Wildcat Youth Cheer

A Parent’s Perspective on the Whitehouse Wildcat Youth League

This is our second year with the Whitehouse Wildcat Youth League. Our daughter, Stella, cheers for the Freshman team, and our son, Ford, was on the Junior team last year. Having never participated in a sport like this before, we had no idea what to expect. Since we now have more experience with cheer, I’ll break that down:

Registration & Cost
The league isn’t affiliated with the school, but the school does allow them to send home a postcard advertising enrollment and fees. This typically happens at the end of April or May, with the registration deadline being in early June. The league also has a website and Facebook group for specific dates and updates.

• Cheer Registration Fee: $200, which covers the uniform—a well-made, cute outfit that includes the shirt, skirt, bloomers, shoes, a bag, and pom-poms.
• Age Verification: You’ll need to register your child on Team Link to verify their age, which I believe costs an additional $10.

Age Groups
The youngest participants are around 5 years old. We enrolled Stella at age 6, just before she entered 1st grade. The teams are divided by age group into Flag, Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior teams. Stella cheers for the Freshman team, and tackle football begins at this level, which typically starts at age 6.

Practice & Game Schedule
For the 2024 season, practices are held twice a week for two hours—Monday and Thursday from 6:00-8:00 PM.

• Practice Tips: Bring a foldable chair, fan, and water to stay comfortable while watching practice, as it can get pretty hot out on the tennis courts. Your cheerleader will also need a large water bottle, athletic clothing, and their hair in a ponytail.
• Restroom Warning: Be sure to use the restroom before practice, as the ones near the tennis courts are not clean, often lack toilet paper, and aren’t temperature controlled.

Games
Games are on Saturdays, with varying locations. Some are home games at the Wildcat Stadium, while others are away, sometimes as far as Tyler Legacy or even Texarkana. There’s usually a scheduled start time, but games rarely start on time, often running late.

• Entry Fee: There is a cover charge to enter the stadium, and it’s probably cash-only.
• Seating & Comfort: While there are bleachers, you’ll want to bring something for added comfort like a bleacher seat, pillow, towel, or blanket. The metal can get hot.
• Food & Drinks: Outside food and drinks aren’t allowed, but most places will let you bring in water for yourself, and athletes are always allowed to have water.
• Sun Protection: You’re typically allowed to bring sun cover like umbrellas or pop-ups. At a minimum, bring a hat and sunglasses to shield yourself from the sun.

Parent Involvement
The league is entirely volunteer-based, and I think the organizers do a great job. I personally can’t commit to the level of involvement some parents do, but I’m happy to contribute when asked, whether it’s donating $20 for a cheer bucket, mums, or anything else the team might need.

Season Duration
Practices start in August, with the first games in September, and the season wraps up by the end of October. The length of the season isn’t bad; it’s really the heat that will make you question your decisions.

Final Thoughts
Overall, we’ve enjoyed our experience with the league. However, this year it’s been harder to get Stella excited about practices, so we might not make it to the Sophomore team next year. I’m not the kind of parent to push sports on my kids—I’d rather they try new things and find what they enjoy most.