Category: Spirit

Event 11 took me to the East Coast and an event I’ve never been to before. The event was fine and I feel like the teams continued to show good midseason form. Of course there were some that walked away disappointed in their performance, but I don’t recall seeing any teams that truly didn’t seem…

The Wire published Inside the Cheerlebrity Economy. Fans follow the queens of the scene, cheerlebrities, obsessively. After Gardner, there’s Carly Manning, Cami Branson, Peyton Mabry, Gabi Butler, and Jamie Andries. Young girls light up at the sound of these names and rush to take photos with the teenagers at competitions. Tumblr users debate the cheerlebs’…

Fathom Events and Nfinity Athletic are thrilled to bring the ultimate cheerleading competition to the big screen as “Nfinity Champions League Cheerleading Event” somersaults into over 650 select U.S. movie theaters on Thursday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m. (local time). Pre-recorded four days earlier, this exclusive one-night cinema event will feature action-packed routines showcasing acrobatics,…

The USASF sent the February eNews last week. USASF Professional Membership USASF Professional Members are eligible to participate on committees, vote for cheer rules and be nominated for awards like Cheer or Dance Coach of the Year. Are you eligible? Activate your Professional Membership now! (More Information) Submit Your Dance Rules Proposal Do you have…

Congratulations to the five new coach members, five new event producer members and two new affiliate members that will serve a two year term on the NAB. USASF National Advisory Board elections were held January 28-31, 2014. All USASF Professional Members were eligible to vote. Coaches Tanya Roesel, Midwest Cheer Elite, OH Lee Grobstein, Star…

Event 10 continued my west coast swing, this time in a slightly warmer location. Despite Thursday and Friday being challenging travel days for many of the judges, everyone made it before the first team took the floor. The event itself was fine and I felt like more teams were growing into their routines. I don’t…

WRIC.com published Cheerleading Program Taking New Steps To Prevent Injuries. The article includes a video. Head injuries are becoming increasingly common as cheerleading routines focus more on gymnastics, pyramids and aerial stunts. Now one cheerleading program is taking new steps to protect its young athletes.

Shortly after the conclusion of the 2014 UCA/UDA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship, held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports January 17–19, it came to our attention that Small Coed Division II team Columbus State University had violated our guidelines for eligibility. Because of this, we have had to disqualify Columbus State…

Memphis, Tenn., January 29, 2014 – Varsity All Star has announced that it will air three separate one-hour shows on the CBS Sports Network tracking the teams of the Triple Crown Championship. The shows will take viewers behind the scenes at their home gyms and on the road at events as they compete for this…

ATLANTA, Ga., January 31, 2014 – Inside Cheerleading and Cheer Biz News magazines are kicking-off a year-long celebration to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of both magazines! Throughout 2014, the special milestone will be celebrated with promotions, a look-back series in the magazines and events to mark the momentous occasion! I remember like yesterday traveling to…

ITV published Cheerleading Group Trying to Get Respect for Their Sport. It’s a brief article with a 3 minute video from our friends across the pond.

Event 9 took me to the first of back to back events on the west coast and the first of what will probably be 5 trips during the season. On the scoring side of things, I’m seeing teams perform skills that make little sense. For example, performing below level stunts or tumbling in a way…

CBS News published Why Pro Cheerleading May Be One of America’s Worst Jobs. While the cheerleaders may appear happy on television, their bank accounts may not be quite as jolly. A Raiderette is paid a fee of $125 for each home game in which she performs, but isn’t paid for rehearsals or charitable appearances. The…

National Advisory Board (NAB) Elections are now open and close at midnight PST on Friday, January 31st. You must be USASF Professional Members with a green light background check to be eligible to vote. Everyone eligible will be able to vote in the Coach and Affiliate election. In addition, Event Producers have designated a representative…

The Summit will be broadcast LIVE on ESPN 3 via WatchESPN, a new app providing nonstop reporting of ESPN live sports and shows. Memphis, Tenn., January 15, 2014 – In 2013, Varsity All Star launched its new all levels championship, The Summit, which was created to provide an unique opportunity for the best youth, junior…

USA Cheer announced Team USA 2014. The coaches for Coed will be LeRoy McCullough and Christa Grizzle Sanford. The all girl coaches will be Tony Nash and Savanna Sibley. Leighton Clarke will be helping with both teams. Team USA Coed Males Aaron Pollard Dave Clemmons Dishon Clark Jason Riel John Stuart Josh Gallia Kenny Heaton…

Event 8 was one of my favorites, UCA College Nationals. Congratulations to all the teams taking home championships, including my alma mater, Kentucky, for bringing home their 20th title. I’d also like to say “Great Job” to all the teams that hit their routines and put on a show. On the rules side of things,…

All USASF member Junior Dance Teams have the opportunity to qualify for the Jr. Dance Worlds! If your team would like to qualify, simply submit a DVD of your team performing at a Dance Worlds Bid event for consideration. Click for more information: DVD submission details Download DVD submission form Find a Dance Worlds Bid…

The USASF Worlds Score Sheet Committee and the NACCC Universal Score Sheet Committee have been collaborating to align scoring philosophies and direction with the goal of establishing one scoring standard for All Star that can be utilized at all events, including The Cheerleading Worlds. The committees have determined that, for consistency, time and fairness, rather…

Since Team USA tryouts are today, it seems appropriate to introduce the coaches. All Girl Cheer Coaches Tony Nash Savanna Sibley Leighton Clarke Coed Cheer Coaches LeRoy McCullough Christa Grizzle Sanford Leighton Clarke More information, including biographies, can be found on USACheer.net.

JAM Brands and The Majors released a video for the final team competing, Maryland Twisters Eye of the Storm. Jammy says it best: Maryland Twisters Eye Of The Storm represent everything The MAJORS is: Hard Work, Dedication and Love for the sport of All Star Cheerleading! http://vimeo.com/83256025 In addition The Majors released skills videos for…

Event 7 took me back to Texas. We still had some problems with toss execution, specifically telling if someone was trying to do a hitch or just came off the basket awkwardly, but the overall execution of skills was better than my last visit. I still saw a couple double jumps and they continued to…

Opportunity for all 5 Star Athlete Members! The USASF Scholarship Fund was established in 2008 thanks to the help of our sponsors. This scholarship is designed to recognize and reward outstanding All Star Cheerleaders and Dancers by providing financial assistance in furthering their college education. This scholarship is open to any College bound senior that…

Teen Vogue published Inside the Life of the Internet’s Favorite Teen Cheerleader. I personally don’t use the term “cheerlebrity,” which is what the internet calls us. In my opinion, cheerleaders aren’t celebrities! We’re athletes who are recognized for hard work and dedication to the sport. And yes, cheer is definitely a sport. We put in…

JAM Brands and The Majors released the personality videos for each team competing this year. Here are the videos for the Senior All-Girl division. More information about the event can be found at ExperienceTheMajors.com. Cheer Athletics “Panthers” http://vimeo.com/79256489 Cheer Extreme “Senior Elite” http://vimeo.com/81112548 Maryland Twisters “F5” http://vimeo.com/79256488 World Cup “Shooting Stars” http://vimeo.com/79106590