Welcome to MARA Cheer!

Please read below for information on all our fall cheer program. If you have any questions, please email [email protected].

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Congratulations to our 2023 and 2024 Pop Warner Cheer Squads. ALL competing teams placed FIRST in the Local Competition two years in a row! Multiple 2024 Pop Warner Cheer Squads also placed FIRST in the Regional Competition.

NEW FOR 2025: Pop Warner Football & Cheer National Championships will be held in Charlotte, NC! Our teams will be competing with the goal of making it to the National Championships in December!

Fall Pop Warner Cheer Program

The Fall Cheer program is our primary cheer program for athletes ages 5 through 16 years old (age determined as of 7/31/2025). This program is great for athletes looking to try a faster pace cheer program for the first time or build onto their existing cheer experience. This program is more focused on game day materials and building strong basics in all aspects of the sport. Athletes will learn cheers for football games and a competitive routine that will be performed throughout the season. Teams will compete in a local competition in October with the opportunity to compete in a regional competition November 15th and a national competition December 8-11. Both regionals and nationals will be in the Charlotte area.

FALL SEASON PRICING
Early registration pricing offered from May 23rd through May 29th. Family/sibling discounts are available when registering multiple participants. Registrations placed after July 15th will be assessed a late fee.

Payment Plans are available:

• $120.00 due at the time of registration
• $110.00 due on June 30th
• $90.00 or remaining balance due on July 15th.

Payments must be made in full by July 21st to remain on the roster. The first $50.00 of deposits made are non-refundable in accordance with our Refund Policy. Please review this policy carefully.

PRACTICES
All practices for the 2025 season will start the week of July 21st this year! There will be Friday indoor practices starting at the of September through December (depending on competition qualification), in addition to the practices noted below.

Tiny Mites:

• End of July-end of August: Monday and Wednesday – 5:30-6:30 PM
• Starting at end of August through remainder of season: Wednesday – 5:30-6:30 PM

Mitey Mites:

• End of July-end of August: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday – 5:30-7:00 PM
• Starting at end of August through remainder of season: Wednesday – 5:30-7:00 PM

Junior Varsity:

• End of July-end of August: Wednesday and Friday – 6:00-7:30 PM; Saturday – 9:00-10:30 AM
• Starting at end of August through remainder of season: Friday – 6:00-7:30 PM
  

• TBD if we get enough cheerleaders to sign up and have a coach

GAMES
Games are held on Saturday mornings/afternoon and run weekly from the middle of August through early November. Typically, the younger squads cheer during the morning games and older squads cheer in the afternoon. Game times are set on a week by week basis. We will not get a schedule of times for the season. Games times are communicated the first half of each week as received from the Pop Warner Regional Association.

UNIFORMS
Uniforms are newly designed for the 2025 Fall Cheer season with a new company. All participants will need white cheer shoes for the season. Registration also includes a team shirt for the season.

Uniform fitting date: July 24th 5:30-7:00 PM at MARA Fields

EXPERIENCE
No previous cheer experience is required! We love teaching the sport of cheer to all levels. We only ask that participants show up to every practice with a can-do attitude, bright smile, and LOUD voice!

GRADE REQUIREMENTS

• All participants must meet a Pop Warner Scholastic Fitness Requirement of a 2.0/70% grade average, based on their 2024-2025 full year report card.*
• If your child is homeschooled, please let us know upon registering and we will provide you a home school eligibility form.
• *If your child's 2024-2025 grades do not meet the 2.0/70% grade average requirement, please contact us for further info on what will be needed in order for them to participate.

AGE DIVISION REQUIREMENTS
You will be asked to register your child in a division corresponding to their age. Teams are open to ages 5-16. Age for the 2025 season is determined as of 7/31/2025.

MARA 2025 Age Divisions (as of 7/31)

• Tiny Mites: 5, 6
• Mitey Mites: 7, 8, 9
• Junior Varsity: 10, 11, 12, 13
• Varsity: 14, 15, 16

COMPETITIONS
All squads will perform in LOCAL competitions through mid-late October. The annual Pop Warner local competition will be held mid-late October. Most divisions will have the opportunity to advance to the Regional Competition November 15th and National Competition December 8th – 11th. Details TBA.

ASSESSMENTS
We do not hold any tryouts or assessments. Participants are placed on squads corresponding to the Pop Warner age brackets. We do our best to place all participants on age/skill appropriate teams.

PRACTICE LOCATIONS
MARA - Arthur Goodman Memorial Park - 1200 S Trade St, Matthews NC 28105 In the event of inclement weather or field unavailability, there will be some off-site practices at a local school/gym.

Starting in late September, we will have indoor practices on Fridays at Charlotte Allstars.

COACHES & TEAM MANAGERS
We are always looking for more coaches/volunteers. No experience? No problem! Often times we have past MARA/high school cheerleaders help teach cheers/routines, but we are always looking for an adult supervisor to assist at practices and games and be a point of contact for the squad's parents. If you or someone you know are interested in helping coach, please email us at [email protected].

FUNDRAISING 
We kindly ask all participants to assist in fundraising efforts throughout the season. Funds raised help us keep our competition costs low.

QUESTIONS
If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected].

Don't forget to follow us on Facebook at MARA Colts Cheer & Dance

2025 Spring Football Cheer Information

SEASON 
Spring football cheer will run from mid-March to late May. Practices will be held one day per week for all squads. All games are on Saturdays. Make up games may be held on Friday evenings/Sunday afternoons.

UNIFORM T-SHIRTS
Prices includes a uniform T-Shirt and bow. Pom Poms will be provided and returned to MARA at the end of the season. Athletes will be required to wear black bottoms and all-white cheer (athletic) shoes. 

EXPERIENCE
No previous cheer experience is required! We love teaching the sport of cheer to all levels. We only ask that participants show up to every practice with a can-do attitude, bright smile, and LOUD voice! We will not hold any tryouts or assessments. Participants are placed on squads corresponding to their age bracket. This program is great for athletes who are looking to try cheerleading for the first time. 

AGE REQUIREMENTS
Spring cheer teams are open to ages 4 1/2 to 11. Young athletes turning 5 during the season are eligible to participate. Age for the spring season is determined as of 7/31/2026

• Twinkles (Junior Team): up to age 6
• Elite Team: 7-11

PRACTICE LOCATION
MARA - Arthur Goodman Memorial Park - 1200 S Trade St, Matthews NC 28105
In the event of inclement weather or field unavailability, there may also be some off-site practices at a local school/gym.

Practice for the Junior and Elite squads is TBD on the main field one evening per week. 

COACHES/TEAM MOM/SUPERVISORS
Consider joining our coaching staff! This entire program is run by volunteers and we can only have as many teams as we have adult volunteers. No experience? No problem! Often times we have past MARA/high school cheerleaders help teach cheers/routines, but we are always looking for an adult supervisor to assist at practices and games and be a point of contact for the squad's parents. If you or someone you know are interested in helping coach, please follow this link to complete a volunteer application: https://www.marasports.org/Default.aspx?tabid=926588 

All volunteers must submit to a background check plus other sports specific certifications.

**Parents who also register to be a Head Coach receive a discount off of their child’s registration fee. 

QUESTIONS?
If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]

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Competitive Cheer Program 

Program Highlights 

• 1/2 year program; November to April
• 4 local competitions; 1 end of season travel event
• Two 2-hour practices per week 
• Registration opens in September
• Tryouts will be held in October
• 16 athletes will be offered a spot on the team

Program Cost
*Payment Plans available 

• $375 registration fee
• $250 cheer camp fee
• $250 competition fee
  

REGISTRATION WILL OPEN IN FALL OF 2025

Basketball Cheer 

New to MARA! A fun, instructional cheer program designed for athletes ages 11-15. Cheerleaders will align with the boys and girls D division of MARA Basketball. 

The basketball cheer program will focus on sideline cheers, technique and etiquette. All skill levels are welcome. The program is 100% recreational. There are no tryouts and no competitions. 

The season will run from early December to early March. Cheerleaders will cheer at Saturday games once a week at Crestdale Middle School. 75m practices will be held once a week. 

EQUIPMENT

FAST FACTS

1 team/1 division ages 11-15
15 spots on the team
1 game + 1 practice per week

Cheer season starts on 12/2. Practices will start the week of 12/3. 

Practices will run approximately 75m and will be held once a week on Fridays from 6:30p-7:45p. On weeks where we have Friday conflicts, hour-long practices will be the morning before Saturday games. Athletes can expect to condition, learn techniques, drills, and cheer etiquette. Halftime and quarter change routines will be performed as appropriate.

REGISTRATION  

Registration will open on 11/12 and payment plans are available through 11/30. Account balances must be paid in full by 12/1 to remain on the roster. Late fee applied after 12/3. Questions can be directed to [email protected]

Please review our refund policy carefully. 

Matthews Athletic and Recreation Association (MARA) incurs various league, medical, security, uniform, insurance, and administrative fees which are not refundable to the organization.  Therefore, if you withdraw your player fifteen (15) days or more before the stated registration period closes for a sport/program, we will provide a refund of the total registration fee, LESS A $50 admin fee.  Otherwise, we do not provide any refunds for a player withdrawing from the program.

VOLUNTEERS

If you or someone you know are interested in helping coach, please follow this link to complete a volunteer application: https://www.marasports.org/Default.aspx?tabid=926588 

All volunteers must submit to a background check plus other sports specific certifications.