Tag Archives: Athlete Membership

Varsity Letter About NCA, Athlete Membership and Midwest Cheer Elite Donation

From: John Newby
Subject Line: Greetings from Varsity All Star

Dear Coaches, Gym Owners, & Friends,

Just last weekend, 875 teams competed at the largest all star cheerleading and dance event in the world, CHEERSPORT Nationals. On behalf of Varsity All Star, we want to congratulate CHEERSPORT, our partner in the Varsity Family Plan, on this incredible feat.

One weekend later, we are on the eve of the second biggest and most prestigious event in all star cheerleading and dance, NCA/NDA All-Star National Championship, where the best teams are competing in Dallas for a coveted NCA/NDA All-Star National title. I wanted to wish every team the best of luck. Whatever the end result, we know that your coaches and athletes have worked very hard in preparation of this weekend, and we are so proud of the skill and athleticism of your teams.

We are excited to welcome over 750 teams to the event this weekend. It’s a record for us, and a reflection on the excellence we strive for every year. NCA and NDA will be awarding 39 bids to the USASF Worlds, and we can’t wait to see the bid winners perform in April at Disney World.

The 14 brands that make up Varsity All Star are proud to be members of the USASF, which has done a great deal for the all star community, from creating fair levels for competition, to providing scholarships, to ensuring that every possible safety measure is taken in the interest of the well being of our athletes. Starting next competition season, Varsity is proud to support the coaches and gym owners by working on a new Athlete Membership program. To help get this program up and running, we recommended to the USASF Board of Directors a few weeks ago to consider offering the membership for free the first year. We think this will help accomplish a goal that was set by the coaches and gym owners in our organization, without the burden and fear of additional expenses for all star families during these challenging economic times.

The 75 National and 35 International member organizations of the USASF have pulled together to create a rich and healthy competitive experience for your teams. We know how many benefits cheerleading, dance and competition can provide for your athletes, and we are proud to work with the USASF to continue their mission of growing the sport of all star cheerleading and dance.

One of the things we are most excited about for this weekend is the check presentation we will be making to Tanya Roesel and the Midwest Cheer Elite family. This past November, two families from this gym in West Chester, OH were involved in a tragic auto accident. The driver, Lori Morris, was killed instantly, and another mom and three cheerleaders were hospitalized. Our goal in starting the HUGS for Midwest Cheer Elite campaign was to raise $25,000 at many of our Varsity All Star competitions to help offset and defray medical and funeral expenses. We have surpassed that and will be taking final donations this weekend in Dallas, and will present the proceeds to Tanya on Sunday at one of our awards session. We are so very proud of the all star community and the outpouring of support for this program.

Good luck to all of you this weekend. In our minds, you are all champions.

Together, we are stronger!

John Newby
Executive Vice President, General Manager
Varsity All Star

Most Current USASF Athlete Membership Information

Tanya Roesel of the NACCC sent the following email:

Here is the most up to date information from Amy Clark with the USASF regarding Athlete Membership for next year…

For the 2011-12 season Athlete Membership will be required of cheer athletes only.

We are still building the dance programs and trying to introduce the USASF to studios and attract them to our industry.

As you know – -our dance events are very different from what studios usually participate in — So, as to not deter them from attending an event – we are going to hold off on requiring athlete membership for dancers this upcoming season

For the 2011-12 season cheer athletes will only be required to join as members.

Credentialing will be an optional part of the program.

Athlete credentialing is included in the membership fee — and as long as the coaches are credentialed – they can administer the credentialing tests to the athletes.

The fee for athlete membership will be $15 for the 2011-12 season.

The membership term will run concurrent with the competition season.

Similar to gym membership – it will be one flat rate ($15) that no matter when it is paid during the season it will expire at the end of the season. There is not a pro-rated fee.

All athlete members will recieve an ID card with their picture and birthdate on them.

Each athlete member will have a $1 million catastrophic insurance policy

More information on this coverage can be found at this link: http://usasf.net/members/1mil/

Athletes will also receive a magazine and are eligible to apply for scholarships.

You can find out the most current information by checking this link: http://usasf.net/news/?id=242

May I also suggest you download and print from this link information for your participants and their parents:

http://usasf.net.ismmedia.com/ISM2//Member%20Documents%20/Athlete_Membership_Flyer.pdf

Turbulence Ahead

I have a feeling the next 12-18 months will be among the most turbulent our industry has seen since I got involved over 15 years ago. I haven’t figured out how to express all the reasons I think this is the case without causing drama, but I would advise everyone to strap on their seat belts because it’s going to be a bumpy ride. The good thing is, if all goes well, we’ll be in a better place in 18 months than we are now.

The combination of the NCATA and USA Cheer promoting different sport formats, the impact the new sport could have on traditional cheerleading, the USASF athlete membership requirement, and this being a year we vote on changes to the USASF rules means a lot is going on right now. Hopefully the conversations about these items and the decisions and actions taken will prove to be positive for the industry and our athletes.

Team USA & USASF Updates

In case you missed it, Team USA announced the 2011 team will train in Grapevine, TX, which is in the Dallas area and USASF’s First Friday stated:

Following unanimous approval of the following proposal by the Sanctioning Committee, the National Advisory Board, and the NACCC at Doral, The USASF Board of Directors unanimously approved:

  • Beginning in 2011-2012, all athletes competing at sanctioned events must be members of the USASF.
  • At least one USASF credentialed safety judge is required at all sanctioned competitions beginning with the 2011-2012 season.
  • A standardized USASF score sheet will be optionally available at USASF sanctioned events beginning in the 2011-2012 season, but will be required beginning in the 2012-2013 season.