Oakton High School Varsity Cheerleading Fall 2008-2009 Team News

Before You Criticize Them, Remember That Most Youth Coaches Are Volunteering Their Time!

This article was written by an independent journalist not affiliated with Oakton High School and the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Oakton High School.

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This article was written by an independent journalist not affiliated with Oakton High School and the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Oakton High School.

NCAA Recruits Deserve Better Publicity From Their Schools

This article was written by an independent journalist not affiliated with Oakton High School and the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Oakton High School.

Junior Varsity: The Middle Children Of High School Sports

This article was written by an independent journalist not affiliated with Oakton High School and the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Oakton High School.

High School Athletes Should Be Doing Yoga

This article was written by an independent journalist not affiliated with Oakton High School and the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Oakton High School.

16 Valuable Life Lessons That Lacrosse Teaches You

This article was written by an independent journalist not affiliated with Oakton High School and the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Oakton High School.

All ADs Should Be Using Social Media... And Here's How

This article was written by an independent journalist not affiliated with Oakton High School and the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Oakton High School.

Snow Safety: How To Eliminate Injuries During Winter Sports

This article was written by an independent journalist not affiliated with Oakton High School and the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Oakton High School.

The 10 Best Ways To Increase School Spirit

This article was written by an independent journalist not affiliated with Oakton High School and the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Oakton High School.

A New Method To Fund Sports Participation

This article was written by an independent journalist not affiliated with Oakton High School and the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Oakton High School.

Ten Fun Ideas To Raise Money For Your Team

This article was written by an independent journalist not affiliated with Oakton High School and the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Oakton High School.

Treating Concussions in High School Athletics

This article was written by an independent journalist not affiliated with Oakton High School and the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Oakton High School.

5 Ways Parents Make Their Children Hate Sports

This article was written by an independent journalist not affiliated with Oakton High School and the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Oakton High School.

How To Handle Hazing in High School Athletics

This article was written by an independent journalist not affiliated with Oakton High School and the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Oakton High School.

Do High School Sports Hurt Academics? No!

This article was written by an independent journalist not affiliated with Oakton High School and the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Oakton High School.

The Seriousness of Stretching

This article was written by an independent journalist not affiliated with Oakton High School and the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Oakton High School.

High School Sports and Steroids

This article was written by an independent journalist not affiliated with Oakton High School and the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Oakton High School.

Newsletter #4

Oakton Cheer

Newsletter#4

What a great homecoming week! The cheerleaders cheered all three football teams to victories. It was wonderful to see all three squads to perform, together, in the pouring rain. Ladies, you are looking good and really getting the fans into the spirit of the games.

We had a great time at our, first ever, Team Dinner. It was nice to see all three squads “bonding”. T hank you, to our parent volunteers, for helping make the process run smoothly. Our next meal will be this Friday, October 3^rd at 5:30pm.

I am planning on Cassel’s delivering the rest of the Spirit Pack items this week, with the exception of the gold soffe shorts. The shorts were back ordered until the end of October, so the order has been cancelled. It will take some time, but I will figure out who is owed a refund and in what amount. I will let you know, that, once I figure things out, it will take the Athletic Boosters time to issue the refunds. I will keep you all posted! (Michele)

Mark your calendars: the Concorde District Cheer Competit ion will be hosted by Oakton High School this year on October 16^th. The seven schools in our district will each perform their routines twice. Come support the Varsity squad and see some amazing cheer routines!

Christine and I would like to thank all of the parents. We are extremely happy that we have so many people willing to volunteer. It allows us to do more for the girls, which in turn, makes the season more fun. We couldn’t do it without you!

Please don’t forget our long term fundraiser, Let’s Dish. We hope to host an Oakton Cheer night, at Let’s Dish, sometime after the Varsity competition. We’ll keep you posted.

Have a good week and…

Go Cougars!©©©

Michele Schnitzer & Christine Doss

Booster Reps- Cheer

Athlete Meeting

Please remember that there is the mandatory meeting for all athletes on Monday, September 29th at 2:15 in the main gym. Coach Jamie will be there, please check in with her.

Newsletter #3

Oakton Cheer

Newsletter #3

The cheerleaders are looking great and really getting our fans involved this year. School spirit is at an all time high! The JV and Varsity football teams won their games, against Fairfax. This week, should be an exciting week, leading up to our Homecoming game against Langley High School and the dance on Saturday night. The Powder-puff Football game is scheduled for Wednesday night. Come see Oakton’s newest bunch of cheerleaders perform. This all boy squad was coached by the senior cheerleaders.

Our first Team Dinner is Friday, September 26^th, at 5:30pm. All squads are required to attend. If you would like a meal, provided for your cheerleader, there is a $20 fee, which will cover all four dinners. Please have the money to coaches or Lauren Doss, no later than Wednesday. Make checks payable to Christine Doss. We will not provide a meal for your daughter if you have not made your payment. You may send a bag meal, if you prefer.

The cheer attire and spirit pack items are finally arriving and if all goes as planned, most of the items should be delivered to Oakton on Wednesday. I know that some of the items, in the spirit pack, are back ordered and should follow in about a week. As soon as I get word that the items have been delivered, I will be at the school to deliver them to the girls that day (at their practices).

Oakton High School will host the first round of the Concorde District Cheer Competition, on October 16^th. Seven high schools cheerleading squads will compete. Come watch some amazing cheer routines and support the Varsity squad. The Freshman and JV squads will not be cheering, at Robinson, that night.

The Let’s Dish Fundraiser is ongoing (until December 1). I have attached the flyer. Visit the Let’s Dish web-site, www.letsdish.com , to see what makes getting dinner on the table quick and easy! Don’t forget to put in our code, F9-Cheer, when signing up.

Go Cougars!

Michele Schnitzer & Christine Doss

Newsletter

Oakton Cheer
Newsletter #1

Welcome to the 2008 Fall Cheer (& Football) Season! The football teams are off to a great start and have certainly given us something to cheer about. We hope everyone enjoyed the Season Kick-off Tailgate Party.

Our Let’s Dish Fundraiser has started and will run through Dec 1st. I have attached the flyer to this email. Feel free to send it to friends and family! We are also trying to work out a time with Let’s Dish to hold a private session for us. It will be a great way to meet and/or catch up with other Cheer moms.

Thank you to all of you that have volunteered to help out, this season. If we haven’t been in contact with you about a volunteer position, we will be soon.

Photo Buttons are still available. Donna Beard (Caroline’s mom) has the buttons for JV and Michele Schnitzer (Kelly’s mom) has Varsity buttons. Look for us at the games!

Our first Team Dinner is September 26th. The other dinners are scheduled for October 3rd, 17th and 31st. If you haven’t done so, please get the money to your coach (Freshman & JV) or to Lauren Doss (Varsity). The cost is $20 for the season. Please make checks out to Christine Doss.

September 26th is our Homecoming game against Langley! The week will be filled with lots of fun activities at school and will culminate with the big game on Friday night and the Homecoming Dance on Saturday, September 27th.

The Cheerleaders work very hard and put lots of time and hard work into practicing. Please come and watch the girls cheer at their games! It means a lot to know that people are not just watching the football players!!!

Go Cougars

Booster Reps
Michele Schnitzer & schnitzerme@aol.com
Christine Doss bkd2121@aol.com

Oakton Cougar - Football and Cheer Family Tailgate Party

Friday, September 5th, 6 – 7pm
Location: Oakton High School Tennis Courts
Come join the fun to welcome our new football and cheer families before our first home varsity game. All football
families (Fresh –Seniors) and cheer squad members and families are encouraged to attend.
Please bring your favorite tailgate food to share (should serve 8 – 10 people).
The OHS Booster Club will be selling soft drinks.

Off Season Cheerleading Newsletter 2

OHS Cheer

Off-Season Newsletter #2

Wow! It is hard to believe that Try-outs are less than a month away. We wanted to update and remind you of a few things…please share this letter with your parents.

· Try-outs will be held Aug 5^th & 6^th from 5:00pm-8:30pm and Aug 7^th from 5:00pm-10:00pm.

· To try-out YOU MUST HAVE AN UP TO DATE PHYSICAL (dated after May 1, 2008) AND AN EMERGENCY CARE CARD ON FILE AT THE SCHOOL, BEFORE TRY-OUTS. Physicals should be mailed to the Activities Office by July 28^th. Please make a copy for your records, before mailing. Both forms can be found on the Oakton Athletic web-site under Files & Forms. www.oaktonathletics.org

· There will be a Fall Sports walk-in registration on Friday, Aug 1^st from 5:00pm-6:00pm (turn in Emergency Care Cards here).

· Please make sure that you are doing something to stay in shape over the summer. We have not had a good turn-out at the MON & WED conditioning sessions or the Paws & Claws clinics. Remember, it takes strength and endurance to cheer!!! Conditioning @ Oakton is every MON & WED from 5:30-6:30pm. There will be one more Paws & Claws clinic on July 19^th at Lake Braddock Secondary School. Registration starts at 8:30am. The clinic will run from 9:00am-12:30pm.

· Utilize the local cheer and gymnastics gyms that were posted on the last newsletter. All offer great classes and camps geared toward cheerleading. You must have a back handspring to make Varsity.

· Important Reminder: after try-outs, practice and team obligations will start immediately! The team CANNOT be a team without everyone present. You will be required to attend all practices and events. Plan accordingly.

· Once the season starts, there will be plenty of volunteer opportunities available. It takes a lot of work to have the season run smoothly and to offer our cheerleaders a fun and rewarding experience.

Thanks and enjoy the rest of summer.

Michele & Christine

A MESSAGE FROM COACH SHANAHAN:

I hope to see everyone at conditioning: it is time to prepare for the season, which is quickly approaching and conditioning is a great way to spend time together getting physically fit. We work on balance, cardio, and muscle strength, while learning what helps with our cheerleading skills. Bring your friends and some water, let's start exercising! This is a great way to get a head start on making our squads the best they can be!

***TRY-OUTS*** Preparation: August 5^th & 6^th Try-outs: August 7^th

Try-outs will be conducted differently this year. I have decided to get a different perspective on our cheerleader’s skills and have asked unbiased, qualified judges (outside of OHS) to score the try-out on August 7^th. You will be judged on tumbling, motions, cheer, chant and dance. The judges will also be looking for appearance (facials), voice projection and spirit. Please start getting in shape in order to impress these judges. Work on your tumbling. One of our goals is to have as many tumblers in our program as possible!

You will also have the opportunity to choose the time slot in which you show your routine to the judges. In order to get the time slot you want, bring new people to the cheerleading try-out preparation clinics on August 5^th & 6^th (the first days of try outs). Those that bring the most new people will be able to sign up for a try-out time of their choice. We want to build a good reputation and make being a cheerleader something special. Encourage your friends and others to give cheer a try.

In addition, on the day of judging, please wear white (or very light) tops and black (or very dark) bottoms. We will start being a team from the very beginning by creating team unity. Please see me at conditioning if you have any questions!!

P.S. The 2008 Oakton High School football game schedule is posted on the athletic web-site,

www.oaktonathletics.org under Varsity Cheerleading.

Go Cougars!

Off Season Cheerleading Newsletter

OHS CHEER

Off-season News Letter #1

The 2008/2009 Cheer season is right around the corner and try-outs are less than two months away! We have a lot of information to pass along to you…

Katie Shanahan has accepted the position as Head Coach for Oakton Cheer. Coach Shanahan has been with Oakton Cheer for two years; as an assistant coach and as JV coach for the 2007/2008 season. Congratulations, Coach Shanahan!

Try-outs for the 2008 Fall Cheer Season will be held on August 5, 6 & 7. Details and times for try-outs will be sent out later this summer. To try out you must have a current physical (dated after May 1, 2008) using the VHSL Physical Form and an Emergency Care Card on file at the school. Forms can be found on the Oakton Athletic web-site www.oaktonathletics.org under Files & Links.

Remember that Cheerleaders are athletes! Cheerleading has evolved into a multi-faceted sport that requires participants to be skilled in many areas; motions, dance, tumbling and stunting. It takes strength and endurance to cheer. Use the next two months to get yourself ready for the 2008 season. To assist you in preparing for try-outs, please see the list below:

Conditioning- Mondays & Wednesdays (starting June 23^rd) from 5:30pm- 6:30pm. Oakton Cheer will host conditioning sessions, at Oakton High School, to increase cardio, endurance and strength. Come work out with friends and meet other prospective cheerleaders. While these sessions are not mandatory, it is strongly recommended that you attend. No charge.
Oakton High School Fitness Camp- Oakton will be offering a Fitness Camp at the school. The camp is open to individuals ages 12 and up. Four sessions will be held during the summer. See the Oakton Athletic web-site www.oaktonathletics.org under Files and Links, for dates, times and fees.
Paws & Claws Clinics- There are two sessions of this wonderful prep camp left! June 21^st & July 19^th. Both remaining sessions will be held at Lake Braddock Secondary School, located in Burke, VA. Registration begins at 8:30am and the camp will run from 9:00am until 12:30pm. The cost is $40 for one session and $35 for additional sessions. This camp is open to ALL prospective high school cheerleaders, regardless of what school you will attend or your level of experience. Paws & Claws Registration Forms and a Camp Flier can be found on the Oakton Athletic web-site www.oaktonathletics.org under Files & Links.
All Star Legacy in Dulles, VA, is a cheer gym that offers a variety of camps and classes geared specifically to cheerleaders. Choose from level specific tumbling, open gym and the High School Prep or Flip Factory Camps. Please see the All Star Legacy web-site for dates and times. www.allstarlegacy.com (703) 444-6002
Capital Gymnastics in Burke, VA, offers tumbling classes for cheerleaders. In addition, they also offer private & semi-private handspring classes. www.capitalgymnastics.net (703) 425-5707
Infinity Cheerleading in Fairfax, VA, is our area’s newest cheer gym (Grand Opening June 14^th). Infinity will offer classes and camps specifically geared to cheerleaders. They will be hosting FREE Cheer Clinics, June 16^th-20^th, from 6:30pm- 8:30pm. See the Infinity Cheerleading web-site for class and camp dates and times and to pre-register for the FREE clinics. www.infinitycheerleading.com (703) 208-1459
Be your own trainer- if none of these options work for you, do it on your own! Utilize gym memberships, take a run, swim laps, etc…

A message from Coach Shanahan…

As a fellow Cougar myself, I have enjoyed returning to my Alma Mater. After high school graduation I was privileged to attend Virginia Tech where I studied Human Development with a concentration in early childhood. I remained at the University for Graduate School where I earned a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction. I was offered a teaching position in Oakton as a third grade teacher at Oakton Elementary and a position as an assistant cheer coach for the Cougars. I have been teaching and coaching for the past two years. I live with my husband and friendly yellow lab Taylor. It is my honor to be the new head coach of cheer at Oakton.

I am very excited about this coming season. We have had a strong program and I am ready to take it to the next level. I have hired a choreographer who will bring in fresh ideas and boost our stunting and tumbling abilities. I encourage those of you who are interested in making the competitive cheerleading team to practice stunting and tumbling, consistently, over the summer in order to strengthen our competitive program. This year will be different with new rules that unify our teams and our members. However, the high level of expected commitment will be similar. Good luck to you all in preparing for the season! coachshanahan@gmail.com

*IMPORTANT* Please see the “Requirements”, to learn what is required to make each squad.

If you have questions, feel free to contact us and we’ll do our best to get your questions answered. Look for another newsletter, in July, with try-out details. Have a wonderful summer!

Michele Schnitzer & Christine Doss

Cheer Booster Reps

schnitzerme@aol.com

bkd2121@aol.com

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