Cheerleading

Recreational cheerleading providing performance and competitive cheerleading teams.

Ages

Performance Cheer: 3 - 4 - 5 years old will be on Tiny Team. These athletes must be potty trained and currently in daycare/school or organized activity.

6 - 14 years old will be placed on age-based teams. These athletes will participate in the league competition.

When

Performance Team Season: 7/28/25 thru 11/30/25 (super bowl)

Competitive Season: 7/28/25 thru 12/7/25

COMPETITIVE CHEERLEADERS INTERESTED IN COMPETING PAST OUR REGULAR SEASON (WINTER CHEER) HAVE THE OPTION TO DO SO! MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND BELOW!

REMINDER: For competitive teams, athletes will be evaluated and placed on appropriate teams based on many factors such as skill level, attention, attitude, etc. The AGE coaching staff wants what is best for all athletes and if we feel as though athletes need more fundamental cheer building, then they may be placed on a performance team.

Where

Outdoor Practice:

Arbutus Middle School open grass areas

Indoor Practice:

Relay Elementary School

Practices

Summer Practices (Before Labor Day):

2-3 2 hour practices Monday - Thursday - 6:15 pm to 8:15 pm

** tiny team times may vary **

Fall Practices (After Labor Day):

2-3 2 hour practices Monday - Thursday - 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

** tiny team times may vary **

Games

Arbutus has returned to the new CCYFCL (Carroll County Youth Football and Cheerleading League). Currently there are 10 programs that represent the CCYFCL which will have rotating games throughout the season. Cheerleaders are required to cheer for a certain number of games in order to be eligible to compete. A game schedule with locations will be provided in August. Parents can expect up to 1 hour travel time for some field locations

UNIFORMS

Cheerleaders will be provided with the following uniform pieces depending on their team placement:

Futures: game day - cold weather top - bows - special homecoming attire

Performance: game day - showcase/ccfl competition uniform - bows - special homecoming attire

Competitive: game day - competition uniform - bows - special homecoming attire

Extra Costs

Cheerleaders will be required to purchase specific additional uniform pieces, please check out the all about cheer parents tab for more information!

All competitive cheerleaders will have an additional $90 registration fee applied to cover the remaining fees after the regular season costs of $200.

ALL cheerleaders regardless of performance or competitive will be required to have either a MD State ID or a CCYFCL League ID. More information to follow.

Each team will collect money towards game day snacks and team gifts for competitions and homecoming. Amount TBD

Fall 2025

Read all the way through!

Registering cheerleaders will have the choice of two cheerleading tracks, Performance Cheer and Competitive Cheer. Every Cheerleader will be placed on a Performance Cheer team and those who wish to be evaluated for the opportunity to be evaluated for placement on a Competitive Cheer team will indicate so through registration.

Registration fee for both tracks is $200 and covers uniforms, bows, as well as cover league & program fees. Competitive Cheer will have an additional $90 fee.

Please know that ALL cheerleaders will be placed on a team whether it is a performance team or competitive team. AGE cheer has a place for everyone!

PERFORMANCE CHEER: AGES 3-14, is your cheerleader new to cheer and just wants a chance to see what it's all about? Are you as a parent not up for the commitment of competitive cheer? NO WORRIES, then this new performance track is just right for you! It's a great introduction to competitive cheer without the pressure or commitment competition cheer requires!

AGES: 3, 4 or 5 years old will automatically be placed on our futures team. However, they will still follow and be included in all aspects of the performance cheer track! This team will carry 10 athletes. Anything after will be placed on a wait list. All futures athletes MUST BE potty trained and currently in daycare/school or organized group activity.

AGES: 6-14 will be placed on age-based teams.

ALL performance rec cheerleaders will:

- practice 2 days a week

- 1 game on Saturday

- participate in program showcase & league competition

COMPETITIVE CHEER: This year, we will be going based on BIRTH YEAR, as done with the age grids for Cheer and Dance Extreme, the event producer for Spirit of Fall and the Ocean City Open Competition that we compete with every year. We have gotten interest for a younger competitive age, so we will gauge interest and evaluate cheerleaders with the birth year 2018 and above (senior team birth year to be determined based on age grid to be released). Competitive cheer is for cheerleaders with elite level skills and a desire to be pushed to the next level of cheer. Competitions are MANDATORY. Cheerleaders interested in attending evaluations for placement consideration for a Fall 2025 Competitive Cheer team should indicate so on the registration form. Also, please note all cheerleaders who make a Competitive Team, there will be an additional $90 registration fee applied to cover the remaining fees after the regular season costs of $200. This additional fee covers the added competition fees, upgraded bling uniform and competition bow.

ALL competitive rec cheerleaders will:

- practice 2-3 days a week

- 1 game on Saturday

- participate in program showcase

- participate in 3 competitions