The USASF Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Board Member and ACE Cheer Company (AL) gym owner Happy Hooper has been elected as Secretary/Treasurer of the USASF and a member of the Executive Committee. Outgoing Secretary/Treasurer Jeff Fowlkes remains a USASF Board Member.
The Executive Committee, consisting of President, Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer, serves as Officers of the USASF and has the primary responsibility of budget oversight. The USASF Board is the nominating committee and elects officers by majority vote.
USASF President Jim Chadwick explains “the addition of Happy brings balanced representation to the Executive Committee now comprised of an event producer, gym owner/coach and a USASF staff member” . Jim adds “Happy is a well respected gym owner and has served on the USASF Board and various committees. While Happy will be a great addition to the Executive Committee, we will miss Jeff Fowlkes’s wise advice and counsel and for that reason are pleased that he will remain on the Board.” Mike Burgess of United Spirit Association (USA) completes the Executive Committee as Vice President.
The USASF has 6 Regional Meetings for attendees to choose from. We are happy to announce the General Schedule to give you an overview of what will take place at each location. Exact topics and speakers will vary by location, however your Regional Director will be happy to assist you with your meeting specifics questions.
Credentialing
Credentialing will be offered at each meeting location. If you or members of your staff have credentials that have already expired or expire during the 2012-2013 season a Regional Meeting is your best opportunity to get it done!
Cheer & Dance Safety Judge Training and Rules Course
Cheer & Dance Safety Judge Training and Rules Course will be offered at each location. Judging candidates may register to attend the safety judge training only or are welcome to join us for the Regional Meeting. You must register for the events you want to attend. Coaches are invited (and encouraged) to attend the safety judge training course to audit the Rules Course to gain a better understanding of the rules in cheer and/or dance. There is an additional fee for the cheer rules course (refer to the General Schedule link above for registration fees and deadlines).
At our 2012 Regional Meetings, we will have renowned choreographers presenting master classes in Hip Hop and featured speakers for both our Cheer and Dance attendees. We are excited to introduce to you, the featured cheer speakers (listed below) who will be at each of our 6 Regional Meetings. Each one brings a wealth of knowledge to the meeting and is looking forward to sharing information with you as they teach several classes.
Mid-Atlantic Meeting
Baltimore, MD
July 13-15
Featured Speakers – Jeff & Diana Miller, Pro Spirit
Northeast Meeting
Hartford, CT
July 20-22
Featured Speaker – Craig El, Ultimate Athletics
Southeast Meeting
Atlanta, GA
July 27-29
Featured Speaker – Tannaz Emamjomeh, California All Stars
Midwest Meeting
Chicago, IL
August 3-5
Featured Speaker – Orson Sykes, Twist & Shout
West Meeting
Costa Mesa, CA
August 10-12
Featured Speaker – Kristen Rosario, Top Gun All Stars
Southwest Meeting
Dallas, TX
August 17-19
Featured Speaker – Happy Hooper, ACE Cheer Company
Universal Spirit’s Spirit of Hope took place on January 14-15 in Charlotte, NC. This event had 239 All*Star Cheer teams compete and was a qualifier for Cheer & Dance Worlds. Partial Bids were awarded to:
ACE Cheer Company “Thunderbirds” (Senior Small Coed L5)
A-Towne Dynasty Allstars “Legends” (Senior Large Coed L5)
Charlotte Allstars “TEAL” (Senior Medium Coed L5)
Greensboro Allstars “Diamond Elite” (Senior Small L5)
Pittsburgh Superstars (Senior Medium L5)
At Large Bids were awarded to:
FAME Allstars “Blackout” (Senior Small Coed L5)
FAME Allstars “Notorious” (Senior Medium Coed L5)
Famous Superstars “Celebrity” (International Coed L5)
ACE Cheer Company and Cheer for a Cause have united to raise funds for Coach Matt McCallum’s kidney transplant. Matt’s kidneys were damaged when he was just seven years old. Now 24, and on dialysis for nearly four years, he will receive a life saving kidney transplant on November 11th.
Birmingham, Alabama, November 9, 2010 – ACE Cheer Company is truly a family of all kinds and a family of caring and loving people from all over this country! This year, ACE was called to do something very special for one of their own. They teamed up with Cheer for a Cause and kicked off a fundraiser at their Meet the Tribe Showcase in October to help Matt McCallum with the enormous expenses he faces.
Matt, a 24-year-old coach in the Murfreesboro gym, will receive a kidney transplant on November 11th. What’s really special is that the donor is Kelley Zeringue, wife of ACE co-owner JR Zeringue! Although 100% of the donor’s expenses are covered by the Kidney Donor Fund, Matt’s medical expenses and medications are not covered and are estimated to be $200,000. A direct donation link to the Fund is on ACE’s home page at http://www.acetribe.com.
JR Zeringue, co-owner of the Gadsden gym, and organizer of the event says, “We would appreciate any help you can offer toward our endeavor to help this young man live a normal life.” JR and owner Happy Hooper knew Matt’s need would be felt deeply by the ACE family of teams.
ACE Cheer Company and Cheer for a Cause are reaching out to our U.S.-wide cheer family and even our global family to help this young man. They have produced a video and posted it on YouTube to share his message. Will you rise to the call for help from the Tribe?
When Matt was seven, doctors found a blockage in his urinary tract that damaged his kidneys. At age 21, Matt’s kidneys completely shut down and he has been on dialysis ever since. Matt worked at ACE’s Murfreesboro gym since 2005, and moved from Premier to ACE this April. He cheered at Middle Tennessee State University for two years and met his wife, Brittany, at the ACE gym (both coach at the Murfreesboro gym). The two are newlyweds, and were married on March 6th.
The Meet the Tribe event brought in $7,200 toward The Matt McCallum Kidney Transplant Fund. Last Sunday, JR participated in a benefit motorcycle ride for Matt in Fort Payne, and they raised an additional $200!
On the “Praying for Matt McCallum & Kelley Zeringue” Facebook group, JR Zeringue posted yesterday, “I just wanted to share the first bit of great news. Matt and Kelley preregistered today and due to your generosity Matt and Britt were able to pay their copayment today and received a 20% discount for paying it up front! Praise God!” This is a first step toward this young couple being able to meet the enormous obligations they face for continuing healthcare and medication. And they’re counting on our help.
Coach Julie Bolton, founder of Cheer for a Cause, said, “There is an tremendous amount of passion and heart within the cheer community. And Matt’s need gives us an opportunity to unite to make a significant difference in his life.”
ACE Cheer Company was founded in Alabama in 1999, and is beginning their 11th season. ACE includes six locations: Homewood, Fairhope/Eastern Shore and Gadsden, AL; Atlanta, GA; Murfreesboro and Nashville, TN. ACE is a progressive, national and world recognized leader in the competitive cheerleading industry and has grown to be one of the largest all-star programs in the world. ACE Cheer Company has been featured in Gymnastics Technique Magazine, American Cheerleader, Inside Cheerleading, Cheer Coach and Advisor, CheerBiz News, All-Star Cheer and The Cheerleader Magazine. ACE has also been recognized by various other media sources, such as The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, ESPN, Fox Sports, Discovery Channel, state/local cable channels, newspapers, a feature a spot on the Disney Channel and in the 2009 USASF national promotion campaign. In 2009, American Cheerleader Magazine again ranked ACE in the top 15 programs in the nation.
Cheer for a Cause is based in Lake Mary, FL, and was founded by Julie Bolton. Their mission is to unite the Cheer World through charitable causes and create a global impact.
Look for Cheer for a Cause to show up at an event near you! Reach Cheer for a Cause at weshare@cheerforacause.org or on facebook groups at Cheer for a Cause. Their website, which is being donated by Jam Spirit Sites, will be up at http://www.cheerforacause.org by December 1st.
The Executive Committee, consisting of President, Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer, serves as Officers of the USASF and has the primary responsibility of budget oversight. The USASF Board is the nominating committee and elects officers by majority vote.