Team Policies

Mission of Wheaton Thunderettes

-We are a fun group of girls that supports one another in dance and in life at Wheaton. We are an energetic, committed team that is brings praise to God through dance and spirit to Wheaton College Athletics.
-We are a student run, club sport. Commitment and respect for all team members is key to the success and coherence of the team
-We’re a newer team that is still developing into its full vision here. In the past we have had awesome support from the crowds and don’t want this to change.
-We are looking to continue to build our rapport with Wheaton students and athletics.

Wheaton Thunderettes Leadership Roles

Captains Duties
-Oversee that all other duties are taken care of. If another member of the program falters in their role, it is the captains’’ duty to find someone else to fill the role or to fill it themselves
-Oversee social activities for the team
-Meet with each class and continually check up on their Class Level Duties
-Be a rolemodel and spritual leader to the team
-Recognize potential leaders and work to foster internal leadership with these members as well as the team as a whole
-Administrative duties: budget, oversee and organize fundraising and spending,scheduling, meeting with Club Sports Director
-Run tryouts
-Oversee clinic (fundraisers) and delegate responsibilities to team members
-Run Practices (coordinate and delegate to other corresponding team members when appropriate)
-Choreograph and/or assign and oversee choreographing
-Meet with and have a working relationship with the Coach/Mentor
-honor and respect their opinion
-have meetings with them and include them in team decisions
-go to team mentor with concerns if issues arise
-if there is no returning mentor, it is the captains job to find one
-Be a resource to listen to team member concerns about team dynamics

Coach/Mentor Duties
-Be a resource for captains to bring team concerns
-Be a resource for team members to bring concerns about the captains
-Be a role model and spiritual leader for the team
-Be and influential outside voice
-Choreograph and teach routines as the captains request/discuss with the mentor
-During the time that the Coach/Mentor is teaching the dance, they have the floor to run practice for those given days
-the Coach/Mentor will work with the Captains to establish the schedule of days to teach their dance
-Clean and give feedback on the Captain taught routines when needed
-they may insert their opinion whenever they feel necessary but for the Captain’s dance it is up to that particular Captain as to how to execute final decisions regarding their dance. Same goes with the Coach/Mentor’s routines.

*The Coach/Mentor and Captains are a team! However, the Captains must find the Coach/Mentor figure or cover the Coach aspect and find a Mentor figure in the case that there is no combined Coach/Mentor available for a given season. For this reason it is essential that there be a strong sense of internal leadership and empowering of rising team members lead by the Captains.

*The dynamic of Coach/Mentor and Captains may change every year, however it is to be kept at the forefront of decisions that Wheaton Thunderettes is a student lead, club sport. The Coach/Mentor is to be treated as highly valued asset to the team and a respected adult individual. The Coach/Mentor is to keep the mission of Wheaton Poms at the forefront of their mind as they help lead the team.

Team Members
-come to every practice and follow the attendance policy
-come on time
-be reliable
-work hard
-pull your share of weight on the team and help where you can
-have a good attitude
-support one another in faith and help promote a safe/fun atmosphere that fosters growth in faith and character
-costs: $100 dues: are your commitment to the team and includes insurance, parties, retreat, seasonal uniform costs, miscellaneous team expenses
-respect the opinion of the Coach/Mentor as well as the Captain
-Fulfill your class level duties and seek direction from the Captains and Coach/Mentor. Meeting with these people may be necessary and is often required for communication. Communication is key!

*Class duties help all team members take ownership of Wheaton Thunderettes and are therefore critical that they are completed in this fashion and that everyone is involved. The class duties will be a form of informal internal team structure and leadership that will be ongoing, but subject to change from season to season.

 Captain Election

-After careful reading of the description of captains roles, and you would like to run for this role, please give your names to the captains by the stated date.

-Please also write a few personal strengths you would bring to the Thunderettes as a captain. Also describe a few personal weaknesses that could hinder your role as captain on the Thunderettes. These should be brief. (about half a page) This should be submitted to the captains along with your name.
-These character traits as well as your name will be on the ballot for voting

To be eligible to run for captain you must fulfill the following
-Senior (junior if there are not returning juniors)
-Have already been on the Thundrettes for at least 2 seasons
-Willing and promise to keep the roles of a captain
-If you put your name in for captain and are voted captain, you are bound to this position. You may not chose to withdraw from the role after submitting your name to run.

Voting
-Voting will take place prior to the team banquet and the newly elected captain(s) will be announced at the banquet or as the previous captains chose.
-Each member of the team will cast a vote that will count for one vote. Prior to voting, team members must read and understand the role of a captain.
-Current captains and the mentor/coach will count for 2 votes
-With variation in team size, these ratios are subject to change. It should be such that the captains and mentor/coach cannot override the votes of the team. However, it is important that the captains and mentor/coach have a weighted vote due to their insight into the role.
-A non returning team member will be responsible for counting the votes. If there is a graduating senior or non returning captain, they will do this.
-Voting will be anonymous.

Returning Captiains
*If a junior becomes a captain, they should be allowed to stay a captain their senior year. If there has been conflict or the team/advisor feel that this person should not be captain again, there should be a vote for their spot as captain. A vote should be called to take a returning senior out of their position.

Attendance Policy

All team members are required to be present at and on time to all practices. Occasional absences are understandable, but chronic absences are only allowed for class conflicts. Tardiness is unacceptable, and tardiness without informing a a captain will result in team work such as push ups or abs exercises. Please realize that all team members will be held to this policy for the entire Thunderetes season.

Study Abroad Policy

*Thunderettes is a yearlong commitment and program. It is necessary however to realize how study abroad will affect upper class, returning members. Therefore, the policy below indicates requirements for exceptions to the yearlong comittment. The same exceptions and policy applies to those who will not be enrolled in classes at Wheaton for other emergencies, such as medical emergencies or family emergencies.

Requirements to be able to participate in only on semester on the Thunderettes
- The dancer must be a returning member, having an entire yearlong season of experience on the team.
-As a Thunderette, you are making the same commitment as you normally make; you are all there when you are there. Such non-committed returning Thunderettes will be asked to leave the team until the next season and this policy will not apply to them for that year.
-For those dancers only dancing in the spring semester: all efforts will be made to include new second semester dancers in fall-choreographed dances. Dancers will be expected to learn and put their part in to be in the routine. If it works to have the dancer in the routine, then they will be added. If the dancer is falling behind it is the judgment call of the captains to whether or not they will participate in the dance.
-All regular duties and expectations of Thunderettes members will be expected of one-semester dancers as well.
-One-semester dancers will not be eligible for the role of captain.
-One-semester dancers, especially those participating in spring semester only, will be expected to be at the level of the team from the previous season. They must continue to stretch on their time off and be in good enough shape to keep up with the rest of the year-long Thunderettes.
-If a dancer will be gone in the spring, they will be expected to try out as normal in the fall.
-If a dancer will be gone in the fall, they must talk with the captains for the following year to tryout before the previous spring semester ends. In order to secure their spot on the team in the spring semester, they must pay the $100 team dues as well as trying out and making the team.
-One-semester dancers will be expected to have all of the team wear that the team will be using for that semester.