South Orange County Patriots :: Junior All-American Football & Cheer :: Youth Football

2004 National Champions

The SOC Patriots Cheer Program provides cheer instruction as well as performance and competition opportunities for girls and young women ages four to 14. The program is appropriate for first time cheerleaders and seasoned veterans. The goal of the cheer program is for our cheerleaders to have fun yet (a) develop self-confidence, (b) learn cheer and dance routines that are increasingly sophisticated with their age and experience and (c) perform at games and a competition event. Our cheerleaders make lots of new friends along the way.

The cheerleaders are organized into squads primarily based on age, each of which is associated with one of our SOC Patriots football teams. Each squad has a Head Coach and a number of trainers who teach them cheers and dance routines. The trainers are at least 14 years old and typically have cheer and dance experience.

In addition to maintaining a regular practice schedule, the cheerleaders attend SOC Patriot games at which they lead cheers and perform cheer and dance routines. In addition, they participate every year in what is simply called “Competition.” At this event, literally thousands of cheerleaders from 25 sister organizations in Orange, Los Angeles and Riverside counties compete in cheer and dance.

Our program begins with practices at the end of July. Football games commence in September and continue into November depending on football playoff results. Competition takes place in October. Please refer to the Calendar for specific dates.

Cheerleading is an integral part of the SOC Patriots program. Our cheerleaders inspire excitement and enthusiasm that is appreciated by the entire Patriot family.

Cheer Practice: Times and locations to be determined

Cheer Camp and practices will be held at Crown Valley Park. Everyone must arrive at practices on time, and be appropriately dressed in work out attire (socks and tennis shoes, no jewelry). Your hair must be pulled back and secured out of your face. Girls not dressed properly will not be allowed to practice. A small snack and water or a sports drink should be brought to each practice. No gum will be allowed.|

Cheer Camp. TBA

Regular Practices. Practices during the first 4 to 5 weeks will consist of a minimum of three, two-hour sessions per week and a maximum of five, two-hour practices per week. Practices thereafter will consist of three, two-hour sessions per week. The head coach of each squad will determine the exact practice schedule.

We cannot overemphasize the importance of participating in practices. We stress both individual cheerleader development and commitment to the squad. Precious practice time is spent learning and practicing cheers and dance routines, which includes a lot of coordinated activity by the squad that can only be learned through practice and repetition.

Opponents and Game (Cheer) Locations:

The SOC Patriots play football against teams sponsored by our sister organizations.
See locations for details.

Teams generally play an eight game schedule followed by single elimination playoffs leading to the OCJAAF “Super Bowl.”

All regular games will be played on Saturdays. Approximately half of the games will be played at the SOC Patriots home field (Dana Hills High School) and half will be played away. Our web site and the 2008 Official Schedule (to be issued by OCJAAF after the start of practice) provide maps to the other teams’ fields.

Even though teams are organized into leagues based on geographic considerations, it is important to know that some travel is involved and distances can be as much as 60 miles round trip. Our games may be played in Orange County, Los Angeles County and Riverside County.

Before you register your child, make sure that you completely understand the travel requirements and the importance of your child's total participation in every event, home and away.

The dates, times and locations of games is determined by OCJAAF via a random draw.

Physical Examinations:

Physicals are required for both football players and cheerleaders. SOC Patriots has arranged for physicals to be performed at Dana Hills High School, Date TBD. The time for the physicals will be posted on the SOC Patriots website. The cost of this physical exam is included in the registration fee. If you cannot attend this event, or if you wish to have the physical conducted by a personal physician, the physical will be done at your expense. If a private physical is performed, the physician must complete and sign the player contract. Please contact your Head Coach or Team Mom for additional information.

A player contract will be typed by a chapter official using information derived from applications. The information must be correct and may not be altered by the player or you. The entire contract must be retyped if any changes are required.

Cheer Cost:

Cost Philosophy. We are a non-profit corporation and budget to operate on essentially a break even basis. While we sponsor football and cheer programs, the cheer program is separately and independently budgeted. To make the program as affordable as possible, we engage in various fund raising activities. Our cheer expenses every year include, among others: (1) purchasing cheer uniforms and practice outfits, (2) team and individual pictures, (3) competition fees and expenses (OCJAAF fees, flowers, program page, bus transportation), (4) individual trophies, (5) coaches and trainers gifts and (6) general & administrative expenses (including squad notebooks, printing costs & postage). All of our board members, officers, coaches and trainers are volunteers and none of them are compensated for their contributions to our program.

Registration Fees. The Registration Fee is $145.00 and must be paid for every participant. Uniform included except for shoes and socks.

Application Process:

An application must be completed for every Cheer Participant. An application must be accompanied by payment in full of the participation costs (except in the case of qualifying families who have made prior arrangements with the President or Treasurer).

Applications may be obtained and completed as follows:

The application information may be provided online at the SOC Patriots web site. If this is done, you must still come to a sign-up to sign the application and make the required payment.

An application may be downloaded from the SOC Patriots web site and printed at home so that it may be completed and brought to a sign-up.
Applications will be available at the sign-ups and may be completed and signed there.

All information requested on the application must be provided accurately. This information is used to prepare "player contracts" required for the certification process. An incomplete application will not be accepted and may result in a prospective player losing a spot on a team or priority on the waiting list. Incorrect information may preclude participation in football or cheerleading.

Please be aware of the following requirements in connection with the application process:

New football players and cheerleaders must produce a certified copy of their original birth certificate prior to certification. Only original county issued birth certificates are acceptable. We are not able to accept copies or hospital issued certificates.

In addition, each participant must provide two proofs of residency, such as an electric bill, gas bill, or telephone bill. This information must also be presented prior to certification. We will retain the proofs of residency as we are required to provide them to the City to confirm we satisfy certain city residency requirements.

Additional Sign-Up May Be Scheduled

Registration for the 2008 season may be accepted after the last sign-up date in our discretion. Any applications accepted after TBD cannot be guaranteed a uniform in time for the first football game.

Volunteers:

Our program depends greatly on the commitment and sacrifice of many volunteers. We do not compensate any of our volunteers, including coaches, board members and team moms, yet they and many others devote a substantial amount of their time and energy to support our youth sports program.

For example, consider the time our coaches devote. They attend 10 hours of practice per week during pre-season and attend OCJAAF and SOC Patriots meetings and training sessions. During the season, they participate in six hours of practice per week and attend games every Saturday. On top of this, most coaches spend additional time each week preparing for games by participating in coaches’ meetings, reviewing game films and scouting upcoming opponents. They also spend time talking with parents and their players outside of practice and helping SOC Patriots with activities such as fundraising.

We also ask our parents to volunteer in support of the program as well. Here are some examples of jobs for which we need volunteers:

Team Mom. This is a critical position on each team. The Team Mom, just like a mom at home, has too many responsibilities to list. Among other things, she keeps the team roster, organizes and motivates other team volunteers, knows or gets the answer to every question, makes sure parents know what they need to know and arranges team activities. The Team Mom acts as the link between parents and the team’s coach.

Team Photographer. The team photographer takes pictures at games and events for cheerleaders, their families, and postings on our website.

Year End Party. We have a celebration at the end of every season. Everyone is given a trophy and individual recognition is made of each participant.

Volunteering is an awful lot of fun. You get the chance to interact with other SOC Patriot family members and to contribute to the program. Without volunteers, we do not have a program and no football players or cheerleaders. Please do your part!