VIPER TRYOUT INFORMATION 2016-2017

Come join the Stars Vipers Family!! Considered by many to be the most successful program in

the San Antonio/Austin market. As we are still focused on our current teams which will be attending The D1 Summit in Walt Disney World (5 full paid bids and 3 at-large) and currently chasing a Worlds Bid, we are getting a lot of questions on tryouts for next season. Here are

answers to frequently asked questions: Q.#When#will#your#tryouts#be#held?##A.!We!will!hold!official!tryouts!star2ng!the!second!week!in!May!when!we!return!from!the!Summit.!We!will!also!have!some!

pre=tryout!clinics!following!NCA!Na2onals!in!Dallas!for!athletes!who!are!not!currently!Vipers!in!March!and!April.!

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Q.#Can#we#have#our#athlete#come#in#before#then?#A.!Yes,!of!course.!!The!more!we!get!to!see!them!in!classes!and!open!gym,!the!more!our!coaches!will!know!their!true!skill!

level.!We!will!also!be!having!private!evalua2ons!for!those!who!live!far!or!who!are!under!current!contracts!that!do!not!allow!

them!to!take!classes!at!other!facili2es.!!They!may!also!sign!up!for!the!two!pre=tryout!clinics!in!March!and!April.!

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Q.#How#do#I#enroll#for#classes#and#a=end#open#gym?#A.!You!go!to!starsvipers.com!and!create!an!account!in!the!“parent!portal”.!!If!you!enroll!in!a!tumbling!class!you!are!

considered!a!member.!!“Open!Gym”!is!$10!for!members!and!$15!for!non=members.!!Regardless!of!being!a!member!or!not!

you!are!required!to!complete!the!account!set!up!in!the!“parent!portal”.!

Q.#What#teams#are#you#going#to#have#next#year?#A.!!Because!of!how!we!put!our!teams!together,!we!cannot!forecast!what!teams!we!will!have.!!We!not!only!look!at!

individual!skill!levels,!but!how!we!can!put!together!the!best,!most!compe22ve!teams!possible.!!!This!cannot!happen!

un2l!we!have!them!all!together!in!their!tryout!groups!and!sessions.!!If!you!set!up!a!private!tryout!before!May,!we!can!

most!likely!give!you!a!good!idea!of!where!your!athlete!would!be,!but!we!also!need!to!have!the!suppor2ng!athletes!

with!that!skill!level!to!form!a!good!quality!team.!!We!would!not!be!able!to!do!that!un2l!May!at!the!official!tryout.!!

Q.#Does#my#child#need#to#have#experience#to#tryout#for#Vipers?#A.!Absolutely!not!!!!They!have!to!start!somewhere!!!We!have!several!different!types!of!programs!for!them!to!tryout!for:!

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Show#Team!!

This!is!a!non=compe22ve!program!for!athlete’s!ages!3!to!8!who!either!don’t!have!experience,!or!parents!who!are!not!sure!if!they!are!ready!

for!the!compe22ve!side.!!They!have!two!scheduled!weekly!prac2ces!and!learn!a!rou2ne.!!They!purchase!a!uniform!and!aZend!only!local!

compe22ons!in!the!exhibi2on!division!(they!all!get!a!trophy!and!no!certain!skill!level!required.)!This!team!begins!prac2ces!in!May,!but!we!do!

accept!kids!on!this!team,!if!space!permits,!all!year.!!

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Prep#or#HalfFYear#Teams#!This!is!a!compe22ve!program!for!athletes!ages!5!to!18.!!Tryouts!are!in!May,!but!it!is!not!unusual!for!athletes!to!be!added!mid=season.!This!is!

a!rela2vely!new!division!in!the!all=star!industry.!!They!compete!under!the!“All=Star!Prep”!division,!where!rou2nes!are!2!minutes!vs.!2!½!

minutes!and!the!highest!level!is!3.!!For!the!Viper!program,!we!only!take!them!to!local!compe22ons,!with!the!excep2on!of!All=Star!Prep!

Na2onals!in!Arlington!in!mid=March.!The!cost!of!this!program!is!much!less!and!we!encourage!this!program!for!athletes!who!s2ll!want!to!be!

able!to!par2cipate!in!other!high=demand!ac2vi2es!outside!of!Vipers.!Prac2ces!are!Sunday!for!3!hours,!but!we!will!be!requiring!this!next!

season!for!stunt!groups!to!make!weekly!arrangements!to!come!in!and!work!on!their!elite!stunt!outside!of!their!normal!prac2ce!2me.!!We!also!

recommend!this!program!for!athletes!or!parents!who!are!not!sure!if!they!are!ready!for!our!full!year!program!commitment.!!

#FullFYear#Viper#Teams!!This!is!our!tradi2onal!all=star!program.!!Pre=tryouts!will!begin!in!March!and!official!tryouts!will!begin!the!second!week!in!May.!!This!is!an!

intense,!compe22ve!program!for!all!levels!(1=5).!!We!only!encourage!this!program!for!families!who!agree!and!are!fully!knowledgeable!with!

our!contract,!policies!and!training!regiment.!This!is!a!6=10!hour!a!week!2me!commitment,!and!we!travel!to!Oklahoma,!Atlanta,!Dallas,!

Houston,!and!Florida!for!compe22ons!(we!may!add!to!this).!!It!is!a!12=month!season,!and!we!prac2ce!over!most!holidays.!!We!do!give!two!

separate!weeks!off!in!the!summer!(July!1st=7th!and!August!5th=12th),!2!separate!vaca2on!days!that!must!be!put!on!the!calendar!by!June!1st,!

4!days!off!at!Thanksgiving!(November!21st=25th),!ten!days!off!at!Christmas!(**December!23rd=January!1st)!and!Spring!Break(***March!

12th=18th).!Tui2on!for!incoming!athletes!is!$175/month.!Costs!for!fees!range!from!$2700!to!$3300!for!the!year,!not!including!travel.!!Please!

feel!free!to!review!our!current!contract!on!our!website!at!www.starsvipers.com.!

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!**!We!will!have!mandatory!condi2oning!during!this!2me!period.!This!includes!two!days!coming!to!the!gym!to!do!workouts.!!

!***!This!may!change!for!Prep!if!Prep!Na2onals!falls!the!week!of!Spring!Break,!again.!

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#Q.#Do#you#offer#fundraisers?#A.!Yes…we!have!an!amazing!group!of!parents!who!lead!our!fundraising!program.!!ALL!fundraised!money!can!go!directly!to!your!

individual!Viper!account.!!We!have!many!parents!who!are!able!to!get!sponsorships!and!pay!for!their!en2re!season.!!The!gym!does!

not!take!out!any!por2on!of!fundraised!money,!with!the!excep2on!of!costs!incurred,!which!are!minimal!(set!up!fees!for!t=shirts,!

staffing!for!camps,!credit!card!processing!fees,!etc.)!

***NEW#FOR#THE#2016F2017#SEASON…FUNDRAISED#MONEY#CAN#BE#USED#TOWARDS#TUITION.##!

Q.#Do#you#offer#scholarships?#A.!!We!have!certain!athletes!for!which!we!provide!tui2on!scholarships!for.!They!must!par2cipate!in!fundraising!and!designated!

camps/clinics!to!offset!compe22on/uniform!fees.!!#!!

Q.#We#have#heard#your#coaches#are#mean?##A.#Our!coaches!are!very!strict!and!hold!athletes!accountable.!!Expecta2ons!are!that!they!give!100%!every!prac2ce.!!We!do!have!a!

handful!of!athletes!resign!(usually!before!summer!is!over)!because!the!intensity!is!too!much,!or!they!do!not!like!our!coaching!style.!

We!do!a!lot!of!correc2ng!so!that!they!learn!proper!technique!and!fix!what!they!are!doing!wrong.!!We!are!in!a!military!community!

and!structure!and!discipline!is!what!they!love!about!our!program.!!!It!is!also!one!of!the!reasons!we!feel!that!our!program!is!so!

successful.!!We!believe!the!life!lessons!that!they!are!learning!through!Vipers!are!priceless!and!the!work!ethic!and!team!work!is!

something!that!they!will!carry!with!them!for!a!life2me.!!

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Q.#Do#the#athletes#get#to#have#fun?##A.  Our!team!moms!(and!dads)!go!above!and!beyond!to!create!experiences!outside!of!prac2ce!that!bond!our!athletes!together!as!a!family.!!

Team!bonding!is!one!of!the!most!important!aspects!to!us!and!a!key!to!Viper!success.!!Life=long!friendships!and!memories!are!formed!for!

the!athletes!and!parents!!!(Winning!and!going!to!Disney!is!fun,!too)!

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######Q.#We#heard#you#kick#athletes#off#of#teams?##A.  If!an!athlete!is!struggling!and!not!being!successful,!we!will!sit!down!with!the!parents,!coach!and!athlete!and!come!up!with!a!plan!for!

them!(and!the!team),!to!be!put!in!a!beZer!posi2on.!!Some2mes!this!means!placing!them!as!an!alternate,!or!on!a!lower!level!team.!!But!most!

of!the!2me,!when!the!athlete!and!parent!work!with!us!and!are!suppor2ve,!they!end!up!working!harder!and!genng!to!where!they!need!to!

be.!!!

Q.#We#heard#that#you#pracYce#4#to#5#days#a#week?#A.#We!start!a!lot!earlier!than!many!programs,!so!we!are!usually!ahead!of!the!game!sooner!with!our!rou2nes.!!Our!teams!prac2ce!only!two!

days!a!week!(even!before!NCA,)!unless!we!feel!like!they!are!not!where!they!need!to!be,!or!we!are!working!through!and!injury!or!

replacement(not!the!norm).!!We!do!require!stunt!groups!come!in!extra!and!that!our!athletes!take!a!jump!class.!!Flyers!are!also!required!to!

take!a!stretch!class.!!But!all!of!these!may!be!done!on!their!prac2ce!day!before!or!aper!prac2ce.!#!

Q.#My#daughter#wants#to#fly…how#do#I#ensure#that#she#is#considered#for#a#flying#posiYon?#A.!Every!cheerleader!at!some!point!in!her!career!wants!to!be!a!flyer.!!We!try!to!encourage!parents!to!use!this!as!a!teachable!moment!that!

they!are!now!a!part!of!a!team!and,!wherever!the!coaches!place!them,!they!need!to!be!willing!to!work!hard!and!be!content!with!that!

posi2on.!!If!flying!is!the!only!posi2on!your!athlete!would!consider,!then!we!are!not!sure!if!Vipers!would!be!the!program!for!your!athlete.!!

Q.#Are#you#opening#a#San#Antonio#or#AusYn#locaYon?###A.!We!would!love!to!expand!and!it’s!not!out!of!the!ques2on,!but!we!feel!a!huge!part!of!our!current!success!is!the!combina2on!of!our!current!

coaching!staff,!and!the!Viper!family.!We!want!to!make!sure!that!we!take!everything!into!considera2on!and!do!what’s!best!for!our!coaches,!

athletes,!and!parents.!!We!do!have!some!plans!in!the!works.!!In!the!mean!2me,!if!you!do!live!far,!we!can!easily!put!you!in!contact!with!others!

who!are!making!the!drive,!or!who!you!could!set!up!a!carpool!with.!!We!believe!the!drive!is!worth!it!!!

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Q.#Who#does#your#choreography?##A.!We!always!hire!amazing!choreographers,!but!a!majority!of!our!teams!this!upcoming!season!will!be!done!by!Ray!Jasper!and!Ac2on!Spirit.!!

His!crew!is!incredible!and!we!love!working!with!them.!!We!have!already!set!a!date!for!them!to!come!work!with!all!of!the!teams!(including!

prep!teams)!to!teach!them!their!stunt!and!pyramid!sequences.!!This!camp!will!be!held!June!11th!and!June!12th!at!a!loca2on!TBD.!!The!actual!

choreography!will!be!done!on!certain!dates!over!the!summer!and!will!be!assigned!once!we!get!our!teams!set!in!May.!!Prep!team!

choreography!is!done!by!our!Prep!Director!and!his!staff.!!

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Q.#I#have#already#booked#my#vacaYon#in#the#summer.##What#if#it#falls#during#choreography?##A.!If!at!tryout!2me!you!show!us!where!you!have!already!booked!it,!or!it!is!where!their!school!camp!falls,!we!will!work!with!the!athlete.!!

However,!you!must!put!it!in!our!calendar!immediately!and!find!a!replacement!who!is!the!same!skill!level!and!posi2on.!!Most!athletes!who!

have!been!with!our!program!hate!missing!choreography!because!they!will!not!be!considered!for!certain!spots!if!they!are!not!present!to!show!

the!choreographer!what!they!can!do.!!We!plan!on!all!of!our!choreography!dates!to!be!in!June!aper!the!12th,!or!star2ng!the!2nd!week!in!July!

through!the!end!of!July.!!

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Q.#What#if#we#are#relocaYng#to#your#area#this#summer#and#cannot#be#there#for#tryouts?#A.!Because!we!are!in!a!military!community,!this!is!not!uncommon.!Contact!us!at!(210)566=3200!and!we!will!make!arrangements!for!you!to!

submit!a!video!of!your!athlete!and!certain!skills!that!we!would!need!to!see!in!order!to!properly!evaluate!them.!The!athlete!would!need!to!be!

here!no!later!than!the!first!week!in!June!and!must!be!able!to!begin!workouts.!!If!you!are!moving!later,!we!cannot!guarantee!a!spot!on!a!team.!!

However,!we!would!evaluate!them!at!that!2me!and!place!them!if!we!have!open!spots!available.!

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Q.#How#do#I#sign#up?#A.!!Go!to!starsvipers.com:!!Click!on!the!parent!portal!and!look!at!“Tryouts!2016=2017.”!The!tryout!fee!will!be!$175!for!full!year!teams,!and!

$140!for!prep!teams.!!Show!team!will!start!in!May!and!will!be!$130.!!

***Pre=tryout!clinics!or!private!evalua2ons!will!be!$50.!!These!are!not!mandatory,!but!the!pre=tryout!clinics!are!highly!recommended!for!new!

athletes.!!***The!Tryouts!in!May!and!the!tryout!fee!will!s2ll!need!to!be!paid!even!if!they!do!the!pre=tryout!clinic!and!private!evalua2ons.!

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We!hope!this!answers!all!of!your!ques2ons.!Please!contact!us!at!(210)566=3200!if!you!need!further!informa2on!!!!