Cheer
Our mission is to promote sportsmanship, teamwork, and good character on and off the field. We believe that participating in our cheer program will help instill children with life-long values of teamwork, dedication and superior work ethic which will serve as a solid foundation for their journey. We are committed to teaching the fundamentals of cheer in a safe and enjoyable environment which allows our children to flourish and learn.
The Gahanna Youth Cheer program is a wonderful recreation for new and experienced cheerleaders’ grades 1-6. We take pride in focusing our organization on cooperation, self-confidence, respect, great friendships, and the important foundations of cheerleading. Each football team can have an associated cheerleading squad managed by a cheer coach and we support the football players by cheering at games. There are no required tryouts, and no previous experience is necessary.
Youth Cheerleading is a very safe sport at all ages with the proper training, technique, and gear. You must be 18 years or older to be a Cheer Head Coach and a background check is required. Our Lions cheer program provides a fun and enriching youth cheerleading opportunity. The youth program is modeled after the Gahanna Lincoln High School’s cheer program. Our youth cheerleaders learn directly from them!
Eligibility
Our program serve 1st - 6th grade.
When
The 2025 cheer season starts with practice on Thursday July 24th.
Uniform fittings will be held July 7th & July 8th.
Where
McCorkle Park
200 McCutcheon Road, Gahanna Ohio, 43230
Practices
Practice will be held two nights a week and is critical in ensuring each cheerleader's development. Practices are held at McCorkle Park 200 McCutcheon Rd. Gahanna, OH. Our Cheer squads will learn the basic foundations, cheers and chants. The 5/6 squads will begin working on half-time routines. Coaches will emphasize proper warm up, conditioning drills and game cheers.
Once school starts, the practices are cut back to 1 day per week. Frequency and length of practice is determined by each head coach. Each athlete is expected to attend ALL practices unless they are ill or have a required school event. It is difficult for cheerleaders missing any of these practices to "catch up" to the rest of the team in terms of development and understanding. It also places an unnecessary burden on the coaches volunteering and takes away training and development time from the cheerleaders that did attend. Cheerleaders work on game endurance, cheers, and routines throughout the season.
Practice Gear:
- Hair Tied back
- Water Bottle
- Yoga Mat/Beach Towel
- Poms (once received)
Games
Regular season games are played on Sundays with the season typically beginning the last weekend in August and runs through the end of October. Home games are played at Gahanna Middle School West. Game schedules are set by our league and will not be available until the week of our first game. Parents are responsible for providing transportation to games for their cheerleader.
Uniforms
Cheerleading Registration Includes:
Bow to Toe Uniform:
- Shell Top (uniform shirt)
- Body Liner
- Skirt
- Briefs
- Bows
- Socks
- White Cheer shoes
- Poms
- Field usage
- Insurance
Plus, our cheerleaders get to keep their entire uniform!
Fundraising
Participation in at least one (1) fundraising event is required for each child. Fundraising covers field (practice and game) usage and insurance.
Frequently Asked Questions
New This Year:
- New for 1st Graders! Now, 1st graders can join our cheer squads for the 1st half of home games supporting our 3rd/4th grade teams!
- We’re excited to announce the Home Team—a new cheer squad that will join our traveling cheer squad, exclusively at home games for our 5th and 6th grade teams! This means we’re opening additional spots for kids to cheer at home games—don’t miss your chance to be part of the excitement!
- For these changes to be successful, we will need more parent volunteers! Send us an email if you are interested!
SQUADS:
Squads are based on the grade level and if any siblings play football. We will use our best effort to accommodate any special requests.
The divisions are as follow:
- 3rd /4th Grade Squad(s)
Third and Fourth Grade
- 5th Grade Squad(s)
Fifth Grade
- 6th Grade Squad(s)
Sixth Grade
Returners are not guaranteed a spot until they complete the online registration process!
2025 Season
TBD..