SSHS Cheerleading Captain Application Form
Answer the following essay questions fully and in complete sentences. Answers must be typed and included in your portfolio notebook. Take time to carefully formulate your answers because you may, at sometime in the future, be asked to live up to your answers.
1. Define the following terms in your own words. Technique, Precision, & School spirit
2. Convince us, anyway that you can, (i.e., by example, by promise, etc.), that you deserve to be captain. Include what your contributions will be as a person and as a captain.
3. How important do you think a captain’s attitude is toward the following...
· Understanding and abiding by the school rules
· Maintaining high academic standards
· Developing team unity
· Enforcing and adhering to the team rules and policies
4. Name several things you would change/add to the team that would make it better if you were a captain.
COMMITMENT:
If you make captain, will your parents understand, and will YOU be willing and able to...
· Spend many extra hours after school and practice for choreography, organizing, fundraisers, etc.?
o Yes
o No
· Get your parents help and support?
o Yes
o No
· Lead a squad, set good examples, and keep grades up?
o Yes o No
I understand that making captain does not guarantee a leadership position for the entire year. I must maintain the standards set forth in the constitution, by the coaches, and the SSHS administrators.
______Candidates Signature
______Parent’s Signature
Captain Candidate Portfolio
“A leader is someone who sets aside their personal agenda and takes it upon a greater agenda, serving others.”
Include the following in your portfolio notebook:
1. Table of Contents
2. Complete Captains Application
3. Essay on how cheerleading has affected your life this year and why it is important to you. You may want to discuss positive and negative aspects of high school cheerleading (based on your experience), and any suggestions for improvement on the next team including steps to achieve them.
4. Include one letter of recommendation. (No family please!)
5. List some ideas of what we can do for pep rallies next year, i.e. skits, cheers, dances, etc.
6. List 5-6 ideas for Spirit themes based on the teams South Sumter High School plays (ex. Bake Bryan- everyone wear BBQ attire).
7. Choose the one Ethical Principle that you feel is most important to you and to our program. Why is it so important? Give an example of how you apply this principle to your everyday life.
8. Choose 1 to 2 quotes that you feel motivate/inspire you and explain why they have that effect on you.
9. Map out/plan what one practice period would look like. Include what you will be doing, time amounts for each activity (stretching, jumps, tumbling, etc.), and a detailed warm-up routine. At the practice, teach 1 new cheer to the team. 10. Signed contract-please slide in the front pocket or sleeve of notebook.
*Notebooks may be any size and decorated however you see fit!
Captain Overall Score Sheet
Candidates Name: ______
Category / Total Possible Points / Points AwardedApplication/Notebook / 50
Coaches Interview / 30
Team Leadership Score / 20
Planned/Run Practice Score (cheer) / 25
Overall Score / 125
Comments:
Captain(s) Contract 2015-2016
1. I promise to exemplify the ideal cheerleader at all times in and out of uniform by setting an example for all the cheerleaders to follow and be proud of.
2. I promise to be polite at all times.
3. I promise to fulfill all responsibilities and duties assigned to me.
4. I promise never to be seen anywhere cursing, using obscenities, smoking, drinking, or under the influence of drugs at any time. (including social media)
5. I promise not to lie, and to always be loyal to my coaches.
6. I promise to enforce the rules and regulations in the cheerleading constitution equally with my fellow squad members and do my share of the work.
7. I promise to never withhold any information from the coaches.
8. I promise to display mutual respect for my fellow team members whether I agree with them or not.
9. I promise to always support the coaches with decisions whether I agree with them or not.
10. I promise to always work to my fullest to achieve team and personal goals.
11. I promise to think of the team before I think of the individual.
12. I promise to always believe in me, and to make this year as successful as possible.
I am aware that if I am selected as a captain, I am expected to uphold this contract. I realize that any violations of the contract could result in removal of my position.
______
Captain Candidate Signature Date
Possible Interview Questions
1. Why do you want to be a captain?
2. Describe what servant leadership means to you and how you demonstrated this in your life in the past year?
3. What is your strongest characteristic that would make you a great captain?
4. What is your weakest characteristic that would hinder you being a great captain?
5. What can you attribute to the team that the other candidates cannot?
6. What do you feel is the most important responsibility as a captain?
7. If you could improve one thing about the SSHS Cheer program, what would it be? How would you go about doing it?
8. Rank the following in order of importance: Honesty, Accountability, Loyalty, Talent, and Dependability
9. How do you handle stress and pressure?
10. What challenges do you foresee as a captain? How will you overcome these challenges?
11. How would teachers describe you?
12. If a member of the team were off-task during practice, how would you handle that?
13. What kind of people do you find it difficult to work with?
14. Explain how you would differentiate between when to be a friend and when to be a leader. How would you handle a situation with a team member who is also one of your friends?
15. What was the hardest decision you’ve ever had to make? What have you learned from that decision?
16. What accomplishments are you most proud of?
17. How do you plan to keep each member of the team motivated, while continuing to uphold the reputation of the SSHS Cheer Program?
18. What will you do to ensure that you can meet all of your academic responsibilities and devote the time necessary to be captain of the SSHS Cheer Program?
19. What other leadership experiences have you had?
20. If you become captain, what proactive changes would you like to make to improve the well-being, skill level, and/or bonding of your team?
21. What ideas do you have that would promote spirit among your team?
22. What ideas do you have that would promote school spirit among the fans?
Coaches Interview
Category / Score / CommentsConfidence (5 points)
Sincerity (5 points)
Maturity (5 points)
Leadership Skills (5 points)
Quality of Responses (10 points)
Candidates Name: ______