DRILL RULES & REGULATIONS
 

2007 LADY RAVENS STAFF

IMPORTANT!!

RULES AND REGULATIONS

We are looking forward to working with you and your child this season.  Now that your child is a member of the San Jacinto Lady Ravens Drill Team, it is important that you understand the rules set by Texas Intercity Football, Inc. (TIFI) and the San Jacinto Ravens & Lady Ravens Booster Club.

It shall be the objective of the Drill Team to provide poise, coordination, self-confidence and sportsmanship within our organization and others that we will play in the season.  We will also teach your child teamwork and have fun while they are in the organization.  In order to achieve this, it will take a lot of hours of practice, dedication and hard work from not only the staff and drill team members, but from all the parents.  Our main objective is to be here for all the drill team members and show them the true meaning of friendship and what it means to be a team.

During practices, we ask that the parents remain off the field, behind the chained fence or preferably in the stands.  In the stands, we ask that all parents sit at least 3 rows up.  The field is reserved for the drill team members and staff ONLY.  We ask for this because we want to be able to have a successful practice each day and we feel that the drill members will pay attention to instruction and will learn more at the practices, which will help the whole drill team in the long run.  We only have an hour and a half with your girls and that is OUR time.

We ask that during practice you DO NOT INTERRUPT unless it is an emergency.  If you feel what you have to ask cannot wait, please approach us either before or after practice and away from any drill team members.

In compliance with TIFI Conference rules, parents are not allowed on the sidelines of the field.  The field is reserved Officials, Team Members, Drill Director, Drill Staff and the Board.  Anyone in violation of this rule will result in personal and club fines from the TIFI Conference, so please help us by keeping everyone, including children behind the designated areas.

The San Jacinto Lady Ravens will practice at San Jacinto College Central.  Practice starts Monday, August 13, 2007.  Drill Team practice starts promptly at 6:00 and ends at 7:30 P.M.  Practice will be held every day except for Saturday and Sunday (for 3 weeks) for 1 ½ hours.  The season will start on September 1, 2007.  After the season starts, practice will be 3 days a week – Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.  If there is a change in practice, you will be notified.

Cheerleaders will practice the same days as the drill team with practice starting at 7:45 and ending at 8:30 P.M.  Girls that participate in other activities may find it conflicts with drill team practice and/or performances.  Your decision to be a Lady Raven makes you a serious drill team member and it is your responsibility to show up at practices and performances.  Attendance rules are vital to our program and in order to be fair with the whole drill team, they must be enforced. Drill Team members must attend two (2) full practices including the last practice of the week, in order to be eligible to perform on Saturday.  This is a TIFI rule and it will be enforced.  Remember that there are no excused or unexcused absences.  AN ABSENCE IS AN ABSENCE - NO MATTER WHAT.  If a member’s absences become more frequent, the San Jacinto Ravens & Lady Ravens Board will review the child’s membership.

Please make sure that a director or coach is on the field when you drop off your child for practice and please be prompt when picking up your child from practice.  Please NEVER leave your child unattended at a game. 

It is very important that each girl know the dance.  They must have knowledge of the routine to perform at competition.  CDs will be given to the drill team within the first 3 weeks of practice.  Rest assured between practice and working at home, each one of you will learn the routine.  If at anytime you need help, please see a director or coach for assistance.  We are all here to help and enjoy doing it.  Just Ask! Parents are allowed to video tape performance to help their child at home.  It is encouraged that you do so.

Girls should be properly dressed for practice and games:

• White Leather Keds type tennis shoes and white socks.
• Practice uniforms are to be worn at all practices. (shorts and t-shirt).  Shirts must be tucked in and shorts are not to be rolled.
• Hair should be pulled back off of face and neck in a ponytail.
• Wind Suits – as cool weather approaches, please dress accordingly.
• Jewelry is not allowed.  For those with pierced ears, you may wear small studs. Cheerleaders may not where ANY jewelry.
• Clear nail polish only.
• NO mascara
• All practice uniform and equipment is to be kept in bag at all times.

Each of you will be issued poms at the beginning of the season.  Poms are to be returned at the end of the season.  Poms and gloves are the property of the booster club.  You will be required to replace them if you lose them. You are responsible for our own personal belongings and equipment.  All equipment (poms, gloves, etc.) will be kept in equipment bag.  Please be sure you have all your belongings with you at practice and be sure you have them when you leave each day.  We will have bag checks periodically.

It is your responsibility to reimburse the Booster Club for any part of equipment lost during the season.  You can not perform until the Booster Club has been reimbursed and equipment has been replaced.

Please keep up with all of your uniform and equipment.  Some of it is hard to replace and takes several weeks.  A drill team member can not perform without all pieces of her uniform.

Lady Ravens practice – rain or shine!  When it rains, drill members will report to our rain out site.  This information will be given to you later.  A call mom system or an email is used for relaying rain location information.  DO NOT go to the rain out site if you have not received a call from your call mom or an email.

At the end of the season the Drill Teams will compete in a TIFI Drill Team Competition.  In order to be eligible for competition, you must have participated in at least 50% of the teams actual performances/practices as scheduled by TIFI and must have knowledge of the routine.  There may be special team/competition rules involving practices or performance requirements imposed during the period of competition.  It is very important for you to attend all the practices so that you will know the dances to the best of your ability for competition.  This day is what we work for all season long. 

The Drill team season does not end until our football team season ends.  If we have teams that make the plays off and Superbowl, we are required to attend.  The Drill Team Members will not perform at play offs and are not REQUIRED to attend those games.  However they will receive merits for doing so.  If we have a team that makes it to the Superbowl, there is a good chance that we could perform.  ALL DRILL TEAM MEMBERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO ATTEND THE SUPERBOWL!

GAME DAY INFORMATION

Each Saturday, the Lady Ravens will perform at 2 half-time shows.  When the Ravens and Lady Ravens are “Home”, then we will perform at half time for the freshman and sophomore games.  Check in time is 8:45 A.M.  We take part in the Opening Ceremonies.  Please eat breakfast before arriving at the field because you will not be allowed to eat until after the first performance.  The drill team members will be furnished a Sprite following each performance.  The drill team members should be finished at approximately 12:30 P.M.  The drill team member will never be dismissed early; we are there to support our football teams.  Please be sure that someone is there with your child.

When the Ravens and Lady Ravens are away at another field and are the visitors, we will perform for the Junior and Senior games.  Check in time at the designated field is promptly at 12:00 noon.  Please be sure to eat lunch before you come, because you will not be allowed to eat until after the first performance.  The drill team members will be furnished a Sprite or water at the away games also.  Dismissal should be at approximately 3:30 P.M.  There will NEVER be early dismissals, for any reason. We are there to support our football teams and will stay until the end of the senior game.   Please NEVER leave your child unattended at a game.

Make sure that you follow these rules:

• Clean uniforms, shoes and socks. (You will not perform if you are not clean)
• Be on time.
• Have all equipment in bag.
• Lunch bag with water and food in it. (see food list)
• Wet wash cloth (to help cool you down)
• Umbrella for rainy days

Drill Team Members sit together as a group in the stands.   If there are not stands, I will let you know in advance so that you may bring a lawn chair.  Parents, friends or family members are not allowed to sit with the members without special permission from the Drill Director

Make sure that you follow these rules:

• Do not play in your uniform

• No running, climbing in the bleachers or sitting on the ground

• Hand wash and hang dry

• Girls are not allowed to wear their DRESS UNIFORM ANYWHERE before or after their scheduled performances, or pictures.  Bring a change of clothes if coming early or staying late to watch the other games.

Food eaten that is not on the list will result in a demerit.  Please read the list carefully.

• Dry hot dog, sandwich or lunchable (no mustard, mayo or ketchup)
• Sprite, water, clear gatorade or ice-cone (no colored drinks or snow-cones)
• NO candies of any kind
• Rice Krispy Treats, Animal Crackers, Gold Fish Crackers, or Pretzels
• Fruit Snacks (No Roll-ups)
• Apples, White or Green Grapes, or Bananas (no oranges)

Girls are not allowed to visit the concession stand at any time during our scheduled performance times.  Parents may purchase items at the concession stands for the members and ask a coach to give it to your child.  Remember that the item must be on the food list.  Drill team members are not allowed to visit the concession stand in dress or cheer uniform, even after being dismissed.

We ask that you and your parents carefully read the demerit system.  Demerits are similar to conduct marks at school.  The Demerits are necessary in order for our staff to teach and for your child to learn their routines.

The following demerit system will be enforced at practices and at game.  The drill team members will be told on Thursday before performances, on how many demerits they received and why they received them.  Parents that have any questions or concerns about their child’s’ demerits, please wait to see the Drill Director or Drill Agent after Thursdays group time.  All Demerits will stay, but we will be glad to discuss with you why your child received them.

Any officer or cheerleader receiving three (3) demerits, or line members receiving five (5) demerits in one week, will not perform at the next schedule game. 

DEMERITS

• Talking on the field during practice
• Talking while the directors are talking
• Moving on the field during performance
• Tardy to practice or game (cheer or drill)
• Absent from drill practice

• Absent from cheer practice

• Chewing gum or eating candy at practice or game

• Not in complete uniform for practice

• Not bringing equipment to practice

• Hair not completely pulled up and away from face

• In stands during practice (at break) or in the football area

• Playing with poms before practice starts or after the break

• Bringing anything other than equipment to a game

• Not ready for practice when it starts

• Leaving equipment at practice or game

• Leaving before dismissed from game or practice

• Leaving early from game or practice

• Wearing finger nail polish or fake nails

• Wearing jewelry other than stud earrings

• Wearing any type of jewelry if cheerleader

• Drinking fluids that are not clear

• Eating food that are not on the food list at games

• Not asking permission to leave the stands
• Not brining equipment to game
• Not in complete uniform at games
• Not in complete uniform for pictures
• Taking the wrong equipment after practice or game
• Wearing dress uniform before or after being dismissed
• Talking during performance
• Not dancing for both performances on game day

• Arguing (both parties)
• Disrespectful or being rude to another drill team member
• Absent from a game

• Dirty uniform on game day
• Talking back to Director, staff, or coaches
• Leaving practice or game without permission
• Missing 2 practices or missing the last practice of the week
• Using foul language
• Fighting (both parties)

Remember: Any Officer or Cheerleader receiving 3 demerits or line member receiving 5 demerits in one week will be benched for the first game on game day from Cheer & Drill.  THIS IS ENFORCED.

Please learn these demerits and understand that if you are given a demerit for any reason, it is your responsibility to explain them to your parents.   You will know when you receive a demerit.  Also remember that demerits you receive will count against your score if you try out for officer or cheerleader next year. 

Merits will also be issued for special things.  Parents will receive notice when the chance to earn merits arise.  Examples are homecoming posters, attendance at play off games, ect.  Merits will be added to scores at officer and cheerleader tryouts. 

COMPETITION REQUIREMENTS

TIFI RULE S2.01 states that each member must meet the following requirements to be eligible for competition:

1. Know all of the performance dances.  Excessive absences from practice could constitute not having knowledge of the routine.

2. Perform at least 50% of TIFI schedule performances:
   
   On game days, there are two performances; you are expected to perform at both.
   
   If you are not dancing for any reason, the Drill Director or an Asst. Drill Director must clear why you are not dancing (you are still expected to be at the games),  If it is not cleared with one of them, it will be 2 (two) demerits. 
   
   Cheerleaders – this means you are expected to cheer and dance for both games.

Remember that Competition is our day to shine, and we want all the Lady Ravens to be able to participate and enjoy this day.