Schedule
Friday, April 29th, 2022
Everybody must have a copy of a negative sickle cell screening. This is mandated by the NCAA and Purdue athletics. No matter your race or family history, all trying out must provide a negative sickle cell test. These tests can take time to get the results, so please plan ahead for this!
All paperwork should be in a folder with your name on it! Other Important Tryout Information Location: All sessions will be held in Holloway Gymnasium. Address: 1000 N John R Wooden Dr, West Lafayette, IN 47907
Parking: All participants must park in the F parking lot (the parking lot next to Mackey Arena/Holloway Gymnasium) after 3 pm for the Friday session. For the Saturday and Sunday session all parking lots are open, participants can park in the F, R, and A lots. You can find a map of the F lot here. Squad Size, Season Assignments and Alternates Squad size: For the 2022-2023 season, the co‐ed program will consist of at least 9 males and 9 females and no more than 14 males and 14 females and the all girl program will consist of at least 28 females and no more than 36 females.
Alternates: At tryouts, everybody will be asked if they would like to be considered for an alternate position. At final tryouts, those who are cut, but would like to be an alternate will be contacted on May 3, if anybody declines their spot on the team. The judging panel will rank those who are alternates and will contact those who ranked the highest first if anybody declines their spot on the team.
Preferred Team: All candidates will be asked what their preferred team is and if they would be willing to be on their non-preferred team. In the event that a candidate is a better fit for their non-preferred team, they may be placed on that team rather than their preferred team.
Sporting seasons: The Purdue Cheerleading squad cheers at all home and away Purdue football games, bowl game, home volleyball matches, some post season volleyball matches depending on the location and home and post‐season men's and women's basketball games, in addition to various local/surrounding area community functions. Travel opportunities are based on seniority, maintaining minimum academic and skill requirements.
Summer Dates & Commitments: If selected as a member of the 2022-2023 Purdue Cheerleading squad, the following dates should be made available throughout the summer if possible.
Summer practices are mandatory unless you have communicated with the head coach and been excused for a valid reason.
Should you have any other questions/concerns, please contact Stephanie Franke at frankes@purdue.edu.
- For first year athletes and returners, this session is mandatory.
- Check‐in at 4:00 p.m. in Holloway Gymnasium.
- Evaluation of fight songs, standing and series tumbling, and stunting. A "practice atmosphere" will also be a component of this tryout session.
- Cuts may be made after this session.
- All candidates must attend these sessions.
- Check‐in at 10:00 am. Holloway Gymnasium.
- Evaluation of fight songs, standing and series tumbling, stunting and
- Cuts may be made after this session.
- Everybody returns to Mackey Arena at 4:00 p.m. for continued evaluation of skills.
- All candidates report at 10:00 a.m. in Holloway Gymnasium.
- Sideline, Hail Purdue, Stunts, and Tumbling will be evaluated.
- Team placements will be announced in person shortly after formal evaluations end.
- Toss extension is expected for coed candidates as the fight song stunt. If you cannot complete this skill, it should be a toss hands.
- Full up to two feet is expected for all girl candidates for the fight song stunt.
- An extension is expected for the sideline stunt for all candidates.
- Elite Stunt - Should be a skill you can do with at least 3 different people/stunt groups and able to hit 10/10 times. "Elite" to you will not be the same as other candidates. For some, this may be a flipping skill, for others it may be spinning. Straight up skills can also be considered as your "elite" stunt. We are looking for good technique over difficulty.
- All stunts at tryouts will be performed on a mat with a spotter.
- Best standing tumbling pass from the front/back of mat.
- Best running pass from the back of the mat.
- Best running tumbling pass from corner.
- Standing back tuck.
- We will judge ten back tucks in a row, all candidates should throw as many as they can land safely!
- All tumbling will be done on a non‐spring floor mat and without spotters.
- If you can layout/full it's highly recommended to end all of your tumbling with a layout/full if you have one.
- All candidates should come prepared with the motions to "Hail Purdue."
- You can find Hail Purdue motions on our Instagram @BoilerSpirit here
- All females will perform the fight song, which includes a standing tuck, with poms.
- Males
- No cheerleading or tumbling experience is necessary to tryout. For all potential first year males, we will teach you as much as we can, but it's important to show your athleticism and willingness to learn! You can also find the motions to Hail Purdue on our Instagram here.
- Males: Clean cut and clean shaved (well kept mustaches and goatees must be shaved, so please shave for tryouts). No member of the Purdue Cheerleading squad will ever be allowed to have facial hair during the season. Sideburns are allowed to the bottom of the ear and are to be well kept. All males will wear a black Purdue t‐shirt with black shorts and tennis shoes. Any apparel that says Purdue CHEER/CHEERLEADING should NOT be worn. All tryout apparel worn should not have any other college or high school/gym names or logos on it.
- Females: All girls are to look "game ready." Natural make‐up should be worn. Hair should be half‐up, half‐down with a bow (preferably white). All females will wear a full cut black tank top with black shorts (can be Soffe type or boy cut athletic tights) and white cheerleading shoes. Any apparel that says Purdue CHEER/CHEERLEADING should NOT be worn. Wearing just a sports bra is NOT allowed at tryouts. All tryout apparel worn should not have any other college or high school/gym names or logos on it.
- Acceptance letter to Purdue
- Sickle cell test results (NCAA rule). This test can be taken at any time, it does not have to be a recent test.
- If your test is positive we will have a secondary waiver for you to sign.
- Signed waiver form (if under the age of 18, parent/guardian must also sign). Click here for waiver.
- Copy of passed sports physical taken in the last 12 months w/ signature of physician.
- Two letters of recommendation (one from cheer coach and one from a teacher/administrator).
- Optional: Proof of acceptance and/or commitment to Purdue (BGR registration, housing confirmation, etc.) if you have it.
- If tryouts are close and judges are debating between people, those who have committed to Purdue may be selected over those who have not committed.
Everybody must have a copy of a negative sickle cell screening. This is mandated by the NCAA and Purdue athletics. No matter your race or family history, all trying out must provide a negative sickle cell test. These tests can take time to get the results, so please plan ahead for this!
All paperwork should be in a folder with your name on it! Other Important Tryout Information Location: All sessions will be held in Holloway Gymnasium. Address: 1000 N John R Wooden Dr, West Lafayette, IN 47907
Parking: All participants must park in the F parking lot (the parking lot next to Mackey Arena/Holloway Gymnasium) after 3 pm for the Friday session. For the Saturday and Sunday session all parking lots are open, participants can park in the F, R, and A lots. You can find a map of the F lot here. Squad Size, Season Assignments and Alternates Squad size: For the 2022-2023 season, the co‐ed program will consist of at least 9 males and 9 females and no more than 14 males and 14 females and the all girl program will consist of at least 28 females and no more than 36 females.
Alternates: At tryouts, everybody will be asked if they would like to be considered for an alternate position. At final tryouts, those who are cut, but would like to be an alternate will be contacted on May 3, if anybody declines their spot on the team. The judging panel will rank those who are alternates and will contact those who ranked the highest first if anybody declines their spot on the team.
Preferred Team: All candidates will be asked what their preferred team is and if they would be willing to be on their non-preferred team. In the event that a candidate is a better fit for their non-preferred team, they may be placed on that team rather than their preferred team.
Sporting seasons: The Purdue Cheerleading squad cheers at all home and away Purdue football games, bowl game, home volleyball matches, some post season volleyball matches depending on the location and home and post‐season men's and women's basketball games, in addition to various local/surrounding area community functions. Travel opportunities are based on seniority, maintaining minimum academic and skill requirements.
Summer Dates & Commitments: If selected as a member of the 2022-2023 Purdue Cheerleading squad, the following dates should be made available throughout the summer if possible.
Summer practices are mandatory unless you have communicated with the head coach and been excused for a valid reason.
- Friday June 3rd-5th - First summer practice weekend
- June 3rd
- 10:00 am-1:00 pm – Holloway Gymnasium
- 5:00 pm‐8:00 pm
- June 4th
- 10:00 am-1:00 pm – Holloway Gymnasium
- 5:00 pm-8:00 pm
- June 5th
- 10:00 am-1:00 pm – Holloway Gymnasium
- Athletes will be free to leave after the morning session.
- June 3rd
- Friday July 15th-17th - Second summer practice weekend
- July 15th
- 10:00 am-1:00 pm – Facility TBD
- 5:00 pm‐8:00 pm
- July 16th
- 10:00 am-1:00 pm – Facility TBD
- 5:00 pm-8:00 pm
- June 17th
- 10:00 am-1:00 pm – Facility TBD
- Athletes will be free to leave after the morning session.
- July 15th
- August 14, 2022 – Report back to campus for pre-school practices and possible BGR appearance.
Should you have any other questions/concerns, please contact Stephanie Franke at frankes@purdue.edu.