Category: Spirit

Having trouble with a standing tuck? As a coach when I have an athlete having issues with a standing, I look at their physical conditioning. If an athlete can perform a standing tuck with precise technique on apparatuses such as tumble trak or air track, but are having issues on the floor, they have an…

Dear USASF Coach and Owner Members: I hope this email finds you successfully surviving a busy 2016-17 competition season! In the midst of the busy-ness, we hope you’ll find some time to contribute to the USASF CommUNITY! We’re building an online community full of articles, sample forms, informational resources and more that will launch this…

The 7th edition of Drills=Skills featured Shea, David, and Sean discussing roundoffs.

Standing tucks might just be my favorite skill to teach, but at the same time, can be one of the most taxing skills to get accomplished. Some of the most common problems I see with standing tucks are the dropping of the chest in the entry, lack of use of the arms, throwing the head…

Congratulations to the newly elected members of the Cheer and Dance National Advisory Boards! Are you interested in serving on a NAB someday? Start by getting involved on your Regional Advisory Board. Contact your Regional Director for information. Cheer National Advisory Board  |  Dance National Advisory Board

Summer USASF Regional Conventions will be here before you know it, so get the date for your convention on your calendar today! Don’t forget the pre- and post-convention workshop opportunities for mentoring and leadership education and training for coaches, owners and athletes. Read more.

In January we held web conferences by region to announce the launch of the National All Star Connection (The Connection) which is the pathway to USASF involvement for cheer and dance coaches and owners. We introduced you to the Region Leaders and let you know that more opportunity for input and collaboration would be coming.…

Even if you’re not in Orlando, you won’t miss a minute of the action from The Cheerleading and Dance World Championship when you subscribe to the live stream available exclusively on FloCheer! Tune in for performances from every cheer and dance venue, special features, stories, interviews, results and more! Sign up for Live Stream Now!

USASF published the list of Cheerleading and Dance Worlds bids recipients. Cheerleading Worlds Bid Recipients | Dance Worlds Bid Recipients

Questions about 2017-18 Cheer Rules, Check out the recently posted webinar recording of the 2017-18 Cheer Rules, Program Definition and Age Grid explanations. Log in to your member profile, navigate to Member Resources and click Webinars.

This month is your perfect opportunity to spread the word about cheerleading safety and to make sure your program follows recognized progressions and safety rules. Click here to take the iCheerSafe Pledge, learn about certifications, review your emergency plan and spread the word about safety in cheer!

The topic for today’s edition of Drills=Skills is Handstands.

The standing tuck is an equal combination of power and technique, without one the other cannot be accomplished. The proper athletic stance to start allows for the core, glutes and hamstrings to become engaged. Following this position the arms need to lead the body up so I’m often telling my kids to speed up their…

Special guest Victor Rosario joins Shea, David, and Sean for the 5th episode of Drills=Skills. The topic is front twisting. The show covers introducing front twisting, proper twisting direction philosophies as well as drills and conditioning to maximize front twisting.

February came and went along with some of the largest events in our industry. The most tragic news of the month was the fatal plane crash in California involving a small group returning from a cheerleading competition (Washington Post, ABC, People). Here’s the other news you may have missed: Cheerleading’s Peculiar Path to Potential Olympic…

Six deserving U.S. teams will be awarded At Large bids to compete in the Jr. Dance Division at The Dance Worlds! If your team wants to apply for qualification, read all the details here. Deadline for submission is March 1, 2017.

Do you have an idea for a Dance Rule Change? Submit your proposal here. Deadline for submission is March 1, 2017.

I can’t begin to tell you how many athletes come into a cheerleading gym wanting to learn how to do any skill that involves a flip, without ever knowing all the progressions that come before that actual skill. And one of those most important progressions would be the walkover, front or back. Before you even…

Walkovers are the topic for the 4th Drills=Skills show. Shea covers proper technique with a focus on open shoulders and proper lever positioning, David explains drills used to perfect walkovers, and Sean discusses some troubleshooting strength and conditioning tips.

A prerequisite skill for a back walkover would be to fall to a bridge from a standing position and preferable to kick over as well.  For a front walkover I like to see that an athlete can do a front limber and stand without dropping their arms. Walkovers, both forward and backward, are great skills…

Episode 3 of Drill=Skills features Shea, David, and Sean focusing on Tucks.

Whether you are going forward or backward, walkovers are one of the most basic, fundamental tumbling movements athletes start performing. Just as any other skill, the most important part of learning walkovers is the physical readiness of the athlete in both strength and flexibility, along with a good understanding of the prerequisite skills. Some of…

Cheer & Dance National Advisory Board elections are coming up! If you’re a current USASF Professional Member and your email address is accurate in your member profile, you’ll receive the ballot to vote for coaches in your region! Remind your co-coaches to update their profiles!

The USASF Cheer Rules Team has compiled a list of Legality Violations by level as reported by the USASF Legality Official onsite at USASF Sanctioned Events. This can be a wonderful resource for you to not only see what areas the violations are occurring, but to go back to the rules and review for your…

Clarifications from post summer training were reflected in the 8/22/2016 draft. However, the rules have been reformatted and cleaned up a bit (no changes / no clarifications) for improved user experience and released on 11/1/16. USASF Dance Rules