Category: Spirit

USASF College Scholarships 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 who participates with any USASF…

Event 6 took me back to the Mid-Atlantic and was the first time this season I got to work with another Core Safety Official. The performances were mixed, which isn’t much of a surprise given the proximity to the holidays. Some teams looked phenomenal, specifically some of the Level 5 teams competing for Worlds bids.…

Elections for the USASF National Advisory Board (NAB) take place later this month. As a reminder, voting privileges for all USASF programs, including committee leaders and cheer rules, are granted to Professional Members. To vote you must activate your Professional Membership by Thursday, January 23, 2014. The National Advisory Board Elections will be held Tuesday,…

The application deadline for the USASF College Scholarship Program is Wednesday, January 15th. Applicants must be planning to attend an accredited College/University as a full-time student. Along with their application, they must submit: An essay of 300 words or less (requirements below) High School transcripts Recent cheerleading/dance picture highlighting your athletic look (no team attire)…

JAM Brands and The Majors released the personality videos for each team competing this year. Here are the videos for the Large Co-Ed division. More information about the event can be found at ExperienceTheMajors.com. ACE “Warriors” http://vimeo.com/79124094 California Allstars “Cali Coed” http://vimeo.com/81058096 Cheer Athletics “Cheetahs” http://vimeo.com/79434687 Cheer Extreme “Coed Elite” http://vimeo.com/81060774

The application deadline for the 2014 Team USA Cheer team is Monday, January 6th. Application requirements are: Interested athletes must apply and pay a registration fee of $50. Applicants must submit an online application before January 6, 2014. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and a high school graduate at the time…

In the near future, probably next Thursday, USASFRules.com is going to begin publishing explanations and clarifications for rules that are most commonly violated or misunderstood. These will be informal posts to help increase understanding of the rules and hopefully decrease the number of violations. These will not be official additions or changes to any rule.…

What are you doing to make yourself a better industry professional? As a coach, are you attending clinics to make you a better teacher? As a gym owner, are you learning from your colleagues and implementing what’s worked for them? As a judge, are you doing anything that will make you more knowledgeable and a…

Happy New Year! If you had to sum up what you are wishing for in relation to cheer and dance in 2014 in one word, what would it be? Please let us know. My One Word is Community.

JAM Brands and The Majors released the personality videos for each team competing this year. Here are the videos for the Small All-Girl division. More information about the event can be found at ExperienceTheMajors.com. California Allstars “Lady Bullets” http://vimeo.com/79499512 Cheer Extreme “SSX” http://vimeo.com/79490119 Green Bay Elite “Lime” http://vimeo.com/80685988 ICE “Lady Lightning” http://vimeo.com/81047524

Teen Ink published Cheerleading is a Sport. So why do many Americans not think cheerleading is a sport? It cannot be because cheerleaders do not use balls or manipulate objects (if you do not count megaphones, pompoms and signs as objects). Wrestling, swimming, diving, track, cross-country, gymnastics, ice-skating and boxing are recognized sports that do…

The New York Times published The Mighty, Mighty Cheerleaders. Cheerleaders are their teams’ most loyal supporters. Athletes in their own right, leaping and dancing and tumbling, they pump up the crowd, which in turn motivates the players with its roars of encouragement.

Merry Christmas! May your day be filled with family, friends, food and fun.

KKTV.com published Cheerleaders Selling Shirts To Raise Money For Arapahoe Shooting Victim. I saw this story after the ordering deadline, but still wanted to share. Students from a rival school have found a way to support the 17-year-old victim in the Arapahoe High School shooting. Unfortunately Claire Davis has passed on Saturday due to the…

USA Today published Former Eagles Cheerleader Now Stars for Army. As a Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader, Rachel Washburn toted pom-poms. As an Army intelligence officer with a special ops combat unit in Afghanistan, she carried an assault rifle and pistol. She was a pioneer on a special mission to relate to local women in ways that…

Could you be the next iC Superstar and possibly an Inside Cheerleading magazine cover model?! In each issue of Inside Cheerleading, we feature the iC Superstars (soon to be known as TEAM iC), who share their exciting journey through the world of competitive cheer. With some of the best of the best – like Matt…

Event 5 was my first Major event of the season, with Major meaning multiple floors running at the same time to go along with bids to Worlds and an all levels end of the year event. On the positive side, it seemed like more teams were conditioned enough to make it through their routines. There…

New Athlete Membership Program Starts August 1, 2014 The full implementation of USASF Athlete ID in the 2013-14 season has seen more than 100,000 athletes to date registered in the program. Knowing who, how many and at what levels all star athletes are competing by verifying their ages and connecting them to specific programs and…

The Wire published The Private Lives of the Cheerlebrities of Instagram. With more and more teens commanding smartphones, Instagram has become a reflection of one’s social status. Just like in high school, cheerleaders rise to the top. But it’s not just high school students following them — being popular on the Internet unfortunately means being…

Inside Cheerleading published iC’s Top 10 Rules to a Great Practice!. The key to achieving great cheerleading skills is working as a team to make the most of your practice time. Your team could practice seven days a week, but if the group isn’t maximizing this time together, then progress won’t be made! There are…

Kentucky.com published Thousands of Cheerleaders Competing in Louisville regarding WSF’s Triple Crown Showdown this weekend. All-star cheer and dance teams representing eight states are competing this weekend in Louisville at the Triple Crown Showdown of cheerleading. A similar story was published in the Courier-Journal.

Please remember all athletes need to be USASF 5 Star Athlete Members prior to competing at a qualifier to be eligible for a Worlds bid and teams must provide a copy of their official USASF roster to the event producer at the event where they are competing to receive their bid to Worlds. To double…

Event 4 was my first of many Worlds bid events this season. One positive observation was how much better Level 2 baskets have become. I feel like the used to consistently be low, crooked, and generally a little sloppy, but lately they have been significantly higher, straighter, and just generally better. Great job coaches! This…

Philly.com published 2 1/2 Minutes of Serious Cheerleading. “Last year, she was a flier, and I was scared to death,” he said Sunday over a pounding dance track from another squad’s performance elsewhere in the Wildwoods Convention Center. “All I wanted to do was get her down. This year, she’s a base. It’s helping my…

Cheer Safe published Cheer Safety Through Coaches’ Eyes. Share. Share your knowledge of safety procedures and guidelines with your team. Safety is everyone’s responsibility and the team can share in decisions that affect their safety. Understanding the importance of a safe area, progression of stunts, AACCA guidelines, and your Emergency Action Plan will empower the…