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