TSA Cheerleading
I am wondering if anyone has any information about the program. I'll take the good, bad and logistics about how the prorgram is run. Thanks in advance!
StArLiGhT 
It's a great program! My daughter has been cheering for 4 years now. It's not cheap though. It depends if you in town or out of town what you pay for signups. I believe since i'm out of town I paid $50-60 last year and you also have to give them a post dated check for a work bond of $50. They want you to volunteer you time (2x) if not they will cash the check.
You also have to buy parts of the cheerleading outfit. You need sneakers, hair tye, socks, gloves, ear warmer, jacket, bodysuit, leggings. The first year I had to buy everything which costs me about $150. If your daughter does do this, make sure you buy the jacket alittle big so she can wear it for 2+ years. My daughter has had hers for 3 years now and still fits.
You can go to walmart and buy the basic knit black gloves and black leggings. I did this to save money.
You also have to give $30 to TSA for there TSA Day and you must give that money before you can get the cheer uniform.
Hope this helps
MeeeeeThanks Meeeee! Would you know what the weekly commitment is for the practices? Now, is this a competition team or for football games during the fall?
They usually practice 2x's a week and it all depends on the coaches when they are. Practices start after school is out for the summer. Practices are for football games. You have to try out for competition. They start that when there going into fifth grade (Pee Wee).
Last year they practiced and practiced just for one competition. I believe the comp. was cancelled last year for the tiger girls, alot of them had the flu/swine.
If you need to know anything else, I'll try to help you!
The sign up fee is not the same for the surrounding communities. They have a website, if you google tiger sports association you will find it. All fees are listed on the website, as well as an area to contact via email
This is insane:
CHEERLEADING
(Grades 2-8)
$90 Hackettstown Residents
$125 Out of Town Residents
Are they crazy? In these times there doubling there fee's. My daughter waits all year to do this again but I can not afford the $125, very sad
The first TSA Football/cheerleading signups are the 20th of March 9-11 at the community center, then the following Saturday 9-12, and finally Tuesday March 30th from 6:30PM-9:30 PM. Football program is for players in grades K-8 and Cheerleading is for girls in grades 2-8. Both my wife and I coach and this is the best run program we have ever been a part of. The parents are all involved in one way or another and it isn't uncommon to see the same families spend an entire Saturday together watching their own kids and then the kids they know from town play. It's really a great group of people to be involved with. Initially the signup fees were a bit heavy for us as well, but our kids get so much out of the program we wouldn't say no. Practices are 3 nights a week until school starts and then just 2 nights a week in most cases. If you need more info call the TSA directors and speak to them directly with any questions the website doesn't answer. And anyone who has a K-2nd grader who is interested in flag football this fall please come out and sign up too! We had a blast with over 60 kids on 4 teams last year and another great turnout would be awesome.
Consider the Mt. Olive Junior Cheerleading program. I believe they take kids from out of town and their fees are cheaper. http://www.mtolivejrcheerleading.webs.com/
The fee this year is higher, but it includes the TSA Day fundraiser. AS for the cheerleading side. The bows, sockes, turtlenecks, jackets, gloves, leggins and head band..have not changed for several years now. So buy them big, as you can use them the following year or two..so you are saving money that way. The only item you need to buy each year then, would be the sneakers. And as for volunteering...you only need to volunteer once...not twice.
meeee contact the board or go to the first sign up and ask them why they did it, there could be a reason.
just looked at Mount Olive, they sell candy, if you do not sell it is $20 a box, so now you are up to $85 so add TSa day to that and it equals $115, so TSA is $10 over Mount Olive.
A word on football -
Do not sign up your child if they are in the older grades if they haven't played before. We were told last year when my son signed up (Pee Wee) that all the kids play and it is a fun program. SO NOT true. I am not kidding when I say that he played a total of 5 minutes ALL season. Not 5 minutes in one game - 5 minutes total combined play for the entire season. He was always at practice and worked very hard. The coach tried to say it was because he was little, but there were kids much smaller than him playing much more.
As for practice - we were told that it was 5 days a week until school starts then it goes down from there. Not really. When school starts, practice is 4 nights a week (Wednesdays were off because of religious ed) but then later in the season, Wednesday practices started as well for the kids who "could make it". We were told it wasn't mandatory, but it was obvoius that it was. Saturday mornings were walk throughs for an hour and them games on Sunday. I am not kidding you when I say that football was a 7 day a week endeavour.
My son worked so hard, had so much heart and gave all he could. For this, he was played for 5 minutes.
I'm sure that the lower level teams aren't like this, but I feel that this information should be disclosed prior to signups so you don't waste your time and money if you want your child to play. The games are all over - as far away as Madison, which isn't that far, but it is when all you do is watch your son from the sidelines.
And before anyone says anything like "why are you complaining on here - why not go to the people in charge?" I left 4 messages for the person in charge and no one ever called me back.
Alison Just be patient. We got a call back when we left a similar message.
The call back was a year later!!!!!!! "Hi, I 'm just returning your call about your son"
I agree Alison, my son played TSA Football for 5th through 8th grade, granted he wasn't the best player, but in all 4 years he only missed like 2 practices, whereas many of the boys playing missed numerous practices each season, he always had the desire and heart to be there, but yet like your son played next to nothing. They put him in 75% of the time but usually for 2 or 3 plays each game, what does that amount to about a minute or two. Very early on the coaches pick thier favorities and it is definitly all about winning (at this recreational level, it should be about teaching and guiding to help them develop to possibly have a shot at the high school level). Don't get me wrong although my husband and I didn't think this was right, as I said our son had heart and really enjoyed the game, so each year he wanted to sign up again and never wanted to quit, so we give him credit for that.
The cheerleading is not much different, they too are competitive and if your child excels at gymnastic type moves, they will definitly flourish, but those favorites are also determined very early on, our daughter did cheerleading for 2 years, and lost interest very quickly as she did not have the same desire as our son to be there. Practices would be 3 times a week sometimes with a 4th practice, football games and then extra time when tournaments began, and she did not enjoy going through all the motions and efforts and not get anything in return from the program. I have many friends whose daughters really enjoy the cheerleading program because their children exhibit great flexibility and have really honed in on thier skill sets, so for them they enjoy the vigor of the program.
Heather Wow, Alison. Thanks for sharing that, and I'm so sorry you and your son had to go through that. That's not how childhood should be. Kind of makes me think twice on this one...
meeee, where did you see that it said $125 for sign ups? just curious. i agree that is insane.
MJ - I don't understand your math. Why would I add TSA Day to Mt. Olive's costs? Mt. Olive charges $55 for returning participants and $65 for new participants. And then you are asked to purchase $20 of candy, which you can sell or keep. As I understand it from meee, since she is from out of town she would have to pay $125, plus give them a check for $50, which she may or may not get back if she doesn't work. It still comes out to be more expensive.
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