Cheer Frequently Asked Questions
Who can participate in IYF Cheer?
Cheer is open to students entering 3rd - 8th grades living within the Issaquah High School boundary.
When does the season start and how long is it?
We are an intensive 3.5 month program. Our first three weeks are a critical learning period. We understand we will have cheerleaders involved in others sports during this time period. We need strong communication from these individuals about their other commitments. Coaches will evaluate each of these cases on an individual bases to make sure the individual cheerleader is successful as well as their squad.
Our season is August - mid-November. Youth football will play 9 total games, all on Saturday’s, leading up to the playoffs. We will cheer in the playoffs for our football teams that continue and play on home field or nearby away games.
Practices for ALL CHEERLEADERS (New and Returning) will begin August 8 (Monday). There will be 4 practices per week for the first 3 weeks (Mon-Thurs). The week of August 29 we will begin 2 times per week practices. Practices will be in the evenings for 1-1/2 hours. Exact times and locations TBA once schedule of fields is released).
How many practices can my child miss before the first game?
Cheerleaders must attend 14 practices to participate in the first game. If a cheerleader has not completed the 14 practices, he/she is still expected to attend the game and support his/her team.
How many practices can my child miss during the season?
Once school begins and we begin our regular season, cheer practices are reduced to twice a week.
2 Free Passes: New this year! Each cheerleader is given TWO free passes for the season. She may miss practice twice during the entire season for whatever reason they want. This includes school, family, and social obligations. Plan wisely! Anything beyond these 2 passes, the cheerleader will receive a game day consequence. For each missed practice, the cheerleader will sit out of the next game for 1 quarter (example: 2 quarters sitting if 2 practices are missed).
What squad will they be on?
The cheer team will be divided into squads which will cheer for the football levels of: Rookie, Cub, Sophomore, JV and Varsity. 3rd – 5th grades will be divided to cheer for the Rookie, and Cub levels and the 6th – 8th grade cheerleaders will be divided to cheer for Sophomore, JV and Varsity levels. Our goal is to make sure each Issaquah Youth Football team has cheerleaders present for all home games . All squads will be supervised by a qualified coach.
What is the refund policy?
Registration fee is non-refundable. Uniform fee will be refunded prior to order being placed (June 1).
CANCELED SEASON: Should the season be canceled prior to the first practice, the registration fee will be refunded. No uniform fee will be refunded after June 1, but cheerleaders will receive the items they've ordered.
Who can I contact if I have additional questions?
Send an email to cheer@issyfootball.org.