Cheerleading is a unique sport, wherein the absence of one team member affects the entire squad. We cannot emphasize enough the importance of attendance. Planning family activities around our season is important. Family event conflicts should be cleared with Administrator well in advance.    

In order to help athletes and families keep track of team practices, competitions, important events and holidays, our season calendar is linked below. 

PRACTICE Absence request form

click here for the Practice absence request form link


This form should be submitted to request an absence from a Junior Charger practice (not for Competitions/Performances or KML Schools' athletic conflicts).  

Pre-planned competition absences are highly discouraged due to the impact on the team. Depending on the situation, this absence may not be able to be accommodated. Therefore, we are implementing a special request form (COMPETITION ABSENCE FORM) to make sure this type of absence is carefully considered and the feasibility determined separate from a practice absence. Please email jrchargercheer@gmail.com prior to August 15 to receive this special form.

In order to maintain a competition schedule of four events and to have all teams prepared for their first competition in November, we are adding three weekday practices to the schedule. 

We understand KML Schools may not have their athletic schedule shared by our August 15th deadline. We ask that parents email jrchargercheer@gmail.com any KML Schools’ conflicts as soon as possible (ideally by August 28 for the FALL and October 23 for the WINTER). 

THIS FORM should be used for excused, unexcused, or the Christmas Break practice absences (see bottom portion of the form for Christmas break practice absences); it is not required for illness or family emergencies.  
*One absence date and one athlete per form please.*

Each athlete is allowed ONE absence request per season (not including the Christmas Break practice) for:
      -Family Vacation/Wedding
      -Required School/Church Obligation

This form MUST be submitted by August 15, 2026.

If this absence is requested AFTER August 15th, if it does not meet the criteria listed above, or if it is for a SECOND absence request, please note that it may be considered UNEXCUSED per our program policies. UNEXCUSED absence requests must be made at least a week prior to the absence.  

Per our program policies, the FIRST UNEXCUSED absence may require an in-person meeting between the program staff and parent(s). A SECOND UNEXCUSED absence will result in an in-person meeting between the program staff and parent(s) and may result in an athlete being moved out of their spot in their routine or removal from a competition or performance.

For an UNEXCUSED absence, a private practice may be set up with a coach.

ALL absences require contacting the Head Coach BY THE WEDNESDAY PRIOR TO THE NEXT PRACTICE to find out what the athlete will be missing so they can practice at home. If the athlete is not caught up, a private practice may have to be scheduled.

Program staff will contact you with approval/follow-up and the private practice date/time if applicable.

team practices

Teams will practice Sunday afternoons/evenings and 3 weeknights at KML. If there are gym conflicts, practice may be held at Elite Tumbling Factory. Please see the team calendar for the exact schedule at: www.juniorchargercheer.com.

We will have a “Christmas Break” practice in December. We would ask that athletes attend unless a family vacation, etc. is already scheduled. If an athlete can not attend, please complete the bottom portion of the PRACTICE Absence Form by the August 15th deadline. This absence will NOT count against the athlete’s allotted excused absence.

competitions and performances

Competitions are an opportunity to use the gifts God has given for His glory.  

  • All teams will participate in FOUR (4) local competitions. Potential competition dates are indicated on calendars. Final competition dates will be determined once organizations have finalized dates for their event. 

  • Please note that we do our best to choose local competitions whenever possible. However, it is possible we may attend competitions up to 2.0 hours from KML in order to provide competitive opportunities. At times, our teams need to report very early (ie 7:30am). Families may consider staying in a hotel near the venue due to possible travel length/inclement weather.

  • The detailed performance schedule is typically published by the competition host a week prior to the event.

  • Please note that competitions rarely cancel or reschedule due to weather. We ask that families plan ahead for extra travel time to get athletes to competitions when weather is less than favorable.  

  • For all scheduled competitions, we will make sure to coordinate the cheer performance schedule with any KML Schools that may also attend these competitions. The athlete WILL be able to perform both for JCC and their school team, with some time to rest and change between performances.

We also offer a few additional performance opportunities for the team (see calendar):

  • Join the KML Cheerleaders for Junior Charger Night Football Game (optional)

  • KML Competition Exhibition

  • State Send-Off Showcase

 We strongly encourage parents, family and friends to attend all performances to help show support for all of our teams. All athletes will be expected to be present and show support for all Junior Charger Cheer teams. The support of others within the program is important for each team’s success and promotes sportsmanship throughout the program.

awards Celebration

Awards Celebration date TBD (February or March). All athletes will receive an individual award, team memories will be celebrated, and a program slideshow movie will be enjoyed! Based on feedback from last season, we will continue to hold our Awards Celebration in the KML PAC. A date will be chosen once the PAC schedule is set for those months. Please note that while we hope for everyone to be able to attend, we realize this may not be feasible. This event is not mandatory.

Tumbling

The Junior Charger Cheer Program highly encourages all athletes to take tumbling classes if they wish to learn, improve and add to their tumbling repertoire as the time constraints of our season do not allow us to teach or develop tumbling skills. Classes/open gym opportunities at Elite Tumbling Factory can be found at www.elitetumblingfactory.com. We highly recommend this gym with its very experienced coaches that work solely with cheerleaders and dancers.  

Optional summer Stunting and Fundamentals Sessions

In June & July, we are offering OPTIONAL STUNTING and FUNDAMENTALS sessions for ALL grade levels this year. We are hoping to use this time to work on multiple skills, with the focus on technique and basics. A sign-up will be shared in advance to indicate your athlete’s availability.