Cheerleading

Game Day Directors: Karina Amerman, and Meg Wright

Competitive Program Director: Irene Minetti

With two different programs to choose from, there is fun for everyone

The Hillsborough Jr. Raiders are proud to offer two cheer programs. Our recreation cheer program is for children in grades K-8 who are looking for game day cheer experience.  Our competition cheer program is offered to children starting in grade 3 and provides additional training and a chance for the squads to showcase their talents at competitions throughout the state.  Below is a brief overview of each program.

Recreation Cheer Program, Fall Season

• Summer practices begin in the middle of August and run through the first week of September.
• Cheerleaders will cheer at football games for teams close to their age group.
• Cheerleaders will have an opportunity to showcase their routine at the HJR Cheer Rally at the Hillsborough High School in October.
• Additionally, the Jr Raiders also offer a pre-competition cheer program for K-2 athletes that want a taste of competition cheer.

Competitive Cheer Program, Winter Season

• Our competition cheerleading teams practice on 9 panel spring floors. These floors are specialized for the improvement of skills in cheerleading and tumbling.
• Competition cheerleaders participate in a choreography camp in August led by professional coaches.
• The teams will perform at about 8 highly competitive competitions across the region from fall through early winter.
• Our coaches have many years of experience coaching recreational cheer, all star cheer and college cheer. They all hold a variety of different safety and sport-related certifications including United States All Star Federation (USASF), Positive Coaching Alliance, Concussion Safety, CardiacWise, HeatWise, Rutgers S.A.F.E.T.Y and more.
• Numerous competition cheerleaders have continued their careers through high school, all-star cheer programs, and eventually college cheer programs

Registration

Registration for the 2022-2023 competition cheer season is officially open. Please follow us on social media for additional updates. 

Practices/Games:

Recreation Flag Cheer, K-2: practice will be 4 days a week for 3 weeks in August. No practices once school starts. Games Saturday mornings at Triangle Field in Hillsborough. 

Recreation Game Day Cheer 4-8  practice will be 4 days a week for 3 weeks in August. No practices once school starts. Games mostly weekends throughout central New Jersey. Game Day schedule released mid August. 

Pre Comp, K-2nd Grade: Girls who might want to pursue competitive cheerleading in the future interested in trying it out. Girls will practice in summer with their recreation Flag cheer teams, and continue one to two weekly practices during fall season to work on competitive routine. Competitions TBD, local between 3-4. More information will be sent via email upon registration. 

Competitive Cheer 3-8  practice will be 2 days a week to perfect the competition routine. Cheerleaders will be required to attend an additional team tumble one day a week to work on their skills. Competitions will be throughout New Jersey during late fall and winter. Please visit the competition cheerleading page or contact for more information

Coaching Opportunities: Parent volunteers interested in coaching are welcome and should contact directors at . We thank you in advance! Coaching go towards Work Bond hours completed!

OTHER INFORMATION

 Uniforms: Game Day uniforms are the responsibility of the player family.   Information about uniform purchase will be provided after registration.  Cost is approximately $60.  Competition Cheer uniform prices vary, for more information contact team at CompCheer@jrraiders.org

Required Equipment: Recreation cheer girls are required to purchase white cheerleading sneakers. More information to be emailed. Any white cheerleading sneaker is acceptable. 

Medical Form - Flag Cheerleaders grades K-3 are required to have the HILLSBOROUGH JR RAIDERS medical form complete, all other cheerleaders grades 3-8th are required to have the AYC MEDICAL FORM completed.  All players must submit a new form each year.

Work Bond - this is required for each JR Raider Family per season per program. Please note the Fall Cheer/Football seasoni s considered one program, therefore only one workbond is required per family in that program. Please visit our Work Bond page for more information.

QUESTIONS?? Email, cheerleading@jrraiders.org

READY TO JOIN?  Stay tuned for registration information.