If you wake up every day in a world of tight pony tails, pom-poms, big smiles and stunts, then do your squad a favor and join thousands of like-minded people at JAMZ. This cheer and dance company is more than just a brand, they’re a lifestyle- a lifestyle that focuses on family, team building, strength, support and all things cheer.
Before any squad gets on stage to compete in JAMZ Championships and Nationals, the staff teaches the importance of trust through team building exercises. Once the sense of camaraderie is achieved, the staff welcomes teams to improve their technique in workshops and classes. The classes teach top level stunts for each age and skill division. Additionally, JAMZ offers camps and visits squads individually throughout the year, identifying areas of weakness, transforming them into strengths. At JAMZ, the staff views everyone as equal, and after your time with them is done, you will be more than someone sharing a passion, you are family.
JAMZ staff – how their lives changed and how they change lives
The JAMZ staff is known for being a tight knit group of people, who before finding one another felt an emptiness and were about to quit the cheer world all together. Finding JAMZ not only provided a family, but re-energized their passion for cheerleading and helped them remember why they were a part of the sport for so many years. The staff uses this family bond at every event to help squads discover what ties them together. After finding this kinship, squads leave JAMZ stronger than ever. By setting aside their personal performance schedules to work with thousands of squads across the country, JAMZ hopes their 100% dedication will help any “lost” individual reignite their cheer passion. To find out where you can meet this devoted staff and compete in JAMZ events, check out the end of the article. If California is calling your name, JAMZ is the competition for you because they visit this state over 10 times, including San Francisco and Long Beach!
Spice up your routine with Camps
JAMZ understands that after squads leave their competitions, they may want further instruction. To fulfill this desire they created 4 types of camps. For Youth Camps the staff comes with a curriculum customized for your league. They know Youth cheer because they’ve coached it, cheered it and lived it. For School Camps, they come to your school and teach the squad routines based on the school environment and goals. JAMZ even offers Private camps, great for smaller squads, and Custom Choreography Camps. In the custom classes, their team comes and access the squad’s skill levels. They tailor the choreography to fit what they think you can do best, and what will make the team look the best. Talk about fantastic door-to-door service!
Youth Championships
The Youth Championship is one of 4 championships JAMZ hosts, and this particular championship has the most rules and regulations that need to be followed to ensure your squad’s routine doesn’t get penalized. The Youth group is for people 15 years old or younger as of July 31st. Teams participating in this Championship can select from 3 categories; Show Cheer, Performance Cheer, and Dance. Within the Show and Performance Cheer categories, there are 4 levels of difficulty that permit and prohibit certain stunts. Routines must comply with 1 of the 4 levels, and not include stunts that are outside of their level parameters. Youth Dance routines do not have difficulty levels, although there are restrictions to gymnastic skills that can be incorporated in the routine.
Of the 3 Youth categories, Show and Performance Cheer share the most similarities. Both have sub performance categories, although one has 3 and the other has 4, and they are as follows; Performance Cheer, Performance Cheer Non Mount, Performance Cheer Limited, Show Cheer, Show Cheer Non Mount, Show Cheer Limited, and Show Cheer Non-Tumbling. Performance and Show Cheer require stunts in the routine, or else the routine gets 0 points, whereas Performance and Show Cheer Non Mount PROHIBIT stunts. To clarify, a partner jump, assisted Toe Touch, partner pick up, etc. would not be considered a stunt.
The Limited category is similar to Performance and Show Cheer, although as the name implies, this performance category has limitations. For example, Basket Tosses are not allowed and single leg stunts are limited. The Show Cheer Non-Tumbling performance category is different from the others because gymnastic skills are totally prohibited, as opposed to being a requirement.
To find hotel rooms for your gym or parents closest to where your team is playing in ANY city, visit https://www.hotels4teams.com/. Hotels4Teams – The Best Hotels at the Best Prices, Closest to the Action!
The main distinctions between Performance and Show Cheer is music and audience participation. Show Cheer requires music (which may be incorporated in a segment of the routine, or for the entire thing) and Performance Cheer prohibits any music. Also, audience participation, megaphones, signs and banners are permitted in Performance Cheer, whereas they are not in Show Cheer.
As opposed to Performance and Show Cheer, Youth Dance has less emphasis on cheer stunts and involves more dance combinations. Within Youth Dance, there are 4 performance categories; Pom, Hip Hop, Jazz and Theme Dance. Pom performances must consist of three dance styles (Pom, Jazz, Cheer Funk) with the majority of emphasis on Pom. This style of dance does NOT include pop and lock, street or excessive vibrating; in fact any incorporation of these skills may negatively affect your score.
Hip Hip on the other hand does focus on street style movements with an emphasis on variety, execution, creativity, body isolation/control, rhythm, uniformity and musical interpretation. Choreography should demonstrate various styles and elements from Hip Hop, Cheer Funk, Street, Pop and Lock, Break Dance, and Krumping. The Jazz category focuses on this style of dance alone, without incorporating moves from other styles. Last but not least, in Theme Dance, the focus is audience entertainment. With no spoken word, this routine tells the story of one predominant theme or era. Through the selection of music, costuming and dance, the audience should be so captivated by the routine that they won’t want to look away.
School Championships
One of the other 4 championships JAMZ provides is for schools. To compete in the school division, teams must include students who are designated members of the school’s spirit squad(s). Obviously students who graduated are not considered members of the school’s squad, and will be disqualified if they try to compete. School divisions are determined by the team member in the highest grade level. The participant’s grade level is based on the academic year in which the championship takes place. This grade level shall be the participant’s grade level through JAMZ Nationals 2018.
Schools may compete in Cheer or Dance divisions, which share some similarities to the Youth division, but are more advanced. School Dance performance categories include Pom (poms must be in 80% of the routine) Hip Hop, Jazz, and Lyrical. For School Cheer Divisions, there is Show Cheer, Show Cheer Non- Tumbling, and Sideline Performance Cheer. School Show Cheer and Show Cheer Non-Tumbling routines must include Building Skills. Any omission of stunts, tosses, pyramids, dismounts and/or jumps in these routines will result in a 0. The Sideline category does not allow music, and instead relies on cheers, chants, or crowd response techniques. A spirited entrance is also required and will be judged.
Collegiate Championships
For the first time ever starting in 2018, JAMZ is hosting championships for college teams all over the country! Division I, II, III and Junior College levels are invited to compete in Divisions according to NCAA Football classifications. If your school does not have a football team, they can compete according to NCAA Basketball program classifications.
Bigger Awards coming your way
Beginning in 2018, JAMZ is giving away more prizes than ever! The top placing teams receive trophies, and the 1st-3rd placing teams will get medals. National Champions receive the iconic JAMZ Jackets and National Champs get a banner and a complimentary athlete backpack. Of course every winner also receives the bragging rights of being named a JAMZ Champion, which is a nationally recognized title. JAMZ also takes care of the coaches too! Coaches of the winning teams receive a Coach Bag full of goodies, an event t-shirt, and are treated to a FREE happy hour and appetizers.
Depending on how well your squad scores during Championships, they may qualify to compete at JAMZ All Star Cheer and Dance National Championship. This year, JAMZ is bringing THREE weekends of competition for Youth, All Star, and School audiences. You can expect the ultimate JAMZ experience, with a few extra surprises JAMZ cannot wait to share! It will not be an easy journey to get to Nationals, but if your squad can come together as one unit, and utilize the advice they receive from the JAMZ staff, the road to victory is possible!
For updated tournament information, please go to JAMZ.