundraising by athletes separate from the booster organization, unless agreed upon in writing between individual athletes and PCA.
PRACTICE SCHEDULES:
Summer schedules will run from June 4th to August 31st. During this time, any teams with summer practices will practice once a week, on a weeknight, in order for families to take advantage of weekends. Regular season schedules will begin as of August 31st, or per your specific team’s schedule. Each team will include at least one (two for All-Star teams) practice per week, along with one dedicated team tumbling class per week. All practices will be between 1 and 3 hours long, and additional practices may be added prior to competitions as needed.
ABSENTEE POLICY:
To ensure that all athletes participate with the same level of commitment, your child is required to be at every practice, class, choreography session, special event, etc. They MUST attend ALL of their team’s competitions. PortCity Athletics reserves the right to remove any child from a team, move them to another team, or make them a team alternate due to excessive absenses. Absenses need to be reported to your coach directly as soon as possible – not through other parents, athletes, etc.
Summer practice attendance is important for skill building, but we do want families to be able to enjoy the short summers here in Maine. Your child will be allowed to miss two (2) practices during the summer, and we ask that you provide those dates to your coaches at the beginning of the summer so they can plan accordingly.
Regular season practice is mandatory. You will receive two (2) unexcused absenses during the season, but they will not be granted during the week prior to a competition. Once your two unexcused absenses have been used, you will be notified, and any further unexcused absenses may result in removal from the team.