Cheer/Pom Tryout Information

Hello Spiritline Candidates,

Thank you for your interest in trying out for our Spiritline. The Hillcrest Spiritline has placed multiple times in the State Cheer and Pom competition and our DVUSD regional competition.

Spiritline at Hillcrest is a cut sport and tryouts are required. All of the students who make Spiritline cheer for Wrestling Matches and Basketball games. In addition, the students who make Spirtline are required to participate in at least one of our competition teams (Cheer and or Pom). Students who exhibit good cheer and dance skills are selected for both competition teams. The competition team a Spiritline member is selected for is determined by the coach based on feedback from the tryout judges. Cheer competes at State and Regionals and pom will perform at State. If there is no schedule conflict with dance competitions, the pom team will also perform at Regionals.

Students tryout in groups of two or three in front of an independent judging panel. Judges do not work at Hillcrest Middle school and are selected to judge only if they have a background in cheer or dance.

The information below is the tryout material for the 2026/2027 school year.

Material to be judged during try-outs:

1 Performance Cheer, 1 Sideline Dance, Jumps (toe jump, herkie, pike jump) (See links below)

Gymnastics (Back Handspring, Back Tuck, Back Walkover, Round off), A La Seconde Turns, Ariel (front or side), Stretches - Scale, Heal Stretch (both sides)

*note – Back handspring and back tuck can be running or standing.

Girls can make the team if they do not have all of the skills judged at tryouts but are encouraged to continue to work to develop or acquire these skills to better position them to make cheer or pom in high school. Girls are also encourage to stay in their tumbling or dance classes outside of school to continue to develop.

Jumps

Toe Touch - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIDVsb5pXsA

Pike Jump - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKj-HLcOnZw

Herkie - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScbO3HMqGSc&feature=fvwrel

Cheer- Back and Front - Video has both views - https://youtu.be/c7b39axtAZA

Words to the Cheer

Ready

Red and Black

We are Hillcrest

Falcons Falcons let’s get loud

Yell the colors that make you proud

Red and Black