Cheer Coach & Advisor Magazine

T H E # 1 R E S O U R C E F O R C H E E R L E A D I N G C O A C H E S

NOV/DEC 2008

cheercoachmagaz ine .com

Ways to Save Money in a

Bad Economypage 22

2009COACHES’ CONFERENCESAND TRADE SHOWSpage 14

Ways to Save Money in a 6CHEER PRODUCT

GOES GLOBALTHE DAVID GIVENS

CONNECTIONpage 20

Pam HeadridgeHeadridgeOak Harbor High School Head Coach EDUCATING + COACHING = SUCCESS page 16

Y

SLetter

CHEER COACH & ADVISOR NOV/DEC 20084

When Times are Bad We Need More CheerleadersYou have to be living under a rock not to have heard that we’re going through some bad times with the US economy. Credit is tight, money is scarce (unless you’re getting a bailout) and more and more people are out of work. All this got us to thinking, “isn’t this when we need cheerleaders the most?” Who better than cheerleaders (and their coaches) to raise people’s spirit, keep on smiling, and maintain a sunny outlook on a situation when all indications are that it’s going bad? Aren’t these the exact qualities you train and teach your students? “When times are tough, the tough get going.” And it wouldn’t hurt for all of us to step into the role of being a cheerleader. When times are bad, we definitely need more cheerleaders. Along similar lines, in this issue we’ve asked other coaches what they are doing differently to compensate for the downturn in the economy. You can find their helpful answers on page 22 in our “Coaches Advisory Panel.” Also, in this issue is a special feature on how two inventive, talented men are taking a small cheer product worldwide. David Givens, two-time Super Bowl Champion and NFL wide receiver, joined forces with Todd Kopp, owner of Core Athletics and well-known inventor. Together they have expanded the versatility of this cheer product and are now marketing what most us in the cheerleading world know as the knee bands. You can read more about F.A.S.T. (Fitness and Strength Training) Bands in “Cheer Product Goes Global” on page 20. For us, helpful tips and advice on getting through hard times isn’t a one time thing. We hope to continue offering you ideas and suggestions on ways to cost effectively manage and market your program throughout 2009. In our Jan/Feb issue we plan to ask the leaders in the industry for their advice on ways to save money. And it will also be our first issue dedicated to safety. So, watch your mail for it.

Happy Holidays!

The staff at Cheer Coach & Advisor magazine

WEB SITEwww.cheercoachmagazine.com

EDITORIAL

EDITORValerie Ninemire

2319 FM 1794 W, Beckville, TX 75631(903) 678-1113

Fax: (903) [email protected]

ART DIRECTOR Nancy Kumpulainen

[email protected]

NATIONAL SALES

PUBLISHER Heather Portnoy(317) 679-4499

[email protected]

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVEMegan Ninemire(903) 452-2942

ADMINISTRATION2319 FM 1794 W

Beckville, TX 75631(903) 678-1113

Fax: (903) 678-1126

CFOW. Zachary Ninemire

INTERNET DIRECTORRichard M. Haynie

PRODUCTION [email protected]

FOR SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATIONCALL (903) 678-1113FAX (903) 678-1126

E-MAIL [email protected] or MAIL INQUIRIES TO:

Cheer Coach & AdvisorSubscriber Services

CHANGE OF ADDRESS For uninterrupted delivery of your magazine,

please notify us four weeks prior to your move.

MISSING/DAMAGED ISSUES We will gladly replace these issues, inventory

permitting. Please notify us of missing or damaged issues within 60 days.

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARDDebbie Bracewell: Executive Director, NCSSE – AL

Cindy Clough: Co-Owner and Director, Just for Kix – MNCoach Wayne Evans: Coach, Author and Publisher – GAPam Headridge: Head Coach, Oak Harbor H.S. – WA

Gwen Holtsclaw: Founder and President, Cheer LTD – NCSusan Loomis: Spirit Liaison, National Federation of

State High School Associations – INJim Lord: Executive Director, AACCALisa Moroski: National Cheer & Dance

Commissioner, Pop Warner – PAElaine Pascale: CEO, World Cup All Stars, NACCC – NJ

Tammy VanVleet: Golden State Spirit Assoc. (GSSA) – CALance Wagers: Founder, ACA – TX

Jeff Webb: Founder and CEO of Varsity Brands – TN

Did you hear?Seven high school varsity cheerleaders were indicted on hazing charges and they could face jail time for their actions.

The Morton Ranch High School varsity cheerleaders are accused of blindfolding and restraining a number of junior varsity cheerleaders. Supposedly, they bound the younger cheerleaders with duct tape and pushed them into a swimming pool at a cheerleader’s home.

Does your squad participate in any initiations or hazing type of rituals? Do you think coaches should be responsible for what their cheerleaders do after hours and away from the school, gym, competitions or practices? Email us your thoughts and comments at [email protected].

Cheerleaders

Indicted Over

Hazing

Best Coaches Conference

May 14 – 17, 2009

Pinnacle Award for Excellence in Coaching

For coaches displaying signifi cant achievements and contributions to the

spirit industry, leadership, and overall career success.

Thirty Under Thirty Coaching

Award The industry’s up and

coming coaches under thirty years old who have

begun their coaching careers with exemplary

achievement and contribution

National Cheerleaderof the Year Award

Scholarship competition to top Junior and Senior cheerleaders.

Submit nominations through Dec 31st at cheerltd.com

overall career success.

The industry’s up and coming coaches under

thirty years old who have

achievement and contribution

GUARANTEED BENEFITS: Three practical tips from every CheerCon class to immediately benefi t your program.

PROFESSIONAL EDGE: World-class coaches and sports psychologists…risk- management lawyers and successful gym owners…college coaches…Spirit Industry Hall of Fame honorees.

ADD-ON THE CERTIFICATIONS: PreCon or PostCon Sessions Available

First Aid/CPR ™

USASF Credentialing ™

National Cheer Judges Certifi cation ™

NCSSE for Cheer and Dance Coaches ™

EXPOSURE: Ask questions and build relationships with the experts.

HANDS ON: Increase learning, retention, and enjoyment with select hands on courses.

GET SERIOUS: CheerCon is an educational conference on a university campus. If you are serious about your future in cheerleading, start at CheerCon.

Present special national awards

CheerCon is a two-time

and

P


CHEER COACH & ADVISOR is published bi-monthly by Van Publishing Co., 2319 FM 1794 W, Beckville, TX 75631. Unsolicited material should be accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. Views expressed herein by authors of articles contributed to CHEER COACH & ADVISOR magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher accepts no responsibility for their accuracy or completeness. Reproduction of materials in whole or part is prohibited without express permission. Copyright 2008, CHEER COACH & ADVISOR magazine. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CHEER COACH & ADVISOR, 2319 FM 1794 W, Beckville, TX 75631. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $29.00 per year; $4.95 single copy.

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NOV/DEC 2008Volume 5, Number 5

features

14 COACHES’

CONFERENCES, CONVENTIONS &

TRADE SHOWS

16 COVER STORY PAM HEADRIDGE

Oak Harbor High School Head Coach

by Valerie NinemirePhotography by Vail Studio

www.vailstudio.com

20 SPECIAL FEATURE Cheer Product Goes Global

with David Givens

departments

4LETTER

8 IN THE KNOWSchool, Rec and All-Star Happenings

10 STUNTING SEQUENCESomersault Load-Inby Pam Headridge

22 COACHES’ ADVISORY PANEL—Q&ACost Saving Tips in a Bad Economy

24 COMPETITION CALENDAR

30 BUYER’S PRODUCT SHOWCASE

TableofContents

16

2009

ON THE COVERPam HeadridgePhoto by Vail Studio

12

20

ON THE COVER

Choose Choose Choose Choose JAM! ! Earn Earn JAMpoints. points. It’s that simple.It’s that simple.It’s that simple.It’s that simple.

PInTheKnow

Exciting News from Varsity Varsity has spirit, yes, they do. They have spirit, how about you? This holiday season, Varsity Spirit and PBteen will bring a little “cheer” to children and teens everywhere with Varsity Cheer, a new collection designed for the ultimate fan to root for their team with the NCA or the UCA at home or on the go. Varsity Cheer is available on PBteen.com. Also new is the re-launch of Varsity.com which will have new interactive features and content. Cheerleaders and coaches will now have the option of customizing the site choosing a palette to match their school or team’s colors. A site mascot, Captain (named by website visitors) will also greet visitors as they check out the features of the site at www.varsity.com.

School, Recreational & All-Star Happenings

The Cheerleading Agency LLC is a full service coaching & personal representation cheer agent organization. We con-nect the right agent to the cheerleader who is seeking to get on a college cheer team, we connect the coaches to the cheerleaders and the cheerleaders to the team that will be right for them and we work with both the cheerleader and the parent to make sure that they received a personalized plan for success in their future. The Cheerleading Agency will have Agents in 50 states plus Canada by March 2009. Located at 6801 Hillsdale Court, Indianapolis, IN. The Cheerleading Agency is a new company but it is “already at full speed.” “This is our season now,” President and Cheer Agent, Patrick Cowherd says “we really want to focus early on the college cheer recruitment process because April is just around the corner – so we will work year round but mainly from November – March with those cheerleaders who want to be joining a college squad for the upcoming college year.” For specific information on the Combine and/or joining The Cheerleading Agency, visit www.thecheerleading agency.com or call Patrick Cowherd at 317-518-6427 for more information.

On November 5th, over 500 cheerleaders from across Maryland showed their spirit when they came together for the “Cheers For Our Troops” event, assem-bling 100 Thanksgiving care packages for the 224th National Guard Medical Relief Unit from Laurel, Maryland. The cheerleaders decorated and packed boxes with 20 various items including footballs, cameras, games, snack foods, chap stick, stationary and hand wipes. Each team donated 100 of a designat-ed item, and donated $50 to ship the boxes, which went out on November 7, and will arrive in time for Thanksgiving. Guest speakers included Brigadier General Annette Deener of the Maryland National Guard, and Martha King of the Annapolis Family Assistance Center for the Maryland National Guard. Coastal will to continue to host an annual philanthropic initiative that will involve Maryland cheerleaders and recognize the great sacrifice of our Troops! You can learn more at their site www.thecoastalcorporation.com.

The Coastal Corporation’s Cheer for Our Troops

The Cheerleading Agency

Todd Kopp, owner of Core Athletics, was recently elected the SITA Chairperson for 2009 and Debbie Bracewell, Executive Director of NCSSE, has been elected the SITA Vice Chairperson. The 2009 SITA Executive Committee consists of: Todd Kopp, owner Core Athletics – Chairperson; Debbie Bracewell, executive director NCSSE – Vice Chairperson; Steven Wedge, owner COA – Treasurer; and Serena Andrews, owner Coastal Corporation – Secretary.

SITA Board Members for 2009 are: Cheer Ltd.America’s BestCOAAmeriCheerSpirit Cheer

You can learn more about SITA at www.spiritindustrytrade.com.

Core AthleticsCheer Coach and Advisor MagazineAll Star OutfittersNCSSE

SITA Elects New Chairperson and Vice Chairperson for 2009


SStuntingSequence


Somersault Load-In Exciting 5 Person Stunt

Competition season is now in full swing across the coun-try. The routines are full of inventive stunts and pyra-mids that are hoping to score

high numbers. Judges not only grade the stunts themselves but also the load-ins and dismounts. Here is an innovative way to mount a prep/elevator or extended stunt like a liberty. This sequence needs 5 people: a Flyer, Back Spotter, two Bases and a Front Spotter. Demonstrating the stunt is Cassie Gianino, Shani King, Lau-ren Aguirre, Meghan Rikard, and Jessie Gulizia from Oak Harbor High School.

STEP 1 faces forward. She grabs

the Flyer’s right foot between her legs. Her right hand is under the toe with the left hand placed under the heel of the Fly-er’s right foot. (Figure 1a)

faces forward with her arms in a “T” position and her right foot in the Front Spotter’s hands. She must keep her arms locked straight.

and , grab the Flyer’s hands and under the armpits. Notice that the Bases’ inside hands have their fingers facing forward. This allows more lifting power.

gripes the Flyer’s waist.

STEP 2, continuing to hold onto

the Flyer’s foot, will forward roll as the Bases lift the Flyer in the air.

on a designated count dips togeth-er with the Bases and jumps straight up keeping her right foot in the Front Spot-ter’s hands.

and assist the Flyer by lifting under her arms and walks forward as the Front Spotter rolls. (Figure 2a)

lifts up on the Flyer’s waist and walks forward.

During this sequence, do not lift the Flyer past the Front Spotter. She must always stay behind her. >

By Pam Headridge

1

1a

2

2a

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InsideCheer.1 9/26/08 9:10 AM Page 1


STEP 3 finishes her forward roll

in a kneeling position and to the side of the Flyer.

taps her left foot to the floor. She keeps her arms stiff in a “T” position.

and plus the dip as they place the Flyer

on the floor.

Remember safety is a coach’s primary fo-cus. The team should always practice on a matted surface and perfect the skill before performing in front of an audience.

Happy and safe stunting!

Pam Headridge is currently in her 15th year as the head coach of the nationally ranked Oak Harbor High School Wild-cat cheerleaders. She has been honored as National Cheerlead-ing Coach of the Year, National

Federation Interscholastic Spirit Association Section 8 Coach of the Year and Washington State Cheer-leading Coach of the Year. Pam is a widely respected presenter who travels the country speaking on numerous topics concerning cheerleading and coaching. She has eight cheerlead-ing training videos on the market and is co-author of a recently published cheerleading book, “Develop a Successful Cheerleading Program.”

STEP 4 together with the Second-

ary Base and Back Spotter lifts the Flyer into the stunt.

jumps into a “squish” position and supports her body weight with her arms on the Bases’ shoulders.

and “J” the Flyer’s arms down and then lift her into a “squish” position by release the arms and grabbing the Flyer’s feet. (Figure 4a) No-tice that the original Primary Base leaves the stunt after she lets go of the Flyer’s arm.

assists in the transition by lifting at the waist.

STEP 5, who is now the

, along with the ex-tends the Flyer into a prep/elevator. This stunt can also be taken into a liberty.

, on a designated count, pulls her body straight upward to a standing posi-tion. She must not bend her arms during this transition.

tosses upward from the Flyer’s waist and grabs her ankles.

This visual load-in adds a creative element to your routine and will help your team score bonus points in the judges’ eyes. It is also a fun mount to perform at games and assemblies.

StuntingSequence

3 4

4a

5

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COACHES’CONFERENCES, CONVENTIONS

& TRADE SHOWS

EVENT DATE LOCATION INFORMATION

6th Annual National All Star Cheerleading Coaches Congress (NACCC) & National Small Gyms Association (NSGA) Conference January 5 Westin Atlanta Airport, Atlanta, GA www.usasf.net

Cheer Expo March 27-29 Halifax, NS, Canada www.cheerexpo.com

Missouri Cheerleading Coaches Association March 27-29 Lake of the Ozarks, MO www.missouricheercoaches.org

FCC National Cheer Coaches Conference March 27-29 Atlanta, GA www.cheerfcc.org

Iowa Cheerleading Coaches Association Conference April 3-4 Iowa www.iowacheercoaches.org

USASF Coaches Conference April 27-28 Orlando, FL www.usasf.net

NCA/NDA National Coaches and Directors Conference May 15-17 Dallas, TX www.nationalspirit.com

Golden State Spirit Association Coaches Conference May 15-16 Manhattan Beach, CA www.gssaonline.com

National Cheer Conference Cheer LTD CheerCon May 14-17 Methodist College, Fayetteville, NC www.cheerltd.com

Oregon Cheerleading Coaches Association Coaches Conference May 15-17 Salem, OR www.occa.net

Cheer Power Coaches Conference May 16 Las Vegas, NV www.cheerpower.com

UPA National Coach and Team Conference June 19-21 Minneapolis, MN www.upainc.net

National Spirit Expo & Coaches Conference June TBA Westerville, OH www.americheer.com

Indiana State Cheer Conference August 1 Carmel High School, Carmel, IN Judy Smith – (317) 403-0870

United Cheer Expo UCE September 18-19 Baltimore, MD www.unitedcheerexpose.com


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P am Headridge, head coach of Oak Harbor High School, is a well-known figure in the cheerleading

community. She is the author of a suc-cessful cheerleading book, has produced numerous cheerleading videos and is in high demand as a speaker at a variety of cheerleading coaches’ conferences. Her 19 plus years in the industry has solidified her role as an educator and coach, which has translated into a successful cheerlead-ing coach’s career.

coaching. Cheerleading makes such an impact on the kids. You see them grow, change and gather confidence in them-selves. Every year, I go through the ups and downs of coaching and ask myself why I want to keep doing it. I always find that I do it for the kids and helping them is the main reason.” Pam went on to say that teaching dis-cipline and accountability are her best coaching qualities. She explained it this way, “I really think that being a coach is

Pam was a cheerleader in junior high, high school and college. She got involved in coaching when her daughter, who was a junior high cheerleader, wanted to try out for her high school team. The current program at the high school was looking for more of a coach than an advisor and Pam applied. She got the job, her daughter made the team and went on to graduate; and Pam is still coaching there. When asked about why she kept on coaching Pam replied, “The kids keep me

PAM HEADRIDGE OAK HARBOR HIGH SCHOOL HEAD COACH

Educating + Coaching = Success

SCoverStory

www.cheercoachmagazine.com 17

more than teaching the skills. I think, es-pecially in cheerleading at this stage, that when kids have so many different areas they can go into and so many times they are splintered in their lives, that some-times they don’t understand the concept that if they commit to something they have to be totally accountable to it and have re-sponsibility for it. I teach them time man-agement and if they obligate themselves to something they have to follow through on their obligations.” As for solving conflicts within the squad Pam said, “Basically, the rules themselves are pretty black and white. I write every-thing down. I think it’s very important that when they walk into the program, they to-tally understand the rules. I go over the rules thoroughly and I explain that this is what they need to do and this is the con-sequences if they don’t follow them. I also tell them that it is not because the coach doesn’t like them. It’s the rules and they have to follow them. When I do have to discipline a child, I don’t do it in front of the other kids. I pull them aside, go over the infraction and ask them what we have to do to correct it. They either work on the problem or realize the program is not for them. It’s not about a relationship between the coach and child. It’s about learning to understand their obligations and their responsibilities.” She continues, “When it comes to

conflicts among the kids themselves, we play a little game when they first start. We begin with an opening motto and each season they develop their own. When they walk through the door we actually go through whatever the motto is; we stand together in a circle. They understand that when this happens everything else is outside the door and that this is all about cheerleading and their team mates. They can’t bring personal issues in even if it’s problems within the cheerleaders themselves. They are here for the team and for doing what needs to be done within

the context of Oak Harbor cheerleading, whether it’s a game or competition. Then, at the end of practice we go through the same motto. They understand it; they learn how to compartmentize what they need to do when they are here. It usually works pretty well. Sometimes, if it doesn’t work, I’ll talk to them and tell them to write down the things that are frustrating them, especially if it’s between two different

cheerleaders. They will write down their problems on a piece of paper and then I’ll tell them to crumple it up and throw it away. And that is where it needs to stay. I don’t believe that they need to talk it out between them. That can easily lead to an ‘I said, she said’ situation which usually does more harm than good. When they write it down, they can look at it. Also, in the beginning, when we are forming the squad, we do a lot of bonding games and communicating in hopes that they can better understand each other. I tell them that they each have different personalities

and that each of them communicates dif-ferently. I try to explain to them that some-times what they think they heard someone say, might not be exactly what they said. Overall, they usually do not bring outside things to our practices or events.” When asked about her worst coaching quality, Pam replied, “Patience.” She went on to say, “Sometimes, I don’t think I’m as patient as I could be, especially when it

PAM HEADRIDGE

“When I do have to discipline a child, I don’t do it in front of the other kids.”


comes to following the rules. I don’t accept excuses easily. Pam has a degree in education from the University of Maryland. And when you couple that with her innate ability to read people, it’s no wonder that she is an exceptional coach. She explained it this way, “When you coach, you go through levels. In the beginning, you go in and you want to make an impact. And you think that making an impact is winning competitions and perfecting the perfect stunt; it’s more of a skill orientated side of coaching. Then you realize, as you stay in it, that no, those are not the important things. The story that has impacted me most is of a young man. He was the first guy I had on a squad. It was his senior year and at that time, we decided to travel to Oregon to compete. It was a big deal to

it. In his mind, we were so successful at that competition that a third place trophy had turned into a first place. If he walked away feeling successful, that is what I wanted. I realized then, that it’s all about making them feeling good, knowing who they are and how hard they worked. Coaching is about teaching them what is required to get them where they need to get and reinforcing values throughout the program. In the end, they always want to remember the things that they accomplished, not what they didn’t do. It’s more than skills; it’s about making them feel like they are doing well.” As you can see, Pam Headridge has the knack for educating young people and she possesses the dedication it takes to coach them. If there is a secret to her success, it’s the combination of those two things.

us and it was our start as a competition squad. We came home with a third place trophy; to be honest, I don’t remember, but there might have been only three teams competing, but it was still very exciting. Anyway, he graduated and four years later, he came back as a teacher. When he started teaching he came to me and asked me if I was going to tell everyone he was a cheerleader. I said ‘yeah, I would,’ and he asked me to wait a month to tell them. So, when we had our homecoming week that year, he started telling everyone he was a cheerleader. He’d go on to tell them that we had won first place at our first competition in Oregon and I told him, no, it was a third place. Then, I realized that it wasn’t really that important what place we had won. To him, it was a success and that is all I wanted him to take away from

CoverStory

“In the end, they always want to remember the things that they accomplished, not what they didn’t do.”

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SSpecialFeature

David Givens, two-time Super Bowl champion and former wide receiver for the New Eng-land Patriots, knows about inju-

ries and more importantly, he knows how to prevent them, and if they occur, how to rehabilitate them. Having suffered a seri-ous injury while playing football, Givens is familiar with the overall workings of the body, particularly the muscles, ligaments and tendons. He knows about cardio ex-ercises, strength training and how neces-sary it is to stay flexible. So, what does all this have to do with cheerleading? Well, while recovering from an injury, Givens was given a pair of knees bands by Alisa Borselli, owner of Jag Cheer and Dance in Wobur, MA. He started using the product and was impressed with what it could do. He also saw a huge potential for the prod-uct in sports other than cheerleading when he began telling his teammates about the

Most of us know about Kopp’s inter-est and support of special needs children and his many charitable causes, but Giv-ens is also a firm believer in giving to those in need. Together, we can expect to see many charitable programs, volunteer work and a renewed respect for coaches from this joint venture between Doing Good Enterprises and Core Athletics. There’s more good news too. This part-nership will not stop at F.A.S.T Bands as they plan to invent, develop, test and promote other products that will help athletes to improve their performance. Is there a Back Handspring Machine or Mae-Flyer in the works for basketball or foot-ball players; probably not, but that’s not to say that these two great minds won’t come up with something else that cheer-leaders use and expand it fit all sports. Their concept is simple but elegant. All athletes are built the same; an athlete pushes his or her body to the limit and the better their fitness, the better their per-formance. If they can prevent an injury, they can perform longer. It’s nice to know that the cheerleading community has two people in their corner and that they rec-ognize the athleticism of the sport and are willing to take it to the next level.

knee bands and sharing them with basket-ball players. Using his experience, knowl-edge and inventiveness he contacted Todd Kopp, inventor of knee bands and owner of Core Athletics, and together they have added more functions to the knee bands, renamed them F.A.S.T. (Fitness and Strength Training) Bands, and are working on taking the product worldwide. Their new and improved F.A.S.T. bands have been enhanced to ensure that they are comfortable, strong and easy to clean. The improvements have increased the range of the equipment and allow it to work on your upper, lower and full body. It will help increase your core strength and your muscle endurance. All of which, can prevent injuries or get you on back on the road to recovery faster, if you are injured. The pair has not stopped at just improv-ing F.A.S.T bands either, they are going a lot further by offering coaches’ education, listening to their customers’ feedback and offering workout videos and train-ing DVDs. They are also in the process of putting up a comprehensive Web site at www.myfastbands.com. And given the knowledge these two have; Kopp in safety and Givens in injury prevention, the sky is the limit on where F.A.S.T. Bands will go.

By Valerie Ninemire

The Doing Good Enterprises and Core Athletics staff (F.A.S.T. Bands) at the SITA annual meeting in Chicago.

CHEERPRODUCT GOES GLOBAL with David Givens


Coaches’ Advisory Panel PPPP PPIt’s all over the news, the economy is tanking and people are starting to feel the squeeze in every aspect of their lives. Nowadays, money is on everyone’s mind and we thought it would be a great time to tap into our knowl-edgeable coaches’ advisory panel to see if they would share their ideas and advice on making every dollar count. Below you’ll find our questions and their answers.

Questions: “With the downturn in the economy, what are you doing

different with your program to compensate? Do you have any

cost-cutting or budgeting advice for other coaches and programs?”

Denise Olewnik, Owner of Key-stone Extreme, PA: We have opened a Pre-CAST team (Pre-Competitive All Star Team), which pays lower monthly fees, and only have practice one time a week. This has opened 5 more competitive teams to our gym and allows people who are typically appre-

hensive about joining the sport the opportunity to participate in a 7-month program for a lower cost. In addition, the gym has also used the downturn of the economy as a marketing tool. We be-lieve that our teams provide hope and positivity for the athletes involved and their families. Keystone Extreme All Stars brings people together, it keeps spirits up and allows for camaraderie in a time that is not as economically hopeful.

Sabrina Irving, Cheer Coordinator/Head Coach North Philadelphia Aztecs, PA: My program is under Pop Warner. This year we tried to go for the All-Star look without spending All-Star money because of the downturn in the economy. What we did was change our hair bows and spankie pants to sequin and we changed our sneakers to a line similar to the evolution tumbling sneaker but much cheaper. With those little changes we were able to keep the same uniform but just switch the accessories to give us that winning All-Star look.

Erin Johnson, Gym Director—Spring Creek Athletics, TX: We decided to re-vise our schedule to attend mostly local com-petitions, as opposed to any that require long drives or flights. We also had the gym buy the uniforms and rent them to the kids for a savings for the families. It costs more for the gym, but then we own them and can use them over and over.

Rosemary Sims, Program Director —Australian All Star Cheerleading Federation & Cheerleading Victo-ria, Australia: In Australia we are feel-ing the decline of the economy. We do our

best to ensure that our cheerleading programs are as affordable as possible aiming for more students, paying smaller fees. This way the athletes can continue with their sport and potential new students will chose cheer programs because they can af-ford them. Have a smaller ratio of teachers to students keeps cost down too. Educate your students thoroughly on safety and spotting so teams can work together with fewer coaches. Lastly, seek out and choose low-priced, local competitions so teams can still compete.

Autumn Nabors, James River High School, VA: Our only fundraiser we do each year is sell ads for our fall sports pro-gram. This year with the economy, we made $4,000 less than in past years. To compen-sate, we are planning to do a fundraiser dur-ing our basketball season.

Sebrina Phillips, Owner/Director of Classic All-star Cheerleading, NC: Take the time to re-evaluate your es-sential needs and wants. Reassess the last 6 months of your incoming and outgoing financial status. You may be able to cut back on a day in the gym by considering things like moving two small classes together to form one large class. This effort can save your gym time and money in the long run. We offer a 30 - minute free trial session all year round to promote enrollment. If you have a highly motivated group of parents, maybe they would consider formulating a Booster Club to assist the athletes in your program. Always remember to stay strong in difficult economic times. Hold on to the reason you got involved in the “Sport of Cheerleading” in the first place. Have faith and keep your creative juices flowing....remember a smile does not cost a thing!

We’re looking for you—If you’d like to be a part of coaches helping other coaches, then take a minute and join our Coaches’ Advisory Panel. All you have to do is send an email with your request to [email protected] for our consideration. Be sure to include a short bio and headshot.


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