Welcome to Bristol Jets Cheerleading Squad's homepage!
Why Cheerleading?
Cheerleading is a team sport that combines elements of gymnastics, dance and acrobatics. A two and a half minute high-energy routine will combine jumps, tumbles, high levels stunts, motions and physical performance. Whether you are picking this up as a new sport or carrying on from years at home, Bristol Jets is a friendly and exciting club providing all members with professional coaching and facilities to enable athletes to perform a strong and intense routine to "wow" any audience.
Our Club
Bristol Jets is a student-led sports club run by an exceptional group of committee members and team captains, all of who have been elected by fellow members because they share a genuine love and passion for both the sport and the club. They devote their free time to the successful running of the club and the amazing opportunities that are offered by the club. As a result our club is a warm and welcoming place which encourages anyone and everyone to give cheerleading a try at university.
Our club is made up of five teams. These teams provide opportunities for absolutely anyone, regardless of experience. Our members have a combination of no experience, some gymnastics/dance experience and some competitive cheer experience. We highly recommend trying out for a competitive team if you have previous gymnastics/dance/cheer experience so that you can put your skills into use straight off the bat. If, however, you are looking for a lower-commitment, non-competitive team, you will still have plenty of opportunity to demonstrate your past experience and skills as a member of our Gameday and Varsity squads.
Our weekly socials offer drinking and non-drinking events such as film nights, themed quiz nights and club nights. Additionally, our popular inter-club 'family scheme' allows our members to make new connections with American Football who we work closely with throughout the year. Our Gameday team even go along and support them at their games. Other societies we work closely with include Football, Lacrosse, and Pole & Aerial Society.
Our Teams
Gameday
- Our largest, non-competitive team
- Open to people of all abilities and experience levels
- Lowest commitment team, only training once a week for ~2 hours
- Learn the basics of cheer including stunting, tumbling, dance and perfromance elements
- Attend American football, football and lacrosse matches
- Most committed members have the opportunity to be selected for our Varsity performance squad
Varsity
- Non-competitive team
- Open to people of all abilities and experience levels
- Intermediate level of commitment, training in teaching block 2 once a week for ~2 hours with additional training for performances
- Perform at society events including American football varsity, darts varsity and charity events
- Selection based on commitment to training and gamedays whilst training as a member of Gameday in teaching block 1
Level 1, 2 and 3 (see our FAQs for a breakdown of each team)
- Our stunt-based competitive teams
- Level 1 open to members of all abilities, some gymnastics/cheer experience recommended for Level 2/3
- High level of commitment, training ~3.5 hours a week
- Combine stunting, tumbling and dance to perform at national competitions
Pom
- Our dance-orientated competitive team
- Dance expereince preferred
- Higher level of commitment, training ~3 hours a week
- Combine elements of cheer such as jumps with technical dance to perform at national competitions
Getting Involved
Give It A Go Sessions
We run GIAG sessions throughout Welcome Week and Week 1 of term. These will be run by our team captains who will introduce basic stunts, tumbles, dance choreography and performance elements of Cheerleading to show you what our sport is all about. See our Season Timeline for when and where these will be taking place this year.
Tryouts
Attendance at tryouts is required by anyone looking to try out for a competitive team. This is a mandatory process which applies to all new members and returners, including members of committee. Our tryouts take place in the week following University Welcome Week (see our ‘Season Timeline’ for exact dates).
New members and pom tryouts are held at ADA gym (see 'Training Venues’ in our season Handbook which can be found under Resources), which has both a sprung floor and a dance studio. This allows the team captains to safely and accurately assess members’ ability through a series of tumbling, stunting and dance workshops. Returners tryouts will be held at preds, (see 'Training Venues’ in our season Handbook which can be found under Resources). Pom will have a second joint new members callbacks and returners tryouts at an alternative location, (see season timeline for dates and venues). The allocated times for each session will be communicated in advance via our social media accounts.
Checkout our Season Timeline to see when these will take place this year. All members wishing to attend should sign up in advance using a link which will be provided by the club closer to the time, however should this not be completed, it will be possible to complete the form at the sessions. Follow our instagram @bristoljets to stay up to date about tryouts!
After tryouts, selections will be made following a meeting between all team captains. Members selected for a team will be notified via email.
23/24 Tryout forms
Pom tryouts - https://forms.gle/
Stunt group Tryouts- https://forms.gle/
Competitive cheer returners tryout - https://forms.gle/
Competitive cheer new members- https://forms.gle/
All members must complete a tryout form before coming to tryouts. Attendance at tryouts is encouraged however if for any reason you cannot make tryouts but would like to be concidered for a competitive team, give us a message on our social media pages.
Our 23/24 Season
| Committee | Captains |
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Club Captain - Georgina Mitchell |
Gameday and Varsity Captain(s) - Taylor Woods, Connie Taylor and Lily Thompson |
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Secretary - Ella Mason |
Level 1 Captain(s) - Lucy Lyth and Lia Jones |
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Treasurer - Natalie O'Hara |
Level 2 Captain(s) - Freya Selman and Hattie Allen. |
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Welfare and Equalities Officer - Lauren Evans |
Level 3 Captain(s) - Charlotte Whiteford and Elissa Neil-Dwyer |
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Social Secretaries - Evie Home, Betsy Clarke, Lucy Pritchard |
Pom Captain(s) - Amie Jupe and Bethan Nicholas |
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Social Media Secretary - Grace Johnson |
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Uniform Officer - Beth Littlejohn |
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Charities Officer - Scarlett Taylor and Emily Sedgwick |
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| Alumni and relations Officer - Hattie Allen | |
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Head of Teams - Charlotte Whiteford |
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Pom Representative - Amie Jupe and Bethan Nicholas |
Season Timeline
Season timeline - please note these dates are subject to change throughout the season and are not set in stone. Please keep these dates free. Any changes will be communicated via the Team groupchats or our instagram page.
Training - for more information on training venues, see our Season Handbook which can be found under Resources
Choreography sessions
Competitive teams will be sent a choreography pack once external venues have been confirmed. The dates set for predators are final and will take place. ALL members are expected to be at these sessions. Not doing so may result in removal from a team. Catch up sessions are currently being arranged at external gyms for teams that would miss their usual Sunday training space due to choreography and this information will be sent out in the choreography pack. Pom choreography plans will be sent to members once confirmed as per with levels members.
Training times
Gameday/Varsity
- 2 hours on Monday evening in the Anson Rooms, SU
Level 1,2,3
- 1 hour on Monday evening in the Anson Rooms, SU
- 1 hour on Wednesday afternoon at ADA
- 1 hour 20 mins on Sunday morning at Preds
Pom
- 2 hours on Wednesday evening in Studio 1, ISC
- 1 hour on Sunday evening in Studio 1, ISC
Membership fees
| Gameday | Varsity | Level 1/2/3 | Pom | |
| Annual price | £40 | Additional £40 to Gameday (£80 Total) | £230 | £150 + £25 SEH fee |
| Fee breakdown |
- Access to Facebook group - Access to discounts for socials - Annual club training T-shirt - Access to sprung floor training space (at Captains’ discretion) - Access to professional cheer coach (at Captains’ discretion) - Captains coaching courses (approx. £160 per captain) - Committee stash |
- Access to uniforms for the varsity squad - Access to Facebook group - Access to discounts for socials - Annual club training T-shirt - Access to sprung floor training space (at Captains’ discretion) - Access to professional cheer coach (at Captains’ discretion) - Captains coaching courses (approx. £160 per captain) - Committee stash |
- Access to Facebook group - Access to discounts for socials - Annual club training T-shirt - Access to well-maintained uniforms - Access to sprung floor training space (£25 an hour, approx. £2500 a year) - Weekly training session at Predators Athletics Cheer Gym - Weekly training session at Angels Dance Academy - Weekly training session with coach, Mychael (£25 an hour, approx. £1000 a year) - Competition registration fees (£500 per team per competition) - Transport to and from competitions (< £2000 for comp season) - Captains coaching courses (approx. £160 per captain) - Committee stash (£19.90 per t-shirt) |
- Access to Facebook group - Access to discounts for socials - Annual club training T-shirt - Access to well-maintained uniforms - Access to rehearsal space (granted by £25 annual SEH fee) - Access to professional Pom coach (at Captains’ discretion) - Competition registration fees (approx. £500 per team per competition) - Transport to and from competitions (approx. £2000 for comp season) - Captains coaching courses (approx. £160 per captain) - Committee stash |
Committee will let members know when membership fees are due to be paid and what membership type is relevant for your team. To join jets and pay membership fees, see the "join jets" button at the top of the page.
Stash shops
Surridge Sports - https://university-bristol.surridge.co.uk/en/cheerleading
Personalised Stash - https://personalised.clothing/bristol-jets
Please note: all other stash not listed on either website (including sports fleeces and bows) will be purchased in bulk throughout the year - keep an eye on announcements from our Uniform Officer to find out how to place an order for these items.
Stay in the loop
Check out our social media for up to date information on training, events and what our club is up to:
- Instagram @bristoljets
- TikTok @bristoljetscheer
Alternatively, if you have any questions, feel free to message us on Instagram (above), Facebook or by email:
- Facebook Messenger @ The Bristol Jets Cheerleading Squad
- Email @ bristoljetscheerleading@gmail.com
Or alternatively, you can contact our club captain Gina - Ls19437@Bristol.ac.uk
You should hear back from us regarding any queries you have within 24-48 hours!
For more information about our society, check out the 23/24 season handbook, linked in resources.
FAQs
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Do I need to have cheerleading experience?
No! Bristol Jets is an inclusive club that welcomes all members of all skill levels. The club strives for members to progress and improve skills, so even if you have no cheerleading experience, you are sure to have plenty by the time you leave the club.
Our five teams mean that anyone with any experience can join a team. Our Gameday/Varsity teams are perfect for those new to cheer who want less of a commitment than a competitive team, however still want to develop new skills and perform. Level 1 is also perfect for people new to cheer with little to no experience who want a higher level of commitment than Gameday and who want to compete nationally. Level 2 and 3 are well suited to people with some gymnastics/cheer experience who are also looking for that higher level of commitment and competition. Pom is best suited to people with a dance background who want to try cheerleading and are also looking for a higher level of commitment and competition.
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What is the difference between your non-competitive teams?
Gameday and Varsity are our two lower-commitment non-competitive teams, with Gameday being cheaper and less commitment than Varsity. The Captain(s) will teach you everything you need to know about cheerleading during your time as a Jets member.
Gameday is our developmental team that runs throughout the duration of the university cheer season (Sept-March). If you display an excellent level of commitment to our Gameday team, which includes good attendance to training and on game days, you will have the opportunity to opt-in to be selected for our Varsity performance squad. Gameday training changes after the winter break, in that training is reduced from 1 hour to 2 hours and typically the number of members reduces due to most members being selected for Varsity. It remains low commitment throughout the year, and works on building cheer skills without putting the need to perform a routine.
Our Varsity squad trains from after the winter break only, learning a routine to perform at our showcase and at ‘friendlies’ sports matches that take place after the serious university sports season has finished. The varsity squad trains separately from Gameday, once a week for 2 hours, although can often require several extra training sessions in the lead up to performances. Varsity demands a higher level of commitment than Gameday, following our ‘authorised absences policy’ and requiring an additional membership fee purchase following selection.
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Is a competitive team right for me?
Our competitive teams are perfect for anyone wanting to get into competitive cheer. We train hard, but it is all rewarded at our three national competitions. Competitive teams require a high level of commitment and an enthusiastic attitude. We have four competitive cheerleading teams; Level 1 up to Level 3, and Pom, so there is a team for any skill level and experience. No previous cheerleading, gymnastics or dance experience does not mean that you can’t try out for a competitive team. Whilst having some of the desired skills for each level as seen on the skills ladder (see *Jets’ Teams, appropriate skills* in our Season Handbook which can be found under Resources) is desirable however not absolute. In fact, 25% of our Levels’ members have no previous tumbling experience! There will be opportunities throughout the year to develop skills which means that by next season, or even by competition season, you will have the relevant skills for your level or even one of the higher levels. If you decide that you’d prefer a lower commitment, non-competitive team have a look at our Gameday and Varsity teams.
Levels
As a member of a competitive levels team, you will work towards a 2 minute 30 seconds routine consisting of tumbling, stunting, baskets, jumps, dance and performance. Our Level 1 team is perfect for members who maybe haven't experienced cheerleading or gymnastics before and is a perfect introduction to competitive cheerleading. Our Level 2 and 3 teams are of higher difficulty. Again, whilst having the skills listed on the skills ladder is desirable, it is not the only thing our team captains look for. Cheer is so much more than tumbling and our captains will also be looking for promising stunters and performers, as these are also vital for a successful cheer team. We look for potential, not perfection.
Pom
Our competitive pom team requires commitment, enthusiasm and hard work. Pom is perfect for members who want to compete, but come from more of a dance background. Pom is different to our levels cheerleading teams, and rather than stunting and lots of tumbling, involves turns, jumps and a lot of dance choreography. This team is perfect for anyone from a dance background, who wants the commitment and the challenge involved in competing at three national competitions. For pom it is desired if members that tryout have the skills listed on the skills ladder, however if you are close to some of the skills, or have completed the skills in the past, let the pom captain know and show everything you are capable of at tryouts.
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What are tryouts like?
If you decide to try out for a competitive team, come to tryouts with an open mind, and be aware that our captains and our Head of Teams will place members onto teams which they feel are the most suitable for your ability. Make sure at tryouts you showcase everything that you are able to do, as captains will mainly make selections based on this. All of our captains are also qualified to coach their level’s skills so if you would like to be spotted for a skill that you are not so confident with at tryouts, just ask. Make sure to also let captains know about any previous cheerleading/gymnastics skills that you may have previously been able to perform, even if you have not trained for a while.
If after tryouts you are unhappy with your team placement, and feel you would be more suited to a higher/lower level, get in touch with the Head of Teams and we can, if applicable, make some amendments. It is usual for our captains to shuffle members around in the first couple of weeks of training anyway to make sure we have the strongest teams we can for the season.
