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OKLAHOMAS P I R I T

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The mission of the OU Cheer Squads is to support the athletic teams at the University of

Oklahoma by generating crowd enthusiasm and actively engaging with our fans. The OU

Cheerleaders are ambassadors of the University and represent the University at a variety

of alumni, civic, and charitable events and are committed to displaying a positive and

collegiate image at all times that reflects the values and traditions of the University of

Oklahoma.

SQUAD DESCRIPTIONS

The OU All-Girl Team has historically consisted of approximately 20-32 athletes. The OU

Coed Cheer Team has historically consisted of approximately 10-15 coed couples. These

numbers can fluctuate from year to year given the needs of the team.

Both squads cheer at all home football games and split evenly away football games (and

post season), men’s and women’s basketball (and post season), wrestling, volleyball, and

men’s and women’s gymnastics matches.

2020-2021 CHEER TRYOUT INFORMATION

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CLINIC INFORMATION

• CLINICS ARE NO LONGER REQUIRED

FOR TRYOUTS. FINAL TRYOUTS WILL

BE OPEN REGISTRATION.

• Clinics are open to athletes ages 12 & up.

• Cost for clinics is $75 per person.

• The McCasland Field House is the

gymnasium located directly across the

street to the north of the Gaylord Family

–Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

TRYOUT REQUIREMENTS

• Incoming freshmen ARE eligible to apply

• Current and transfer students with a

minimum 2.0 GPA are eligible.

• Current OU students must be enrolled

full-time (12 hours) to be eligible.

• Current OU Students must be in good

disciplinary and academic standing with

the university.

• Transfer students must be disciplinarily

and academically eligible to return to the

university from which they are

transferring.

• Once you have submitted the below

materials, you will be contacted by email

with additional information

• Cost for tryouts is $50 per person

• All paperwork below must be submitted.

CHEER CLINICS and TRYOUTS

Event Day Date Registration Start Time End Time Location

Cheer Clinic Sunday 11/17/19 9:30 AM 10 AM 5 PM McCasland Field House

Cheer Clinic Saturday 2/15/20 9:30 AM 10 AM 5 PM McCasland Field House

Cheer Tryouts - Tryouts Sunday 5/10/20 6 PM 6:30 PM 11 PM McCasland Field House

Cheer Tryouts - Tryouts Monday 5/11/20 7:30AM 8 AM 6 PM McCasland Field House

Cheer Tryouts - Tryouts Tuesday 5/12/20 7:30 AM 8 AM 6 PM McCasland Field House

Register here: OU Cheer Clinic and Tryout Registration

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The following documents must be submitted by email to spirit@ou.edu by Friday, May 1, 2020 at 5 pm

Please put “CHEER TRYOUTS” in the subject line

1. TRYOUT WAIVER

2. MEDICAL INSURANCE CARD

3. ADMISSIONS LETTER TO THE

UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

4. RESUME

Please list all activities, work experience,

community involvement, leadership and

educational information

5. LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION

The University of Oklahoma Spirit

Program is seeking well-rounded student

athletes who demonstrate the required

skills and who are committed to bringing

Sooner M.A.G.I.C to everything aspect of

our program. We are looking for those

who are dedicated to being:

o Masterful

o Accountable

o Gracious

o Inclusive

o Competitive

Please ask your recommender to demonstrate

your willingness and ability to hold true to these

SOONER M.A.G.I.C. ideals.

Please address letters of recommendation to:

Phil O’Neill

Spirit Coordinator

University of Oklahoma Spirit Program

180 W. Brooks

Norman, OK 73019

6. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The University of Oklahoma Spirit

Program is seeking well-rounded student

athletes who demonstrate the required

skills and who are committed to

bringing Sooner M.A.G.I.C to everything

aspect of our program. We are looking

for those who are dedicated to being:

o Masterful

o Accountable

o Gracious

o Inclusive

o Competitive

In your statement of purpose, please

discuss:

• By using examples, your ability to hold

true to these Sooner M.A.G.I.C. values.

• Your reasoning behind your interest in

becoming a member of the OU Cheer

Program

• Please include

o Name

o Email

o Cell phone

o School or All Star Program

o Home address

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iv. Solid basics, athlete potential,

and experience with a variety

of partners & skill levels

b. All-Girl (Flyers & Bases)

i. Game day stunts (straight up

and full-up, extensions and

liberties)

ii. Optional elite stunts/

sequences (hand in hands,

rewinds, stretches, arabesques,

etc.)

iii. Solid basics, athlete potential,

and experience with a variety

of groups

4. Interview

TRYOUT and CLINIC ATTIRE:

Women should wear appropriate shoes, athletic

shorts and a full t-shirt. Please wear hair and

make-up that projects a collegiate and professional

image. Men should wear gym shorts and a t-shirt

and should be neatly shaven.

TRYOUTS:

1. Gameday

Fightsong

• Demonstrate sharp crisp

collegiate motions

• Coed Fight Song - with skills

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3ECVNJJBM

• All Girl Fight Song - with skills

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0nO7EnEdU0

• Fight Song for both – Alternate

view

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7DorN5AXFw

Sidelines

• Demonstrate sharp crisp

collegiate motions and ability

to verbally project and

encourage crowd engagement

• Sideline Chant - Let’s Go O U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qurhm6eLOwA

2. Tumbling Skills

a. Women

i. Standing Tumbling - back

tuck (required)

ii. Running Tumbling – minimum

of round-off back handspring

series to back tuck

b. Men

i. Standing Tumbling - back tuck

(preferred)

ii. Running Tumbling – optional

3. Stunt Skills

a. Co-ed (Men & Women)

i. Stunts from hands (extensions,

liberties, cupies, etc.)

ii. Toss stunts (extensions,

liberties, cupies, etc.)

iii. Optional elite stunts/

sequences (full-ups,

rewinds, etc.)

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VIDEO TRYOUT

Trying out by video is not ideal as it is diffi-

cult for judges to truly assess your abilities and

performance in a non adjudicated atmosphere,

as compared to other candidates. Video tryouts

should only be submitted by those who simply

have no way to attend the actual tryouts and will

be subject to the following:

• Those trying out by video must submit all

video tryout required elements listed

below.

• If video candidates are selected for the

team; they will be placed on the team on

a provisional basis. They will be

further evaluated at the July practices and

if the athlete’s performance does not

match what was demonstrated on the

video, we reserve the right to manage our

roster as we see fit.

• Please note that those trying out by

video will miss meetings where

information on the following topics will be

discussed and evaluated: strength

and conditioning, stunting/tumbling

technique, uniform/clothing fittings,

physicals etc. Therefore, attendance at

the July practices and camp are

mandatory regardless of pre-planned

vacations or other conflicts to be eligible

to tryout by video.

VIDEO REQUIRMENTS, COMPLETED IN THIS

ORDER:

A. INTRODUCTION

State your first and last name

B. INTERVIEW

Answer the following questions:

1. In 1 minute, tell us WHY you want

to attend The University of

Oklahoma.

2. High school/All-Star and collegiate

cheer are very different due to the

increased and demanding

responsibilities that being in

college requires. Explain in 1

minute 2 necessary habits

needed to ensure that you are able

to fulfill all cheer commitments

(20+ hours per week), as well as

maintain the required 2.0 grade

requirement.

3. The University of Oklahoma

Spirit Program is founded in and

guided by Sooner M.A.G.I.C

values established by our

Athletic Department. In 1 minute,

tell us which Sooner M.A.G.I.C

value you identify the most with

and why.

C. TUMBLING (show in this order:)

1. A standing tuck or standing full.

2. Either a running round-off back

handspring tuck or a round-off

back handspring full.

3. A standing one or two back hand

spring to full.

4. Any other running tumbling pass

that ends in a full.

NOTE: all skills are required without a spot –

show the highest level you can complete, safely,

without a spot.

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D. STUNTING (show in this order:)

1. For All-Girl a straight up extension,

for Co-Ed any non spinning-toss

stunt.

2. For All-Girl a full up extension, for

Co-Ed another toss stunt

of choice.

3. For All-Girl an elite skill(s), for

Co-Ed an elite skill(s).

E. GAME DAY MATERIAL

Demonstrate all game day material per

the video. Use poms and a megaphone if

available. Use Fight Song audio & sing the

Fight Song. Be sure the audio and your

signing can be heard.

1. Fight Song – from video provided

2. Sideline Chant – from video

provided (Let’s Go O U)

3. 1 minute rally to any portion of

‘Thunderstruck’ by AC/DC.

F. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Please email the following NO LATER

THAN APRIL 27th - in PDF format (with

signatures) to Spirit@ou.edu

1. Email Spirit@ou.edu by April 27th

(or earlier) with the subject line

CHEER VIDEO TRYOUT

CANDIDATE and then in the body

of the email type, I AM UNABLE

TO ATTEND TRYOUTS BECAUSE

(state the reason you are not able

to attend...i.e., competing in all-star

competition, practice with all-star

team, etc.) AND WILL BE

SUBMITTING A TRYOUT BY

VIDEO and YOUR NAME. Without

this email, you will not be eligible

to tryout by video.

2. Tryout waiver

3. Digital copy of your medical

insuranc card

4. Copy of admissions letter

5. Resume or list of activities/work

experience/community

involvement

6. Letter of recommendation –

Please see information above

7. Statement of purpose - Please see

information above

8. $50 fee. Please submit fee here.

https://ouspiritclinics.eventbrite.com

VIDEO LINKS MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER

THAN MAY 3, 2020 at 5:00 pm central time.

• We will notify you only once if link does

not work.

• Please submit in plenty of time so we can

test the link.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

OU Cheer Tryout Registration – Please click this

link to register:

https://ouspiritclinics.eventbrite.com.

Please know, there is NOT a point system. The

coaching staff determines final invitations and

team selection.

All members of the 2020/2021 OU Cheer Squads

will be required to attend a program meeting and

preliminary practices tentatively scheduled for

May 16, 2020.

All members of the squad will be required to

attend UCA Summer Camp and attend work

week during summer 2019.

All current members of the squad must tryout

each year.

Coaching staff reserves the right to conduct

“walk on” tryouts at any point in time.

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TRYOUT CHECKLIST

• Register for clinic (optional) -

https://ouspiritclinics.eventbrite.com

• Register for tryouts -

https://ouspiritclinics.eventbrite.com

• Submit waiver

• Submit copy of insurance card

• Submit copy of admissions letter

• Submit letter of recommendation

• Submit personal statement

• Submit resume

• Reviewed tryout attire expectations

SPIRIT PROGRAM MAILING ADDRESS :

Phil O’NeillSpirit CoordinatorUniversity of Oklahoma Spirit Program180 W. BrooksNorman, OK 73019

SPIRIT PROGRAM EMAIL ADDRESS:

Spirit@ou.edu