Tag Archives: Press Release

Nominations for 2013 Small Gym of the Year and Coach of the Year

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Inside Cheerleading Magazine LogoThe staff at Inside Publications is pleased to announce the opening of nominations for the 2013 Small Gym of the Year and Coach of the Year awards, presented by Inside Cheerleading magazine and Cheer Biz New, respectively.

This is the seventh year that that Inside Cheerleading has presented the Small Gym of the Year award, and the first year that Cheer Biz News will be presenting the Coach of the Year award. Central Mississippi Cheerleading (David & Kendall Hanbery) received the honor of Small Gym of the Year for the 2012 season, and Randall Harper walked away with the distinction of 2012 Coach of the Year.

Nominations for each award will be accepted through Friday, April 5. Finalists will be announced and online voting will commence on Monday, April 8 on www.insidecheerleading.com and www.cheerbiznews.com. Online voting will close Friday, April 12 and winners will be announced at the 10th Annual USASF Awards Gala in Orlando, Fla. on Friday, April 26.

Inside CheerleadingSMALL GYM OF THE YEAR Presented by: Inside Cheerleading Magazine

Award Qualifications: Must be a current USASF Gym Member in good standing and be defined by USASF standards as a “Small Gym” for the 2012 – 2013 All Star season.

Nomination Process: Nominations (in the form of formal letters of recommendation) will be accepted from various event producers who have the unique opportunity to work with gyms on a daily basis. Nominations should speak to how the small gyms conduct themselves during all facets of the event, including, but not limited to, registration processes/procedures, warm-up, competition, awards presentation, etc. Nominations/letters of recommendation should be sent to Shelly O’Brien, shelly@insidepubs.com. Nominations will be accepted from April 1–April 5.

Selection Process: Finalists will be announced and online voting will be opened to the industry April 8-April 12 via www.cheerbiznews.com and www.insidecheerleading.com.

COACH OF THE YEAR Presented by: Cheer Biz News

Cheer Biz News LogoAward Qualifications: Must be a current USASF Member in good standing and must have served as a coach of at least one team during the 2012–2013 All Star season.

Nomination Process: Nominations (in the form of formal letters of recommendation) will be accepted for individuals who have served as a coach during the 2012–2013 All Star season. Each nominee must receive three formal letters of recommendation, one from a parent of the program, one from a cheerleader of the program and one from a fellow coach/peer of the program. Nominations/letters of recommendation should be sent to Shelly O’Brien, shelly@insidepubs.com. Nominations will be accepted from April 1–April 5.

Selection Process: Finalists will be announced and online voting will be opened to the industry April 8-April 12 via www.cheerbiznews.com and www.insidecheerleading.com.

Varsity Announces the “Varsity All Star Judges Association”

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Varsity All Star LogoMemphis, Tenn. March 27, 2013 - The Varsity All Star Judges Association is the newest initiative from Varsity All Star committed to maintaining the highest standard of scoring in the All Star industry. Coaches attending Varsity All Star events in the 2013-2014 competition season can expect to be scored by a pool of “Five Star” judges, who will be even more extensively trained on the Varsity Scoring System. In addition to the current training curriculum being implemented, our brands will work together this summer to coordinate an intense training session with all of our E-Score Judging Directors, Five Star Judges, Accu Score Judges, and Point Deduction Judges. Our goal at Varsity All Star is to continue setting the standard for quality scoring and judges training. With our new Judges Association in place, we are confident we will continue to be the leader in providing the most accurate, dependable, and professional judges in the All Star industry.

2013 Champions Cup Cheer and Dance State Nationals Open for Try-out Registration

Champions Cup LogoIndianapolis, IN, March 17, 2013 - The 2013 Champions Cup Cheer and Dance State Nationals is excited to announce the opening of registration for its inaugural, summertime competition in New Orleans, LA, July 14-18th!

With a goal of promoting camaraderie and goodwill among athletes and within the competitive community, The Champions Cup is bringing athletes together in an Olympic- style format to represent state teams across the nation. The Champions Cup is open to all levels and organizations – schools, gyms, studios and special athletes. In keeping with the Olympic-style theme, athletes must try-out for a state team before competing as a Champions Cup athlete in New Orleans.

In order to try-out, athletes must register at www.thechampionscup.us. Cost for registrations is $35. Athletes may attend live try-outs or submit a try-out video. Live try-outs are hosted at gyms across the country and can be found by visiting the event website www.thechampionscup.us. Try-outs take place through April 21st; registration must be completed by March 31, 2013.

“The Champions Cup is designed to be a first-class experience from top-to-bottom,” says founder Patrick Cowherd. The Champions Cup kicks off with an Olympic-style ceremony in a two-part celebration including a parade and humanitarian event where athletes are encouraged to experience and celebrate camaraderie and goodwill before competition gets underway. “The competition itself will be stellar,” says Cowherd, “Thatʼs where the real magic is going to happen… when athletes see and experience what happens when they come together as a new-found team.” The event wraps up on July 19th and 20th with an optional two-day Combine-Recruitment cheer and dance clinic designed to help athletes prepare for opportunities beyond their competitive careers.

Cost to participate in the event is $575 and includes custom state uniforms, backpacks, duffle bags, shoes and many other extras (airfare and lodging are not included). A portion of event proceeds will be reserved for USASF scholarship fund. For more information, or to learn how to become a sponsor, visit www.thechampionscup.us or contact us at 317-703- 7895.

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2013 Champions Cup Cheer and Dance State Nationals Open for Try-out Registration

Varsity Joins Partnership for a Healthier America

New initiative to recruit 400,000 cheerleaders and dancers to lead health and wellness programs in schools across the United States.

VarsityMemphis, Tenn., March 7, 2013 – Varsity, the leader in cheerleading and dance team education, events and apparel, has joined the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) with a new initiative that encourages cheerleaders and dancers to cheer for a healthier America.

The new program will be implemented at more than 1,000 camps across America, taught by 4,000 instructors. The program, designed to get kids involved in aerobic activities, will be taught to the 400,000 enrolled campers that attend Varsity camps. After participating in the program during camp, these campers will be instructed on how to use the program in their schools and communities to get other kids moving.

The program will be highlighted in all camp brochures and DVD training manuals, which are distributed to more than 26,000 coaches and administrators, and will be part of the official curriculum of each camp.

“We know that cheerleaders can use their prominent positions as school leaders to help us spread the word about the importance of physical fitness at every stage of life, especially the crucial elementary school years,” says Bill Seely, Senior Vice President, Training and Education for Universal Cheerleaders Association, the largest of the Varsity brands. “We look forward to teaming up with the Partnership for a Healthier America and working together towards a healthier future for our youth.”

“Some of the most powerful communications and programmatic efforts in which we can engage are the ones where kids speak directly to kids,” said Lawrence A. Soler, CEO of PHA. “Varsity brands is doing just that, by engaging high school and college-aged leaders and enabling them to work in their communities – specifically elementary schools – to get kids moving more. We’re pleased to have them on board.”

The program will be working on physical activity and nutrition lessons that will be performed at camp and then re-taught at elementary schools by those camp attendees. Participants will be asked to make a pledge to take the activities back to their schools and communities before they leave camp on the final day. They will be provided with physical activity challenges and school challenges to implement when they are back at school and in their communities.

For more information, please contact Sheila Noone, snoone@varsityspirit.com, 901-251-5959.

About Varsity

Varsity is the source for all things related to cheerleading and dance team. With a rich heritage and traditions dating back to 1974, Varsity is an innovative global leader comprised of the leading spirit brands and organizations including its educational camps, clinics, competitions and uniforms to teams around the world. Varsity’s National Championships, many of which are held at the Walt Disney World® Resorts, have been televised on ESPN Networks for more than 25 years. Sponsors for Varsity events include Gatorade, Playtex Sport, Softlips, Oxy, PBTeen, and Herff Jones. Web-based Varsity TV features thousands of cheerleading and dance team videos and has become a favorite cheer destination for cheerleaders and coaches alike. Varsity has led the way in cheerleading safety as a supporter of the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators since 1987 and as a camp leader training more than 400,000 cheerleaders per year in cheerleading fundamentals with an emphasis on safety. In 2012, Varsity purchased American Cheerleader Magazine, which has showcased the cheerleading community since 1995. Based in Memphis, Tennessee, Varsity employs 5,000 employees nationwide. For more information about Varsity, please visit http://www.varsity.com.

Varsity Joins Partnership for a Healthier America

USA Cheer and AACCA Launch CheerSafe Campaign

Website offers comprehensive library of cheerleading safety information and resources.

Cheer Sage LogoMemphis, Tenn., March 1, 2013 – USA Cheer, the governing body of cheer for the United States, has teamed up with the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators (AACCA) to launch CheerSafe.org, the most comprehensive website to date for cheerleading regulation and safety information.

The launch of Cheer Safe.org coincides with National Cheer Safety Month (March), and will include 31 days of safety messaging on Twitter (@cheersafe).

CheerSafe.org is the one source for all cheerleading safety information, from the latest regulations and research to the rules that every team should follow. CheerSafe’s mission is to educate parents, coaches, cheerleaders and administrators on the facts of cheerleading safety at every level – school, college and all star—and to promote and improve cheerleading safety through the involvement of a wide spectrum of organizations in the cheerleading community.

The CheerSafe coalition includes the National Federation of State High School Associations, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the International Cheer Union, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and the University Risk Managers and Insurers Association. It is also supported by youth sports organizations, cheer publications and several state athletic associations. “CheerSafe.org will be the perfect online source for educating the entire cheerleading community,” says Bill Seely, the Executive Director of USA Cheer. “In many ways, cheerleading safety can be seen as the model for all athletic activities. The American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators has been leading the way in cheerleading safety since 1987, with risk management courses and safety guidelines, as well as building relationships with other youth sport organizations.”

Jim Lord, Executive Director of AACCA, has been a tireless safety ambassador for the cheerleading community, and is excited to be working with USA Cheer and other youth sports organizations to continue improving safety conditions for cheerleaders. “I know that CheerSafe will resonate throughout the cheerleading community,” says Lord. “CheerSafe members are united in a three-prong approach to safety: that every cheerleading team be trained under the direction of a knowledgeable coach; that the cheerleading team follows established safety rules; and that they have an emergency plan in place.”

The website provides information on where cheerleading coaches can receive training in person and online, safety guidelines for all states and sample emergency plans. It also invites cheerleaders and coaches to participate in the iCheerSafe pledge.

For more information, visit cheersafe.org, or contact Sheila Noone, media@usacheer.net.

USA CheerAbout USA Cheer

The USA Federation for Sport Cheering is a not-for profit organization and is the national governing body for all disciplines of cheerleading. USA Cheer exists to serve the entire cheer community, including club cheering (All Star), traditional school based cheer programs and the new sport of STUNT. USA Cheer has three primary objectives: help grow and develop interest and participation in Cheer throughout the United States; promote safety and safety education for cheer in the United States; and represent the United States of America in international cheer competitions.

AACCA LogoAbout AACCA

The American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators represents more than 20,000 cheerleading coaches and is the leading advocates of cheerleading safety in the U.S. AACCA is the most recognized source for cheerleading safety education. The AACCA manual, composed by a team of doctors, lawyers, cheerleading industry professionals and Gerald S. George, PhD, has been endorsed by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the University Risk Management and Insurance Association, the Women’s Sports Foundation and the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, as well as the NCAA and NFHS.