Category: Spirit

UCA released the 2012 College Partner Stunt & Mascot entry tape results today. Congratulations to Chelsea Horton & Jason Riel from Columbus State University, Alie Sturchio, Monique Hutton, Arianna Scanlon & Brittany Schoenig of Hofstra University, and Auburn University’s “Aubie” for qualifying first. College Partner Stunt & Mascot National Championship Entry Tape Results

Reuters published Gymnastics Rule Modern Cheerleading. “Cheerleaders are one of the most conditioned athletes that I know. You need to be at a high level in order to do all those stunts and tumbling,” said Stacey DelPreore, a New Jersey-based fitness instructor.

Many people confuse a Tough decision with an Unpleasant action. Tough decisions arise when you don’t know which option to choose because the options appear to be equal. You could be looking at several good options, like choosing between court-side seats or a luxury box at the game, or between bad options such as going…

All Star Cheerleading has come a long way over the past few years. An activity that started out as an after school social platform has evolved into an 8 billion dollar a year industry. The pioneers who set the stage for what you now know and enjoy have worked endlessly to see that activity become…

Rajesh Setty published 7 Reason Why Many Smart People Fail to Lead, discussing the challenges of going from a star team member to a leader. This article made me think of all the gym owners that were star athletes and great coaches wanting to become a gym owner.

When I started teaching camps for UCA the summer after high school I was leaving an All*Star team that I had won back to back NCA and UCA titles with and just made the Wildcat squad, now known as the Blue squad, at the University of Kentucky. I thought I knew a thing or two…

Mary Fehrenbach was named the Special Olympics North America Coach of the Year for 2011. Fehrenbach was one of the forces behind starting the Kentucky Elite Showcats, which pioneered special needs cheerleading programs. Kentucky.com published Lexington Woman Named Coach of Year by Special Olympics, talking about the award.

The USASF released updated rules today. Les Stella specifically pointed out the following areas as having updates: Release moves L3, L4, L5 and L6 All of L6 -L4 Pyramids E -L3 Pyr. E. 2. Clarification 3 USASF Rules – The most recent version will say “Updated October 28, 2011” near the top.

The Cheerleading Agency has partnered with great2bgel.com to bring cutting edge nutrition to the cheerleading world! Agel Enterprises has created a new delivery system known as gel suspension technology. Each packet contains exact amounts of essential nutrients athletes need to perform at their best. These convenient packets require no refrigeration or mixing-just grip, rip and…

Kristin Smaby published Being Human is Good Business on A List Apart. The article talks about remembering to put the customer first in customer service. Companies are moving too far to the solving the problem side of things and forgetting they are serving a person.

Les Stella made a clarification about the email the USASF sent yesterday: Any all star event conducted by a USASF/IASF member event producer is fine to attend. The “international” title is not an issue, the “World” title is a problem. It really is that simple. As long as you don’t attend a competition that has…

Dear USASF Members and Officials: The USASF and IASF are endorsed by and belong to the International Cheer Union, the international governing body for Cheer, which is recognized by national cheer federations from 100 different countries. The ICU has traditionally conducted its World Championships for National Teams (like USA Cheer) representing its member countries immediately…

Catherine Clifford of CNN published Why a $14/Hour Employee Costs $20, outlining the less obvious costs of adding an employee.

MSNBC published Teen: Kissing Another Male Cost Me My Cheerleading Post. A 17-year-old senior says he was kicked off the cheerleading squad and suspended because he kissed another male at their high school in Alice, Texas. The boy told KRIS-TV in Corpus Christi on Thursday that he was suspended after he was seen on surveillance camera…

The Sun Herald published Cheerleading Extends Beyond Football Season. You’ll find Golden Wave cheerleaders hard at work on the sidelines during the fall, but the cheer season lasts substantially longer than football season.

Ben Horowitz published The Fine Line Between Fear and Courage. The article talks about leadership characteristics and includes a couple of great quotes from legendary boxing trainer Cus D’amato, but can be summed up by one of Horowitz’s paragraphs: Every time you make the hard, correct decision you become a bit more courageous and every…

The USASF announced Dance Event Sanctioning will begin with the 2012-13 season. USASF Dance Sanctioning Standards

The USASF published new information concerning Dance Worlds. 2012 Dance Worlds Information

Jay Goltz wrote What Satisfying Picky Customers Can Mean to a Business in response to Paul Downs’ article about The Very Picky Customer. Goltz points out the difference between no growth, average growth, and exceptional growth over time can come down to how a business works with challenging customers.

The USASF sent the following email to Gym Members: Dear USASF Member Gym: As most of you know, the USASF conducted several “regional” meetings throughout the course of the summer to gather feedback from constituents and to educate members on initiatives the USASF is undertaking. As a result of these meetings there were several issues…

I read an article in the New York Times titled Monitoring the Private Lives of Your Employees which made me wonder how much monitoring is appropriate and how it should be done. Many employers have policy’s regarding the image an employee portrays on social networks, but how far should those policies go? As a gym…

Minneapolis, MN (Sept. 29, 2011) – The DX AmeriCup National Dance Championship held annually in Minneapolis will be awarding up to 18 World Bids at the February 24 – 26, 2012, championship; the most dance world bids at one major competition this season. Lisa Saline, originally with UPA and new founder and President of Dance…

Minneapolis, MN (Sept. 30, 2011) – Dance Xtreme invited a combination of school, rec and all star coaches to form an advisory panel and help refine the AmeriCup to become the best dance championship in the country. After numerous conference calls and lengthly dicussions, the 2012 AmeriCup promises to be an event dance teams should…

September 29, 2011 – Minneapolis MN – The Independent Event Producers (IEP) welcomes Cheer USA Championships from Huffman, Texas. “The independent sector is the largest portion of the spirit industry. Independent companies bring unique qualities and customer incentives to events all across the country.” says Lisa Saline, IEP Chairperson and owner of Dance Xtreme USA…

When Smart People are Bad Employees by Ben Horowitz comments on the problems created by having a really smart, but bad employee. The article even touches on if exceptions should be made for this type of employee.