2025 Cheer Spirit Leader Info
The Spirit Leader program through San Ramon Valley Thunderbirds has been an important part of our organization.
The Spirit Leader program invites all girls within our community with special needs to participate in (2) game day practices and a Homecoming game (1st half of the game). The spirit leaders are taught cheers and a halftime routine by the Varsity Cheer team.

Background
We partner with a point of contact in the special needs community who then reaches out to former participants, the Down Syndrome Connection, and public schools promoting the program. Our point of contact, the VP of Cheer, and Varsity Cheer coaches meet with the Varsity Cheer team at least one practice prior to the Spirit Leader's first practice.
Varsity cheerleaders are assigned to a Spirit Leader during these practices and games. We work with our POC to provide a list of spirit leader participants to the VP of Cheer and together they pair up the spirit leaders with at least 2 Varsity cheerleaders (their buddies). Varsity coaches assign 2 cheerleaders on Varsity to choreograph a 1 ½ minute halftime routine and 2 or 3 girls to teach the cheers to the Spirit Leaders.

Practices
Exact Schedule TBD
1st Practice: 6:00pm - 7:00pm: Spirit leaders arrive at 5:45pm
We meet the families in the Monte Vista parking lot and walk them up to the commons. A few Varsity cheerleaders also go down and bring their poms. The cheerleaders also walk with the girls. From there, Spirit Leaders are matched with their cheerleaders. Girls sit down in their small group and introduce themselves and try to get to know each other.
We have theme practices to get everyone to connect. The past couple of years the cheerleaders and Spirit Leaders bring their favorite stuffed animal to practice. This really works because the Spirit Leaders love to show and talk about their stuffed animal. The entire group gets together and learn the cheers and dance. Parents stay and watch. The last 15 minutes the cheerleaders/coaches help the Spirit Leaders stunt on the mats (if the spirit leaders want to).
2nd practice: 6:00pm - 7:00pm: Spirit leaders arrive at 5:45pm
For the second meeting, we hold another themed practice with our Spirit Leaders (e.g., crazy socks, favorite color, etc.). We run the practice the same way as the first practice, ending with stunting. At this practice, we hand out pink small poms, spirit leader t-shirts, pink bows, and pink shoelaces. Last year, we made bags with the Spirit Leaders names on them last year for the spirit leaders to put all of their items in.
Game Day
T-Birds pays for the Spirit Leaders admittance to the game. Our point of contact meets the families at the gate. We create a spreadsheet with the Spirit Leaders' names and their escorts name for the booth announcer. Spirit Leaders and their escorts arrive ½ an hour before they are announced-not the typical, full hour. The Spirit Leaders perform cheers on the sideline right next to the cheerleaders for the half.
At halftime, the visiting team performs their routine and then the Spirit Leaders perform their routine on the field. Spirit leaders will sit on the sideline to watch the Varsity cheer team perform. The Spirit Leaders go home after Varsity performs and have snack/drinks. Varsity families sign up to bring drinks/snacks for all of the girls (Varsity cheerleaders and Spirit Leaders). Last season, we put together snack/treat bags for the spirit leaders.
Spirit leaders are provided with:
- Pink Bows (same as T-Bird cheerleaders)
- Spirit leader T-Shirt
- Pink shoe laces (same as T-Bird cheerleaders)
- Bags with girls names
- Snacks/Treat bags
