We pride ourselves on being an extremely competitive, active, and successful cheer program. Before making your registration decision, please note the following and factor this in to your registration decision. Thank you!
Huskies Cheer Mission
The mission of the Hunterdon Huskies American Youth Cheer Program is to promote the development of highly competitive cheerleaders in a positive, fun, and safe learning environment.
We provide a structure that encourages teamwork, new friendships, self-confidence, and self-discipline.
We focus on delivering strong technical training, while also promoting sportsmanship, integrity, and discipline, to help participants excel both on and off the cheer floor.
We provide inspiration and enthusiastic support for our nationally recognized Huskies football teams.
We acknowledge and recognize the thrill of competition, and enjoying watching our squads succeed.
While highly competitive, we recognize that our cheerleaders are children, not professionals.
Huskies Cheer Goals
Goals help us organize our resources and plan appropriately for our season, practices, and competitions. More important than that, however, it’s a sound reminder of just how important it is to have goals in life – for without a goal to reach for, work toward, and practice for, success can prove evasive.
The Goals for Huskies Cheer are as follows:
Goal: All competitive level cheer teams advancing to and placing at Big East Region Finals;
Goal: Continue to properly progress and prepare our cheer athletes for the next step – with the ultimate goal of preparing all young cheer athletes for successful competitive high school cheer careers, should they choose to try out for those teams.
Practices
Practices will start the end of July this season for all competitive level teams; instructional teams will start later.
Practices in the summer are 4 nights per week for all competitive teams; Flag, Minis, Inspiration practice 1-3x a week (varies by team).
Summer practices are at Union Forge Field, 1 Washington Avenue, High Bridge.
After Labor Day, practices will be 3x a week for competitive teams. Note that these practices may be weeknights or Saturdays. As we near competitions, it's possible we will add additional practices to ensure the team is properly prepared. After Labor Day, instructional teams will practice 1 or 2x a week.
After Labor Day, our competitive teams will move indoors on cheer mats for practices. The location in the past has been Baptist Camp in Lebanon. The instructional teams will move indoors when weather requires it, and in the past these have been primarily at High Bridge Elementary School.
All practices, especially for all of our competitive cheer teams, are mandatory. More than 3 unexcused absences can result in removal for the team. This includes summer practices. The only excusable absences are illness and religious education.
Game Days
Cheer teams cheer for our football teams.
There are approximately 8 or 9 regular season games (4/5 are home, 4/5 are away). Games are typically on Sundays (though some may be Saturdays).
Home games are at Union Forge Field in High Bridge, and sometimes at our local high schools. Away games are in the northern Jersey Shore area; Flag away games tend to be in the Manville, Middlesex, Kenilworth areas.
If a competitive football team makes the playoffs (in November), cheer teams are required to cheer.
All Cheerleaders are required to cheer all games, unless they have earned a “Game Day Pass” for perfect practice attendance (coaches will review this program at the start of the season). The only excusable absences are illness and religious education.
Inspiration and Minis do not cheer away games, and may only cheer certain (not all) home games.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
ALL practices, especially for our competitive cheer teams, are mandatory. This includes summer practices.
ALL Cheerleaders are required to cheer ALL games, unless they have earned a “Game Day Pass” for perfect practice attendance (coaches will review this at the start of the season).
The only excusable absences are illness and religious education.
Note that if there are recurring problems with unexcused absences (>3), the following action(s) may be taken:
-- removal from stunt position in competition routine;
-- switching the participant from competition team to “game day only”;
-- removal from the team.
Required Cheer Accessories
All cheerleaders will need to purchase certain items to complete their uniform (team sneaker, boycut briefs, white no-show socks, competition bow, etc).
Choreography Fee & Practices – Competitive Teams only
For the 2023 season, our competitive teams include Division 8, Division 10, Division 12, and Division 14.
Competitive teams will receive professionally choreographed routines and instruction. The Choreography Fee in the past has been $150 per cheerleader; the cost for the 2023 season will be determined later in the Spring. This cost covered team expenses including the choreography of the routine, professional instruction, props if needed, choregraphy practice tee and bow, and if balance remaining will be used toward additional professional services, such as stunt clinics and clean sessions, as needed. Check payable to HBAA is due the first night of practice. As in years past, we run Choreography Fundraisers in the summer that you may choose to participate in, to help offset your individual fee.
Choreography practice sessions are typically indoors (location likely High Bridge Elementary School) and are generally in mid-August, though they have been as early as the first week in August in the past. For D10 and up, choreography will be August 7-10, 2023. D8 choreography dates are TBD.
Stunt groups will be put together during the first weeks of summer practice -- attendance at these practices is critical.
June Stunt Clinics – Competitive Teams only - June 11, 2023
All competitive teams will have a June Stunt Clinic.
We expect this will be in early June [first weekend] – please save these dates on your calendars. When dates are confirmed, we will update the "Key Dates" on this website, as well as send communications to all registered cheerleaders.
We are looking for 100% participation at this clinic, as our coaches and choreography consultants will be on hand to help shape stunt groups, determine positions, and begin choreography exploration.
In the past, the cost of this clinic was $25 per cheerleader – confirmation on cost, dates and additional details will be sent out in May.
Competition & Key Event Dates
Participation at all team competitions is mandatory.
September – North Stunt Clinic, mandatory for all competitive teams. This is typically a Saturday later in the month. Cost is typically $35 per participant (payable to North).
October – Huskies Annual Spirit Rally! Date and location to be determined.
October 21, 2023 – Jersey Shore Conference Competition in Trenton – for Inspiration and all competitive teams
October - Jersey Shore Flag Expo
October 28, 2023 - Spooktacular Cheer Competition at North Hunterdon High School
November 11, 2023 – Big East Region Cheer Championships in Trenton – for Inspiration, and qualifying advancing competitive teams only
December 6 - 10, 2023 – American Youth Cheer National Championships in Florida – for advancing teams only. If any Huskies cheer team qualifies, our travel day will be the Wednesday prior to the competition [no earlier or later]. As in years past, we run National Fundraisers that you may choose to participate in, to help offset your cheerleader's travel expenses.
GO Huskies!!
We are looking forward to another awesome season! If you have any questions at any time about our cheer program, please be sure to reach out to Huskies’ Cheer Commissioner, Emma Alparone at ealparone@comcast.net or 908-268-3349.
