Tag Archives: Varsity

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.

Varsity Joins Partnership for a Healthier America

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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

GrowCheer.org Proposal to the United States All Star Federation

Cheer Zone ™, GK Elite Sportswear, L.P., GTM Sportswear, Inc., Motionwear, LLC, Nfinity Athletic LLC, Rebel Athletic ™ & Team Cheer™ formed GrowCheer.org and published the following letter to the USASF.

GrowCheer.org LogoGrowCheer.ORG is a group of unrelated industry companies with a singular purpose – to grow the sport of cheerleading.

As such, we believe that the first (and most important) step in fostering future growth in our sport is a FREE and INDEPENDENT United States All Star Federation (“USASF”).

How are we going to accomplish this?

Central to our plan is to replace the current loan(s) that the USASF has with Varsity Spirit Corporation and/or affiliated companies (“Varsity”).

It is understood that the reason Varsity controls a majority of the seats on the USASF board and why Varsity owns the trademark of the USASF is to secure repayment of these loans. We firmly believe that in order to have a unified industry, no single organization should be unduly influenced by and/or controlled by another.

We propose to assume the loan with essentially the same financial terms that Varsity has given to the USASF. We are prepared to do this immediately after the 2013 USASF Worlds competition.

Other key provisions relating to our plan are as follows:

  1. Require an immediate external audit of the USASF financials by an independent accounting firm that we mutually agree on. We will bear the cost of this audit.
    1. This firm would determine the amount that remains outstanding to Varsity.
    2. The firm would examine the relationship between the USASF and the IASF and confirm that all monies paid to the USASF by American gyms would be used for the support of American programming, not international programming.
    3. The firm would examine the relationship between the USASF and the host site to make sure only the USASF received benefit from the relationship.
  2. All USASF property held in lien as security for outstanding loans with Varsity, including but not exclusively intellectual property (i.e., trademarks), would be released to the USASF.
  3. Immediate rewriting of the Articles of Incorporation, By Laws, and Operating Agreement to abolish all permanent Board of Directors seats and create a provision for an organized election to be conducted as soon as practical. The new Board of Directors would be composed of equal representation among all segments of our industry – gym owners/coaches, event producers and industry vendors.
  4. Future production of USASF World competitions would be granted to a qualified event producer after an open bidding process administered by the Board of Directors.
  5. The office and employees of the USASF would be moved to a neutral location in Memphis. If necessary, we would subsidize payment for the office space until it could be supported by the cash flow of the USASF.
  6. After the first year, or as soon as practical, the Board of Directors would interview and select a professional management company to assume the day-to-day operations of the USASF.
  7. The USASF would be reorganized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is recognized by the IRS as such.

We believe very much in this industry and recognize Varsity for its past foresight and support, but we have come to a point where we can no longer afford to see our governing body indebted to and controlled by a profit motivated company with a clear conflict of interest. In a time when so many are calling for the industry to break apart into separate factions, we feel that the best solution is to step in and provide a practical way for there to be just one, FREE and INDEPENDENT governing body. And we believe that we have proposed a workable solution to this matter.

Your acceptance of the above terms is expected by March 1, 2013 to GrowCheer@gmail.com so that we can make provisions for a seamless transition.

Spirit Holding and Cheersport Join the Varsity Family of Brands

Cheersport LogoMemphis, Tenn., (December 28, 2012) Varsity and Spirit Holding have announced that they are merging, effective immediately. Based in Matthews, N.C., Spirit Holding is the parent company of CHEERSPORT, CheerLogistics and Universal Spirit, and hosts more than 30 competitions each year.

CHEERSPORT’S signature Nationals event, held in Atlanta each February, is the single largest cheer and dance competition in the United States, attracting more than 900 cheerleading and dance teams from around the country.

“Our goal has always been to produce exciting events that are organized and positive for all participants,” said Jeff Fowlkes, President and General Manager of Spirit Holding. “And by teaming up with Varsity, we know that we are partnering with the best in the cheer community. No organization takes better care of its athletes and their safety or cares about their competition experience more than Varsity, and we are proud to be their partner.”

Varsity All Star LogoJohn Newby, Executive Vice President of Varsity and General Manager of Varsity All Star, said, “We are excited to welcome the Spirit Holding team and look forward to working with their entire organization as we continue to focus on producing the best cheer and dance competitions in the world for the athletes and parents we serve.”

Athletes and gym customers should expect enhancements in the future as a result of the merger, including a larger pool of experienced judges and consistent logistical and operational support.

Regarding the new arrangement Fowlkes added, “Perhaps the most exciting aspect about our merger with Varsity is that CHEERSPORT will be able to retain its uniqueness,” added Fowlkes. “Varsity has always allowed its brands the independence they need to retain what makes them special, and that is extremely important to us and to our customers.”

Fowlkes will continue to manage and direct the Spirit Holding operations. Kevin Brubaker will serve as Vice President and Brand Manager of CHEERSPORT, and Adam Thomas will continue to manage Universal Spirit as its Vice President and Brand Manager. Spirit Holdings headquarters will remain at its current location in the Charlotte, N.C. area.

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

The Business of Cheer

Varsity LogoFortune published The Business of Cheer.

Last year Varsity hit $300 million in revenue, an 8% increase over 2010. The company now boasts over 20 brands — from apparel lines to national competitions at Disney’s Magic Kingdom to American Cheerleader magazine — and merged with class ring manufacturer Herff Jones in June 2011. Nearly every uniform sold or camp attended by high school or college cheerleaders is part of Varsity’s vast empire of pep. So where does it go from here?