Holiday Issue 2010 by Valerie Ninemire

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C h e e r l e a d i n g

C o a c h e s

cheercoachmagazine.com Holiday issue 2010

Get Crafty Holiday Projects page 30

Marketing Your Gym Who Wants More Kids? page 38

cheery gift ideas

Cheer Boutique

page 35

Courtney Smith Pope & Kelly Smith Cheer Extreme page 16

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TableofContents

features 16

COVER STORY “Believe in the Spirit” Courtney Smith Pope & Kelly Smith

by Valerie Ninemire Photography by Jamie Christian Photography

makeup tips for cheer teams

Part 2

by Jennifer Kalman www.QDazzle.com

in the limelight Espirit Di Vie Coach’s Award Sponsored by Spirit Celebration and Cheer Coach & Advisor Ebony Phinisee-Roberts—Fierce Cheer

letter From the Publisher and Editor

in the know School, Rec & All Star Happenings

stunting sequence Rollie-Pollie Mount By Pam Headridge

calendar of events Pull Out Section

VIP—VERY IMPORTANT PARENTS How to Guide Your Child Through Competitions

cheer boutique Holiday Ideas Under $25 and Over $25

38 getting crafty

Marketing Your Gym Who Wants More Kids?

Cheery Craft Projects

By Dawnn Doychak

by Amy Bell

choreography corner

by Celexsy Stout Adame

Halftime Choreography in Half the Time

P 16

business builders

Volume 7, Number 5

departments

By Pamela Enders

HOLIDAY ISSUE 2010

venue listings Ideal Locations for Competitions

Photo by Jamie Christian Photography

CHEER COACH & ADVISOR is published 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 2010, 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.

Ch eer Coach & Advi sor H HOL IDAY is s u e 2010

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SLetter A Cheery Time to Believe

Web site

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Editorial

e have to admit this is our favorite time of the year. It’s not just the color combination of red, white and green or the aroma of cinnamon, cloves and ginger, although that does help. It’s the fact that we can spend money without the normal guilt—after all it’s the holiday season and we’re expected to go on shopping sprees, right? Who says we can’t indulge in a new tumbling mat or a cheer bow? Shopping is shopping in our book and if it happens to be cheer related, all the better. In this issue you’ll find our thoughts on some great cheer shopping ideas in our Cheer Boutique on page 35. Also in this issue is a feature on cheery projects in our Getting Crafty article on page 30. It covers how to make a cheer holiday ornament and a project on “Getting Spirited” that can be adapted to any holiday. And to round out our holiday issue we’ve written a story (see page 16) on Cheer Extreme Allstars owned by Courtney Pope and Kelly Smith. These two sisters along with their mother and Courtney’s husband show us the true meaning of believing. Whether it’s believing you can, believing in the spirit or believing in family, they are examples to all of us on the meaning of believing. Now is the time of the year that most of you feel pulled in many different directions. With competition season and the holiday season both going on, we realize it’s hard to keep up with all that’s happening in your life and business. So, we’ve tried to make it a little easier for you by offering you a place to promote your event or to look for one to attend. Visit our Web site at www.cheercoachmagazine.com where we have a form that you can fill out with the information on your event (competition, conference, or camp). We also print what we have room for in most of our issues and recently we’ve made it a pull-out section you can keep handy. For an example, see our Calendar of Events on page 19. In closing, we’d like to take a minute to wish each of you a happy, safe and wonderful holiday season. Our wish for you is that you always have something to believe in whether it’s yourself, your religion, your family or your friends; may you never lose the ability to believe. Happy Holidays! The staff at Cheer Coach & Advisor

editor Valerie Ninemire 2319 FM 1794 W, Beckville, TX 75631 (903) 678-1113 Fax: (903) 678-1126 valerie@cheercoachmagazine.com ART DIRECTOR Nancy Kumpulainen nancy@cheercoachmagazine.com

national sales publisher Heather Portnoy (561) 309-0889 heather@cheercoachmagazine.com Account ExecutiveS Megan Ninemire (903) 452-2942 megan@cheercoachmagazine.com

administration 2319 FM 1794 W Beckville, TX 75631 (903) 678-1113 Fax: (903) 678-1126

CFO W. Zachary Ninemire INTERNET DIRECTOR Richard M. Haynie production nancy@cheercoachmagazine.com

For subscription information call (903) 678-1113 fax (903) 678-1126 e-mail info@cheercoachmagazine.com or mail inquiries to: Cheer Coach & Advisor Subscriber Services 2319 FM 1794 W • Beckville, TX 75631

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 board

Valerie Ninemire

Heather Portnoy

Megan Ninemire

Editor

PUBLISHER

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Cindy Clough: Co-Owner and Director, Just for Kix – MN Coach Wayne Evans: Coach, Author and Publisher – GA Pam Headridge: Head Coach, Oak Harbor H.S. – WA Gwen Holtsclaw: Founder and President, Cheer LTD – NC Susan Loomis: Spirit Liaison, National Federation of State High School Associations – IN Jim Lord: Executive Director, AACCA Lisa Moroski: National Cheer & Dance Commissioner, Pop Warner – PA Elaine Pascale: CEO, World Cup All Stars, NACCC – NJ Tammy VanVleet: Golden State Spirit Assoc. (GSSA) – CA Lance Wagers: Founder, ACA – TX Jeff Webb: Founder and CEO of Varsity Brands – TN

Ch eer Coach & Advi sor H HOL IDAY ISS U E 2010

athletiCChampionShipS.Com

athletic

championships

Coming Soon Fall 2010

PInTheKnow

School, Recreational & All-Star Happenings

greater midwest cheer expo cheer for the cure

Bullying is Nothing to Cheer About

The Greater Midwest Cheer Expo held its 2nd Cheer for the Cure event in Fairfield, OH. There were 1,351 athletes who raised a grand total of $5,500. A representative for The American Cancer Society was on hand and presented several pink awards to teams raising over $500.00 for the day. Monies donated go directly to The American Cancer Society’s Making Strides against Breast Cancer. It was not only a day of working towards preventing breast cancer, but reflection of those who had lost their battle and celebration for those who survived. Teresa Barbiere, CEO and her daughter, Nikki Barbiere walked the Making Strides against Breast Cancer walk in Cincinnati, OH, representing the cheer and dance teams that were attending the event. www.midwestcheerexpo.com 1-866-GOT-2-WIN.

Join the Campaign —Teach Your Cheerleaders: The first step is for each person themselves not to be a bully or be demeaning to others. From there, it’s as simple as befriending someone who is different, saying “hello” in the hallway to an outcast, or even actively standing up to a bully. AACCA strongly feels that cheerleaders and coaches need to step up and take action. As leaders in their schools and communities, they often wield more power and influence than they think they do. So feel free to join the campaign and spread the word about “Bullying is Nothing to Cheer About!” http://www.facebook.com/bullyingisnothingtocheerabout

The Last Season YouTube Cheerleading Video by Christoff Elster Christoff Elster says of the video, “Encouraging people to watch, rate, comment and pass along is all we could ask for. Leeann and I created the video because we were jealous of all the beautiful state board films on YouTube. There is a lot of cool cheer stuff on the web but they seem to all be taken on camera phones in poorly lit gyms. I wanted something better and more close up. As a film major at the University of Hawaii a solution was easily remedied. My classmates were quick to jump on board, seeing it as in interesting challenge. After 2 months planning (finding location crew and a general stunt list) we shot over my last weekend on the island before heading back to the mainland. http:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=ipWu5xCbKAA YouTube—The Last Season. 8

Ch eer Coach & Advi sor H HOL IDAY ISS U E 2010

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Rollie-Pollie Mount

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StuntingSequence

By Pam Headridge

tunting consists of either two-footed or one-foot stunts at either thigh level, shoulder level or fully extended. What makes it fun, entertaining and more exciting is how a group either enters or dismounts a stunt. This series is a creative mount that adds more interest because the flyer is tossed into the air and changes directions. It needs five people: one Flyer, one Back Spotter, and three Bases. Demonstrating the stunt is Courtney Arnold, Kaitlyn Krystyna, Amanda Streubel, Jai’Lysa Hoskins, and Nicole Becker; all from Coupeville High School, WA. In order to perform this mount, the Flyer must have good body awareness and the Bases need to have explosive power in their legs in order to toss her in the air.

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Starting position: • Flyer stands with her back to her Bases. • Primary and Secondary Bases set up to catch the Flyer with the arms extended and palms facing upward. • Back Spotter stands slightly to the Flyer’s right. • Front Base positions herself in front of the two Bases with her hands extended towards the Flyer.

.. .... . . ........ .

Step 1

Step 2 • Flyer jumps up and back toward the Bases. She swings her arms to her side and up to her shoulders as she uses her legs to explode into the air. • Primary and Secondary Bases reach for the Flyer’s lower back and hips. • Back Spotter moves into the stunt after the Flyer jumps into the Bases hands. • Front Base reaches for the Flyer’s shoulder blade region.

Step 3 • Flyer tucks her arms and legs into a rounded-ball position. • Primary and Secondary Bases catch the 12

Flyer at shoulder level. • Back Spotter catches the Flyer around her seat area. It is fine if she overlaps her

hands over the Bases. • Front Base catches the Flyers shoulders and upper back. >>

Ch eer Coach & Advi sor H HOL IDAY ISS U E 2010

StuntingSequence

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• Flyer grasps the Bases’ shoulders with her arms locked out at the elbows, helping to support her body weight. • Primary and Secondary Bases clutches

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Step 6

Pam Headridge is currently in her 15th year as the head coach of the nationally ranked Oak Harbor High School Wildcat cheerleaders. She has been honored as National Cheerleading Coach of the Year, National Federation Interscholastic Spirit Association Section 8 Coach of the Year and Washington State Cheerleading Coach of the Year.

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• Flyer, after she turns to the front, pulls her chest up and her feet under her. She reaches for the Bases’ shoulders. • Primary and Secondary Bases reach up for the Flyer’s feet and resist the downward momentum in order for the Flyer to stop at the Bases’ waist level. It is important that the Bases do not drop their hands to their waist immediately after the toss and wait for the Flyer’s feet to come down. This will cause the Flyer to drop too low to the floor. • Back Spotter reaches up for the Flyer’s seat. • Front Base grabs the Flyer’s shins and helps to absorb the downward force.

the Flyer’s shoes and keeps them at their waist-level. • Back Spotter places her hands under the Flyer’s seat forming a chair. She keeps her elbows tight to her body in order to maintain this position. • Front Base lifts upward on the Flyer’s shins. This visual mount puts the Flyer in a re-load position so she can now be fully extended into a stunt, either one or two footed. Have the stunt group walk through the sequence without the Flyer to perfect the timing. As always, practice on a matted surface with extra spotters for safety. Key points to remember are the Flyer must maintain a tight ball position through the toss and until she faces front. The Bases must use their legs to toss the Flyer and follow through with their arms. They need to reach up for her and resist her downward thrust in order to keep the Flyer safe. Happy and safe stunting! H

Step 5

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• Flyer keeps her leg and arms tuck into her body. She looks over her left shoulder. • Primary and Secondary Bases bend their knees then explode from the legs, extends their arms and toss the Flyer into the air. • Back Spotter assists with the toss by following through on the release and flicking the Flyer over. • Front Base helps with the toss.

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Step 4

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6 Pam is a widely respected presenter who travels the country speaking on numerous topics concerning cheerleading and coaching. She has eight cheerleading training videos on the market and is co-author of a recently published cheerleading book, “Develop a Successful Cheerleading Program.”

Ch eer Coach & Advi sor H HOLIDAY ISS U E 2010

Ch Cheer eerCoach Coach&&Advi Advisor sor HH mont HOL IDAY h /m on ISS th U E 2008 2010

By Valerie Ninemire Photography provided by Jamie Christian Photography

f you had to sum up the lives of Courtney Smith Pope and Kelly Smith, owners of Cheer Extreme Allstars, you could easily do it in one word – believe. These sisters believe in each other, they believe in their families, they believe in their students and they believe in what cheerleading is all about. And they don’t stop there; they take it a step further by trusting in their beliefs. Some how and some way they have found the perfect blend of leaning on each

decided to give the cheerleading business a go. It turned out to be a good decision.” She goes on to say, “My husband, Ben, was the owner of Premier Cheerleading of Asheville. We did the long distance thing for a while, then he moved here and we got married. That was the premise for the satellite operations. We all travel around and help each other out. Now, we have 940 kids, 42 teams and we’re in 6 different cities.” Add Courtney and Kelly’s mom, Betsy,

When asked what they attribute to their success, Courtney replied, “We might not have the biggest and best facilities; we don’t put our money in that sort of thing. What we invest in is our people and the personalities; we spend our money is on our staff and the people that interact with our students. We found out pretty early that people don’t bring their kids into our gyms for a spring board but more for an encouraging coach.” She goes on to explain, “And we have always been able to

other and also giving each other space. Instinctively, they know when to push and when to back off. They are a team to be reckoned with and they have proved it with their many successes in life and in business. It all started in 1990, when Courtney and her mother, Betsy, decided to start a little recreational basketball squad. The idea was to help Courtney make some money to pay for her tumbling lessons. They put out a notice and close to 100 kids showed up. More surprisingly, her and her mother had to teach all of the children together. Then in 1993, they took 20 of the best cheerleaders to a competition. Courtney explains what happened this way, “Ever since then I’ve had a passion for coaching. My mom has always run the business and my sister is an incredible athlete. Our income from coaching put my sister and me through college. Although I majored in Biology and had planned on going to medical school, when I graduated I

into the mix and you have a team that can do most anything. Courtney describes her mother like this, “She is fantastic. She is great at organizational skills, she is meticulous, and amazingly, she does everything by hand. She doesn’t own a computer.” You hear a lot about families working together and the pitfalls of a family business relationship, but with Cheer Extreme Allstars this is not the case. They have figured out the elusive key to making it work and more importantly, making it suc-

count on each other and I believe that has helped our success. It’s been me, my mom, my sister and my husband for a long time and we know we’re in it for the long haul. We don’t always agree but we always have confidence in each other and know we do it for the right reasons.” Kelly adds, “I learned how to separate family from cheerleading when I was in school and Courtney was coaching me. I had to have a different attitude at practice than when we were all together on Christ-

cessful. They compliment one another and play off of the strength of each individual. Where one might lack a little in a skill or trait, another exceeds in it. And it’s not just that, they truly believe in each other’s abilities and in their staff.

mas Eve. I have a long history of separating the cheerleading side from the family side. Courtney and I are extremely close and I love having a job where I can spend time with her; it never feels like we’re working when we’re together.” Kelly con-

w w w. c h e e r c oa c h magazi ne. c o m

tinued, “We get to travel together and to attend events together. And what’s cool about it is that we all have very different takes on what we think is important when we coach. Kelly explained, “Courtney will come watch some of the Raleigh routines I’ve done and she’ll change up the things she thinks need changing because she’s amazing at what she does. And Ben is the best person I know at making up pyramids and he’ll come do that for all the Raleigh 18

teams. Then, I’ll go help clean up some of the Kernersville team’s routines and work on choreography. We all understand what we’re the best at and we let everyone roll with it when it’s their turn.” The owners of Cheer Extreme Allstars, specifically Courtney, Kelly, Ben and Betsy, never feel like they work ‘for” anyone. They consider each other equals and share the work load. This is the same attitude they have for their other personnel too. They

consider them friends and spend time with them outside of the work environment. Courtney, Kelly and their Cheer Extreme Allstar programs have not garnered their outstanding recognition because of some fluke. They do not live by the saying, “If you want something done right, do it yourself.” Instead they have trust and they believe; believe in each other, believe in themselves, believe in family and believe in the spirit of cheerleading. H

Ch eer Coach & Advi sor H HOL IDAY ISS U E 2010

NOV - dec 2010

Competition Calendar NOVEMBER 2010

Nov. 20

The Diamond Showdown

Cheer Ltd. Soffe Louisiana Open Championships

Ft. Pierce, FL www.diamondcheeranddance.com 904-318-0456

Shreveport, LA www.cheerltd.com 800-477-8868 Abby Tyjeski abbyt@cheerltd.com Nov. 20

Cheer Ltd. Robbinsville Regional Championships Robbinsville, NC www.cheerltd.com 800-477-8868 Abby Tyjeski abbyt@cheerltd.com

Nov. 20

United Cheer Fall Open Championship Corsicana, TX www.unitedcheer.com 281-302-5321 Nov. 20

Xtreme Spirit’s Orlando Championship Orlando, FL www.xtremespirit.com 888-762-3296 Nov. 20

Nov. 20

Potter Spirit Series East Liverpool High School East Liverpool, OH www.americheer.com 800-966-JUMP Nov. 20

Henry Clay HS Lexington, KY www.CheerEliteCompetitions.com 888-392-4687 Nov. 20

Harvest Classic Fayetteville, NC www.spiritsolutions.com 704-464-6720 Jessica Moore info@spiritsolutions.com

w w w. c h e e r c oa c h magazi ne. c o m

George R. Brown Convention Center Houston, TX www.athleticchampionships.com 866-894-7848 -866-894-7848 Nov. 21

Athletic Championships Georgia International Convention Center Atlanta, GA www.athleticchampionships.com 866-894-7848 Nov. 21

Rumble In The Jungle Classic Liberty High School Eldersburg, MD www.cheeranddanceextreme.com 888-482-4337

Richmond, VA www.acdaspirit.com 877-322-2310 Nov. 20

Superstarz Cheer and Dance—Atlantic Starz Wilmington, NC www.superstarzcheeranddance.com 336-587-1134

“P Ca ul le l O nd ut ar ”

Photo courtesy of AmeriCheer and Universal Event Photo

Nov. 20

Old Dominion Challenge

Athletic Championships

Pull pages 19 – 26 to keep Calendar 19

Competition Calendar Nov. 21

Nov. 21

Nov. 28

American Rec & School Wildwood Convention Center

Midwest Cup Cheer & Dance Classic

Fall Tournament

Wildwood, NJ www.cheertech.net 1-866-52-CHEER

Overland Park, KS www.championscupseries.com 317.891.8260 Linda Barclay info@championscupseries.com

Nov. 21

Southern Championships Knoxville Coliseum Knoxville, TN http://ecccheer.com 1-866-52-CHEER Nov. 21

Cheer America Large Gym Platinum Championship Reliant Arena Houston, TX www.cachampionships.com 800-554-4370 Nov. 21

ECDA’s Commonwealth Dance Classic Woodbridge, VA www.ecaeda.com 800-940-4322 Nov. 21

ECDA’s Harbor Lights Extreme

The Fall Festival of Champions Open Nationals Holden Blvd Fairfield, OH www.midwestcheerexpo.com 513-892-2931 Paul or Teresa midwestcheerexpo@aol.com

DECEMBER 2010 Dec. 4

CCE Snowball Blast Elgin Community College Spartan Event Center Elgin, IL www.ccecheer.com 877-85-CHEER Jessica Jessica@ccecheer.com

Nov 21

Dec. 4

Xtreme Spirit’s Huntsville Championship

Cheer Ltd. Bluegrass Regional Championships

Huntsville, AL www.xtremespirit.com 888-762-3296 Marisa marisa@xtremespirit.com

Berea, KY www.cheerltd.com 800-477-8868 Abby Tyjeski abbyt@cheerltd.com

Nov. 23-27

Dec. 4

UPA Thanksgiving Tour

Cheer Ltd. Soffe Holiday Classic Open Championships

The Walt Disney World Resort Orlando, FL www.upainc.net 800-800-6872

Fayetteville, NC www.cheerltd.com 800-477-8868 Abby Tyjeski abbyt@cheerltd.com

Photo courtesy of Pac West Spirit Group

College Park, MD www.ecaeda.com 800-940-4322

Nov. 21

McGonigle Hall, Temple University Philadelphia, PA www.cheertech.net 1-866-52-CHEER

Ch eer Coach & Advi sor H HOL IDAY ISS U E 2010

Training Tools for Cheerleaders

Awarded 2010 BEST NEW PRODUCT by SITA FI T N E S S AN D S T R E N GT H TRAININ G

Visit www.CoreAthletics.com to view all products & videos w w w. c h e e r c oa c h magazi ne. c o m

866.623.3593 21

Competition Calendar Dec. 4

Palm Beach Bash Greenacres, FL www.truecheer.net 877-824-3378 Heather Amico info@truecheer.net Dec. 4

THE ALBANY DIAMOND CHAMPIONSHIP Albany, GA www.diamondcheeranddance.com 904-318-0456 Carol Walters info@diamondcheeranddance.com Dec. 4

Twisted Athletics 1 Day Super Nationals US Cellular Center Bloomington, IL www.twistyourspirit.com 888-77-TWIST info@twistedchoreography.com

503 North Third Street Richmond, VA www.universalspirit.com 866-872-2946 Adam Thomas info@universalspirit.com

Dec. 4

Dec 4-5

Dec. 4

Kentucky Spirit Series

Spirit Nationals

WSA Cottonland Classic

Madison Southern High School Berea, KY www.americheer.com 800-966-JUMP

Greater Philadelphia Expo Center Philadelphia, PA www.cheertech.net 1-866-52-CHEER

Shreveport, LA www.wsacheer.com 800-532-4337 Darren Demoss darrendemoss@wsacheer.com Dec. 4

OC Christmas Classic Ocean City Convention Center Ocean City, MD www.cheeranddanceextreme.com 888-482-4337

Photo courtesy of UPA Cheer & Dance

Dec. 4

Universal Spirit Individual National Cheerleading Championship

Dec 4-5

Dec. 4-5

Xtreme Spirit’s Southern Grand National Championship

CSG Holiday Classic

Grapevine, TX www.xtremespirit.com 888-762-3296 Marisa marisa@xtremespirit.com

Chicago Area, IL www.championspiritgroup.com 630-596-5191 Michael Bolden info@championspiritgroup.com

Ch eer Coach & Advi sor H HOL IDAY ISS U E 2010

Competition Calendar Dec. 4-5

Hoosier Cup Cheer & Dance Classic Championships 100 S. Capitol Avenue Indianapolis, IN www.championscupseries.com 317-891-8260 Linda Barclay info@championscupseries.com Dec. 4-5

Cox Convention Center

jusstt

499

Oklahoma City, OK www.athleticchampionships.com/ 866-894-7848 Dec. 5

e Pric P ice oryy Pri tor cto ducct I t odu Tim Ti e Intr d-Tim edited mit Lim

Parade of Champions Jester Jingle

3-Year Limited Warranty!

Alario Center New Orleans, LA www.mardigrasspiritevents.com 800-408-4858 Jill info@mardigrasspiritevents.com

Photo courtesy of ChampionImagesPhotography.com

6’x42’ Cheer Mats

Dec. 5

Cheer America UNT Platinum Championship University of North Texas Denton, TX www.cachampionships.com 800-554-4370 Dec. 5

Dec. 5

Cheer Ltd. Pittsburgh Regional Championships

Falcon Spirit Series

TEXAS: Fun Cheer Corpus Classic

Pittsburgh, PA www.cheerltd.com 800-477-8868 Abby Tyjeski abbyt@cheerltd.com

Natio tional al Sales (877) (87 7) 939-3539 9 Eas astern US Sale ales (877) 404-24 2405 5

ezflexmats.com * 6’ x 42’ x 1-3/8”, Bluee Carpet, C Ship hipping Additional. ��

Dec. 5

ECDA’s Hampton Roads Extreme Hampton, VA www.ecaeda.com 800-940-4322 Sara Hazlewood or Tanya Morris cheer@ecaeda.com dance@ecaeda.com

Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH www.americheer.com 800-966-JUMP Dec. 5

Robstown, TX www.funcheer.com 512 388-3470 Ross Martin ross@funcheer.com

Snowflake Classic Savannah, GA www.spiritsolutions.com 704-464-6720 Jessica Moore info@spiritsolutions.com

Dec. 5

UCDF 2010 Jack Frost Challenge Worcester, MA www.unitedcheerfoundation.com 508-579-6319 Carroll-Sue Rehm crehm@unitedcheerfoundation.com

Ch eer Coach & Advi sor H HOL IDAY ISS U E 2010

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Competition Calendar Dec. 11

Dec. 11

Cheer Ltd. Soffe Music City Open Championships

8th Annual Christmas Classic *FREE*

Nashville, TN www.cheerltd.com 800-477-8868 Abby Tyjeski abbyt@cheerltd.com

CCBC Dundalk Baltimore, MD www.cheeranddanceextreme.com 888-482-4337

Dec. 11

Holiday Fiesta Spirit Series

Dec. 11

ECDA’s NOVA Dance Classic Photo courtesy of ChampionImagesPhotography.com

Bealeton, VA www.ecaeda.com 800-940-4322 Sara Hazlewood or Tanya Morris cheer@ecaeda.com dance@ecaeda.com Dec. 11

North Carolina All Star State Championship Dec. 6-10

Dec. 11

Pop Warner 2010 National Cheer & Dance Championships

Parade of Champions Jester Jubilation

Disney’s Wide World of Sports Walt Disney World Orlando, FL www.popwarner.com 215-752-2691

Cabarrus Arena Concord, NC www.mardigrasspiritevents.com 800-408-4858 Jill info@mardigrasspiritevents.com

Dec. 10-11

Dec. 11

AYC 2010 Cheerleading National Championships

Cheer Ltd. Central Kentucky Regional Championships

Amway Arena Orlando, FL www.americanyouthfootball.com Cheer@AmericanYouthFootball

Campbellsville, KY www.cheerltd.com 800-477-8868 Abby Tyjeski abbyt@cheerltd.com

Dec. 11

The Festival

Dec. 11

McGonigle Hall, Temple University Philadelphia, PA www.mid-atlanticcheer.com 866-52-CHEER

Cheer Ltd. Plain City Regional Championships

Plain City, OH www.cheerltd.com 800-477-8868 Abby Tyjeski abbyt@cheerltd.com

Greensboro, NC www.universalspirit.com 866-872-2946 Adam Thomas info@universalspirit.com Dec. 11

Welk Holiday Celebration Branson, MO www.midwestcheeranddance.com 618-530-7948 Kim Schaub mcda_kim@yahoo.com Dec. 11

Xtreme Spirit’s Atlanta Championship Atlanta, GA www.xtremespirit.com 888-762-3296 Marisa marisa@xtremespirit.com Dec. 11

WSA Jacksonville Open Jacksonville, FL www.wsacheer.com 800-532-4337 Darren Demoss darrendemoss@wsacheer.com

McDermont Field House Lindsay, CA www.americheer.com 800-966-JUMP Dec. 11

Indiana State Spirit Series Crawfordsville High School Crawfordsville, IN www.americheer.com 800-966-JUMP Dec. 11-12

Athletic Championships Atlantic City Convention Center Atlantic City, NJ www.athleticchampionships.com 866-894-7848 Dec. 11-12

Spirit Celebration Christmas Classic (Toy Drive) Garland, TX www.spiritcelebration.com 972-333-0369 Billy Smith LetsGoCelebrate@aol.com Dec. 11-12

WSA Rocky Mountain Nationals Denver, LA www.wsacheer.com 800-532-4337 Darren Demoss darrendemoss@wsacheer.com

Ch eer Coach & Advi sor H HOL IDAY ISS U E 2010

96%

2010-2011 EVENTS!

PARADE P AR RAD OF CHAMPIONS Oct. OOc ct.t. 23 ct 23, 2010 ................Houston, TX Nov. No N ov ov. vv.. 66, 2010 .................Dayton, OH DDec. De ec. 5, 5, 2010 ................New Orleans, LA Dec. DDe ec. 111, 11 2010 ................Charlotte, NC Dec. DDe ec. 18, 18 2010................ Tallahassee, FL MARDI MARD MA ARD GRAS NATIONALS JJan. Ja ann. 15 15, 2011 ............. New Orleans, LA WORLDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BID

Jan. JJa ann.. 222, 222 2011 ............. Loveland, CO Feb. FFe eebbb.. 13, 133 2011.............. San Marcos, TX Feb. Feb FFe ebb.. 27, 2277 2011 .............. Springfield, MA March Ma M aar arch rrcch 6, 2011 ........... Lakeland, FL March M Ma aarrrcch 12, 2011 .......... Hershey, PA March M Ma aar arch rrcch 19, 2011 .......... Nashville, TN AApril ppril riill 2, 2, 2011............... St. Louis, MO Every Event is a Qualifier!

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Makeup

Makeup photos by Qdazzle Author photo by www.LiDestriPhoto.com

Cheer Team Performance Makeup Tips — Part Two By Jennifer Kalman

Age-Group Specific Makeup Tips for Competitions and Performance: Makeup suggestions and guidance for your Cheer Teams (and parents, when applicable).

For Very Young Cheer Teams 1. Start with a light brushing of a loose powder over the cheeks, nose and chin. 2. Lip Gloss can smear easily on the face and uniform, so if this will be a problem, instead of a Lip Gloss try using a Lip Liner Pencil. Turn the Lip Liner Pencil tip on its side and ‘color in’ the lips. The drier consistency of the Lip Pencil will be less likely to smear. 3. Using a soft medium-sized blush brush, apply a soft pink or peach high-pigment Blush to the cheeks.

For Older Girls 1. To start, dust the face and eyelids lightly with a loose face powder or pressed powder. 2. High-pigment eye shadows in neutral tones such as browns, beiges and pale pink tones will compliment her eyes without appearing heavy. Instead of or in addition to the neutral tones, she can also use a bright or colorful shade on her eyelids that will coordinate with her performance wear or uniform. 3. Lining the eyes along the top lash line with a brown Eye Liner Pencil will help the eyelashes appear thicker. 4. To add sparkle to her eyelids, select a loose Eye Shadow Dust in either a versatile iridescent white or a sparkling shade to match her uniform. Apply with a sponge-tipped applicator. To control the

“Body Shimmer Powders are a fun way for little Cheerleaders to add sparkle to their arms and legs.” 4. Add sparkle to the eyes by applying a small amount of loose Eye Shadow Dust in an iridescent sparkling white or team color shade (to coordinate with her uniform) to her eyelids. Use a spongetipped eye shadow applicator for best results. To control the amount, tap the excess powder off the applicator before touching it to the eyelids. Start lightly and add more for brighter color. 5. If she can be very still, apply Mascara to her upper lashes. 6. Body Shimmer Powders are a fun way for little Cheerleaders to add sparkle to their arms and legs. Shimmer powder can also be added lightly to the hair by tapping a very small amount into the hair a little at a time - be aware that if too much is applied, the hair can appear dull. 28

amount, tap the excess powder off the applicator before touching it to the eyelids. This product is also fun to use as a sparkling eyeliner! Just wet a thin eyeliner brush, dip into the Dust, tap the excess off the brush and apply over your eyeliner. 5. Finish the eyes with Mascara, applying from the base of the eyelashes to the tips. Mascara can be applied to both top lashes and bottom lashes, if preferred. 6. A Lip Liner Pencil can add definition

to the lips. Follow the natural lip line, and then fill in with a Lip Gloss to add shine. 7. Apply a high-pigment powder Blush to the cheeks using a soft mediumsized Blush Brush. Use a light application, then add more until the desired effect is achieved. For most flattering results, select Lip Color and Blush in the same color family (avoid clashing tones such as a peach blush and a bright pink lip color). H Jennifer Kalman, Commercial Makeup Artist, has 18+ years of experience applying makeup for thousands of proms, pageants, weddings, and personalities, along with providing cameraready makeup for print media, TV and video. Her professional credentials have included makeup for LeAnn Rimes, Troy Aikman, Bill O’Reilly, Dixie Chicks and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. Counted among her many commercial makeup clients are Pepsi, American Airlines, Frito-Lay, Dr. Pepper, and Verizon. This expertise contributed to the development of www.QDazzle.com and QDazzle® High-Pigment Makeup Colors. Her website was designed as a resource to help Pageant, Cheer and Dance competitors of all ages refine their makeup skills so they can be prepared and confident on stage. The site contains makeup tips, techniques, ‘how-to-apply’ illustrations, and specially-selected Makeup Color Packages to coordinate with performance wear and pageant gowns. Her popular ‘Jennifer’s Makeup Tips Blog’ provides specific makeup application instruction in an easy to follow format. www.QDazzle.com is also THE source to find pageant winning High-Pigment Makeup Colors in brilliant hues, perfect for stage and performance!

Ch eer Coach & Advi sor H HOL IDAY ISS U E 2010

In The Limelight Spirit Celebration’s and Cheer Coach & Advisor’s “Espirit Di Vie” Coaches Award By Megan Ninemire

Cheer Coach & Advisor has teamed up with Billy Smith and his Spirit Celebration staff to seek outstanding coaches for the “Espirit Di Vie” (“Spirit of Life”) Coaches Award. Spirit Celebration recently held the State Fair of Louisiana Championship in Shreveport, Louisiana, where Ebony Phinisee-Roberts was named the award’s first recipient. Ebony was chosen due to the outstanding leadership and enthusiasm she exhibited with her squads from Fierce Cheer in Arlington, Texas. Ebony found her love for cheerleading growing up in Dallas, Texas. With no formal cheer training, she learned her tumbling skills “street flipping” down the streets of Dallas. Eventually, she became a member of her high school cheerleading squad and later moved on to cheer for the University of Texas at Arlington. Ebony began her coaching career as a coach/ sponsor while teaching in Dallas ISD, and recently crossed over into the All Star world by becoming coowner and coach of Fierce Cheer Allstars alongside her partners Gwen Stephens and Sabrina Davis. Although they are not a well recognized All Star gym, Fierce Cheer is far from typical. This not for profit program started approximately two years ago practicing in the gyms of area schools and even today still gym share. Furthermore, the members of Fierce do not come from an All Star gym but instead are recruited from the many inner-city Dallas county schools where they would not normally have this type of opportunity. For her dedication to the sport of cheerleading, but more importantly, for doing her part in promoting the sport and giving the chance to many who would not normally have it, Cheer Coach & Advisor would like to congratulate Ebony for exhibiting the true “Spirit of Life” and winning the Spirit Celebration “Espirit Di Vie” Coaches Award.

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e G tting Crafty By Amy Bell

The following holiday projects are fun and exciting to do either alone or with your squad. The ornaments make great gifts and the “You’ve Been Spirited” endeavor will thrill your squad or any recipient. Have fun and get crafty this holiday season.

Christmas Ornament Materials Needed: • Two clear plastic dome halves • Decorative Ribbon • Two Pictures (one for each side) • Glue Stick • Clear decorative crystals or beads (optional) • Small Jingle Bells (Optional • Hot Glue Gun/Glue • Scissors

Directions • Take plastic dome half and trace around desired pictures and cut out. Do this for both sides of the ornament. Another idea could be to print out the child’s name and year instead of a second picture, so that you can have a dated keepsake. • Use glue stick to gently glue pictures back to back. Be sure to line the pictures up correctly. • Fill dome halves with crystals or beads (approximately 2 tablespoons is average). • Take hot glue gun and neatly attach

the picture to one of the plastic domes. Be careful not to spill crystals. Do this for both dome halves. • Using the hot glue gun, run a thin strip of hot glue around the seam of the plastic ball and quickly adhere ribbon to cover up the seam and any glue. • Attach a loop of ribbon and bow with hot glue to the top of the ornament for hanging on the tree. Add jingle bells around the top at this time if you desire. • Set aside and allow all glue to dry...and then hang on the tree and enjoy!

You’ve been “Spirited!” This is the cheerleading version of being “Booed” or “Ghosted.” This spirited activity can take place at Halloween or Christmas time. Although this activity is aimed towards cheerleaders, you can adjust the wording of the poem and “Spirit” your favorite player or team for the holiday. You can even adapt to be “You’ve Been Cheered!” Materials Needed: • Colored paper bag in team or holiday colors • Glue Stick (if needed) • Spirit Items and/or Candy • Full Sheet Label or Cardstock • Team Logo or Image with printed words —You’ve been “Spirited” • Color coordinated tissue paper • You’ve been spirited poem • A Cheerleader that you would like to “Spirit”

Ch eer Coach & Advi sor H HOL IDAY ISS U E 2010

Directions

You’ve been Spirited Poem

Using your favorite software, arrange multiple copies of your Team Logo or Image to be printed on a 8.5 x 11 sheet of cardstock or a full sheet label. Print out the “You’ve been Spirited” poem or create your own poem. Cut out Team Logo or Image and adhere to the front of the colored paper bag. Fill bag with candy, logo items, spirit items or anything festive that goes with the holiday. Insert a copy of the poem and then stuff bag with tissue paper. When the time is right, take the spirit filled bag to the home of the person you would like to “Spirit,” place the bag on the front porch and ring their door bell...then run like crazy so that you are not seen.

(Christmas Version) ‘Tis the Season to be Jolly So you’ve been chosen to receive this spirited folly A special bag of goodies and treats just for you as a spirited thank you for all that you do! Being on the sidelines and cheering on your Dragon team and doing what you do best…making the crowd scream! No need to pass the treats on to another cheerleader or fan Just keep on being the most spirited cheerleader in the land! H Amy Bell volunteers as a Head Cheer Coach and serves as the Director of Dragon Youth Cheerleading. She resides in Southlake, Texas with her husband and two children.

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V.I.P. Very Important Parents

Photo courtesy of ChampionImagesPhotography.com

How To Guide Your Child Through Competitions By Pamela Enders, Ph.D.

he amount of time and effort that your cheerleader invests in preparing for competitions is huge. The hope, of course, is that her team will place at the top. But what if it doesn’t? How can you prepare yourself and your child for disappointment? First, let’s be realistic. You cannot and should not protect your child from all adversity. As a matter of fact, even if it were possible to do so, you would be setting the stage for your child to be more vulnerable to life’s hardships in the future.

be able to fly because its ability to do so was dependent on the repeated struggle to emerge from the cocoon which strengthened the wings to enable flight. So, in his effort to prevent pain, the man caused more. He undermined the strength of the butterfly, weakening it for life. As the above story suggests, parents who do too much for their kids end up weakening them.

“True champion athletes eagerly seek feedback about their performances from coaches and other experts.” One of your jobs as a parent is to help your child learn how to manage the big feelings that accompany loss and disappointment. Perhaps the first step is to get a handle on your own emotional reactions to your child’s misfortunes! Here is a story that illustrates what I am getting at: Once upon a time there was a gentleman who went for a walk in the woods. He came upon a little cocoon on the trail and carefully picked it up. As he gazed at it, he saw that there was a tiny opening from which the butterfly was trying to emerge. He noticed the butterfly struggling— pushing with its wings on one side of the cocoon, and then the other as it tried to pry open the cocoon. Feeling sorry for the butterfly and wanting to help, the man took out a pen knife and, with great care, slit open the cocoon. The butterfly was finally able to emerge! But—the creature could not fly and it would never 32

What follows are some suggestions that will help your child learn how to weather the emotional storms of growing up and become more resilient. This process should begin well before the competition season.

Develop a championship mind-set True champion athletes eagerly seek feedback about their performances from coaches and other experts. Rather than viewing critiques as attacks, they see them as information, as data that can be used to help them learn how to perform better. Helping your child to develop objectivity about feedback (it’s only information!) will help him in cheerleading and in life! One way to introduce this concept is to ask your cheerleader about an athlete he admires and then to inquire how he thinks that person accepts performance critiques. The more professional the athlete, the more likely that person will have developed a championship mind-set.

Set-backs and mistakes No one really likes to make mistakes yet they are an inevitable part of learning any new skill. Many kids (adults, too!) experience mistakes as a reflection of their worth…it becomes way too personal! Talk with your child about the beauty of setbacks and mistakes. You can say, “each time you make a mistake it gives you the opportunity to step back, figure out what went wrong, and then devise a plan to correct the problem so that your performance improves!”

The comparison game When a cheerleader sees a highly skilled and polished team perform, it can be tempting to believe, “I’ll never be that good.” If this happens at a competition, it can undermine the confidence of a cheer squad unless – you alert your child about this dynamic. You can encourage your athlete to admire the expertise of other athletes without getting into the comparison game. For example, set up some time with your child to watch a top notch team perform either on video or in person. Invite your cheerleader to be a “spy” with you as you watch the team to figure out what makes it so terrific: “How do they do it? How can I learn how to do that?” Emphasize that there is always something to learn by watching other teams perform.

Process, not outcome Your cheerleader has no control over the outcome of a competition. She has no control over how skilled the other teams are; how much they paid for expert choreography; or how the other athletes on her

Ch eer Coach & Advi sor H HOL IDAY is s u e 2010

Very Important Parents

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own team performed. The only things she can control are the dedication and time she put into practice and her focused performance in the moment. If she can say that she performed as well as possible, given all the circumstances, then she is a true winner! Such thinking encourages your child to take responsibility over things she can control and fret less over things she cannot control. And let’s not forget that this is supposed to be about having fun, too!

Sportsmanship There is nothing attractive about athletes who whine, pout and sulk in response to a judging decision they do not like or agree with. Unfortunately, sometimes parents feed into this by claiming the judges were “unfair.” Although I suppose it is possible that a group of judges could be deliberately unfair, most judges I know work very hard to be as objective as possible. If you have prepared your cheerleader well, as outlined above, she will know that outcomes are not under her control; he will accept that set-backs are part of life and an opportunity to grow and learn; they will appreciate the expertise of the top teams. You can encourage your athlete to take the high road; to be gracious and kind and a good sport. If your cheerleader has performed to the best of her ability, she can w w w. c h e e r c oa c h magazi ne. c o m

hold her head high, knowing she is a true winner.

Hurt pride, hurt feelings Still, there is bound to be a painful letdown if your child’s team did not place as high as they had hoped. The intensity of the reaction will be more pronounced immediately after the event and will lessen over time. It’s important for you to say less and listen more (that is, if your child will talk about it…if not, don’t push it). Empathize with the pain and restrain yourself from offering advice or performance tips unless asked. In other words, honor the feelings and when the time is right, debrief by asking your child what went right and what would he change (if possible) or what new strategies might he employ in the future in order to perform better. H Dr. Pamela Enders is a psychologist and mental game coach and is on the faculty of Harvard Medical School. She is the author of The Mental Game of Cheerleading: Training for Competitions and The Mental Game of Cheerleading: Tryouts! Her popular blog on topics related to the mental game of cheerleading can be found at www.confidentcheerleadingblog.com and her website is at www.confidentcheerleading.com. Your comments and questions are welcome! If there are any topics you would like covered, please feel free to contact Dr. Pam at info@pamelaenders.com.

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Choreography

CORNER

“Halftime Choreography in Half the Time” by Celexsy Stout Adame

Switch the Stunt Find a place in the music where you can best fit a stunt, and determine which stunt or stunt sequence will work. Then, build the rest of the dance routine around this. Or, begin the routine with a stunt if most of your dances end with one. 34

Add Some Animation Have a creative, animated opening or ending. Act out the words by banking on what the music has to offer. If a voiceover counts off the words 5-43-2-1, then show the words visually. Show 5 girls standing, then 4, then 3, then 2, then 1, respectively. The first few seconds of the dance can be fun and tell a visual story, especially with good facial expressions. Already, the routine is new.

Yell it out Find key points in a routine where you can yell words like your mascot or team name. Dead spots without sound effects make good placement for these voiceovers, or at the end of the routine for a confident, unexpected ending. Tumble for Time Tumbling in a routine is a great time-filler and also will enable you to demonstrate tumbling skills in a new way. This can be done individually or in small groups. It’s an excellent way to start a routine, or utilize sound effects in a music mix. Pass the Pom A classic way to bring something new to a routine is to do a traditional pom pass.

Roll it off Take at least two solid 8-counts from a former routine, and insert it in a place that fits with the music. Preferably, pick an eight-count that involves a roll-off. If the roll-off went right to left, make it go back to front in a new formation. The squad members already know the move, and it looks completely different to the crowd. Jump Right in Use jump demonstrations in at least one of the eight-counts of the music. This is a good way to fill time, and enables the team to showcase their jumps. Using creative choreography here, you can use jumps in different formations. For example, have jumps go different directions, or sequence them into a roll-off.

Photo courtesy of ChampionImagesPhotography.com

Mix it up The number one thing you can do to make your routines look fresh is to invest in a variety of 30-second music mixes. Because they are full of exciting sound effects, they can be used in a variety of ways. A music mix of at or around 30 seconds has approximately 4 to 6 eight-counts of music. That’s one sideline dance, if you had no time to prepare or one very new dance if you make some small changes. I keep a variety of cheer music on my iPod, ready to go at all times.

Steal the Sideline Take a sideline dance that has not been performed as part of a halftime and incorporate it as part of a new dance. You could use a longer cut of music, and repeat the dance moves, or build in new stunt sequences. Girls on the floor who are not involved in a stunt, can simply repeat the moves.

Photo courtesy of ChampionImagesPhotography.com

t seems that every cheer season starts with great intentions. You go to camp, learn all sorts of material, bring it back home and fine-tune just a portion of what was learned. The best routines move forward to the 50-yard line, or center court, enabling you to get the most out of your camp experience. But, what happens when life gets in the way? Team members are ill, quit, or some other planned material needs extra work, pushing back the vital time needed to work on a new halftime performance. Yet, the crowd is depending on you to bring it. They crave new performances, because, let’s face it—the same old routines look boring. It takes two weeks minimum to bring a new performance to a halftime. That’s two practices to teach it, and the rest to perfect it, all dependent on how advanced your team is. Some squads can learn faster, and others need much more time. There are several ways to make old material look new. These small changes can offer squads the ability to bring new performances each week, and make it look like you spent weeks perfecting it. This can be especially effective in basketball, where schedules with football somewhat overlap, and do not offer the duration of summer to prepare.

Ch eer Coach & Advi sor H HOL IDAY ISS U E 2010

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TEAM DYNAMICS

is family owned and operated in Ohio, and we are proud to offer the best team spirit temporary tattoos on the market. We have over one thousand stock designs, including hundreds of licensed college team logos that are frequently seen on cheerleaders and fans on TV. Sold nationwide, Game Faces are used for a wide variety of competitions, celebrations and fundraising events. This year, we introduced our newest licensed temporary tattoo—the UFL Line. In addition to our Game Faces, we continue to add new team spirit fundraisers that are fun and profitable. Customer satisfaction is our highest priority. We are committed to providing high quality products and exceptional customer service. www.gamefaces.com (800) 627-4003

Cozy up with SOFFE pants. These Rugby Pants have a raw edge so you can cut them to whatever length you want. Shorts, capris, or leave them as is. You cut them, you rock them. Check them out online at www.soffe.com. Top them with a cozy Soffe zip hoodie while your there.

Show Off Your Cheer Spirit

PonyTail Lights are the only light up hair accessory perfect for game night or any competition. This unique hair tie blinks brightly in a wide variety of colors allowing your squad to standout! PonyTail Lights are also a great stocking stuffer. Prices start as low as $9.95. For more information visit www.ponytaillights.com info@ponytaillights.com w w w. c h e e r c oa c h magazi ne. c o m

Create one-of-a-kind gifts that celebrate your favorite Cheerleading memories with Jostens Photo Gifts. You can capture the perfect arabesque or pyramid, or simply the dayto-day fun with your squad. Jostens provides a fantastic way to relive your cheer season over and over again. Go to jostens.com and create your own custom photo gifts today. Plus, enjoy 20% off your order with promo code: CHEERTWENTY. Offer ends 12/31/10. Michelle Amundson; Phone: 952-830-3376 michelle.amundson@jostens.com Follow OurHubbub® on: Facebook | Twitter

Choreography This takes some coordinating, and is perhaps the most time-intensive of all of the suggestions. Pom passes are always visually appealing. Without a pom pass, you can simply add poms to existing routines that were performed without poms. The moves look automatically different. Dress for Success Wearing costumes for a particular dance routine can automatically make a routine look new. For example, you could consider denim overalls for a country music routine with bandanas and cowboy hats. The hats can act as a prop, and be incorporated into a roll off or as the “pom” for a hat-pass. Let Them Teach Let each squad member make up one eight-count that is already ready to go. By putting several of the squad member’s eight-counts together, they can created a new routine. Separate your squad into

Photo courtesy of ChampionImagesPhotography.com

CORNER

choreography groups to make their personal eight-counts work together into 4 eight-counts. There, you have a new sideline to their liking, or the start of a new halftime performance. The best way to make your routines look new is to use what you know to your

advantage. The crowd does not remember your exact choreography. You could take the same routine and put it to different music. It would make your routine look completely new. But that’s not good enough. Instead, incorporate one or more of these suggestions, and you will have a new halftime routine in half the time. H Celexsy Stout Adame is a cheer coach at Bradshaw Christian School and former cheerleading captain at University of the Pacific. She has over 24 years experience as cheerleader, song leader, mascot, advisor, and coach in a variety of school, youth, recreational, and collegiate cheer environments. She is on the advisory board of the National Teen Leadership Program, a nonprofit leadership development organization, and is marketing director at a university where she is responsible for creative services, collegiate licensing, trademarks, and public affairs. She is married with two sons and lives near Sacramento, CA.

Ch eer Coach & Advi sor H HOL IDAY ISS U E 2010

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Home practice essentials such as Folding Panel Mats, Roll-Up Mats and Inclines are now being offered by Norbert’s Athletic Products at great Holiday Sale prices that also include all delivery charges. These are exactly the same superior quality mats we make and sell direct to cheer schools throughout the country all year long— not inferior “home use only” specials sold by some other companies. Call 800-779-1904 for more information or visit Norbert’s website www.norberts.net/holiday to order.

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SBusinessBuilders Marketing Your Gym Who Wants More Kids?

By Dawnn Doychak

ho doesn’t want more kids is the question. Too often gym owners think if they just had that one top secret marketing tip they would have a program as large as Cheer Athletics, Top Gun or Georgia AllStars. It isn’t just one little tip or trick, it is having a marketing plan in place, and following that plan. When thinking about marketing you must first determine your needs, wants and resources. What is your ultimate goal, to attend The USASF World’s competition with a team in every division, have the most students enrolled in your program, or somewhere in between? Do you have a facility that you run and have access to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or just enough time and space to successfully compete the teams you have now? You will create a much different marketing plan if you are seeking Level 5 Senior Athletes compared to trying to fill your recreational classes at the gym. Many large all-star programs will share that there is no single miracle-marketing secret, and word of mouth is their biggest source of advertising. So, my advice is to put your advertising dollars back into the students and families that are already happy in your program. Running incentives like “Bring a friend” are beneficial to reaching out to new students, but can also be a good means to recognize some of the current athletes in your program. *See sidebar. Seek the assistance of someone who knows more about marketing then you do. If you are lucky enough to be close to a college campus that offers a marketing program, contact a professor and see if they will allow you to offer an internship to one of their qualified students. You will want to interview a few different students that are suggested to you and you will want to find someone who is positive, full of energy and has an interest in public relations 38

Bring A Friend—You have heard it done so many times, so how can you do it the right way? Timing Is Everything—Plan the date correctly. When new students attend they should be able to sign up and begin a new session at your gym immediately following the event. When children come into your gym and enjoy them self, they want to come back and they want to do it NOW! Be Prepared—Set the date and incentives early. Putting a lot of effort into your internal marketing plan is the first step to have a successful “Bring a Friend Class/Event.” Have additional staff on hand to ensure your student to teacher ratio is appropriate. Appearances Are Everything—Make sure your gym is spotless and your staff looks stellar and on the top of their game! This is the first time a parent will walk into your facility. If they walk in and are over taken by the smell of dirty feet, or see your overflowing bucket of lost and found items sitting in the front of the lobby, they are instantly going to be turned off to your program, and possibly the sport all together. If you are hosting a Bring A Friend Week, where current students can bring their friends to their regular classes have a staff meeting on the Sunday prior to this week. Offer your coaches a light dinner, have your meeting and have an all-star cleaning party! Assign each staff member an area or task and get the entire gym spotless! Remind staff members at the end of each of their shifts during that week to spend a few extra minutes putting everything back where it should go. The staff running the event needs to be positive, helpful and encouraging to all of the children the entire time. Offer your staff an incentive for who signs the most students up from their “bring a friend class or clinic.” Make sure your staff is dressed alike so they stand out; there will be many new children and parents so make it obvious who they can go to for assistance. >>

Ch eer Coach & Advi sor H HOL IDAY is s u e 2010

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Have some current parents in the waiting room to ‘help’ enforce positive conversations and be available to answer questions from a parent’s perspective.

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Incentives—Offer incentives for the NEW friends to sign up the day of the event. The incentive could be a free t-shirt, a percentage off their first session fees or free attendance to another clinic or camp you are hosting. Offer AMAZING incentives for your current students to bring their friends. Example: The current student who brings in the most friends (minimum of 5, who have never been to the gym before) gets a FREE half hour private lesson. Be Ready to Invite Them Back—Whatever your next event is, make sure you have a flier ready to hand out to each participant as they leave. If you are hosting an open house, a clinic of any type or even a social event have that information ready for them to take with them as they walk out the door. Get Their Information—All students who come into your facility should be required to sign a full waiver. Make sure the waiver contains the means you need to contact them again. Email addresses should be a vital piece of your social marketing.

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as well as marketing. If they happen to have a cheer or dance background that is a bonus, but certainly not a requirement. One suggestion would be to offer them a part-time hourly job in which they can accomplish most of their marketing tasks for you. If you don’t have someone for the front desk of your gym/facility, especially during the peak hours that athletes come in and out of your gym; offer this person those hours. They will quickly learn the industry and what type of needs you have plus you will have someone to answer your phones during those times. Setting both long term and short term goals are important. I suggest setting a 1-year and 5-year marketing plan. You should always know what is coming up next. Knowing where you are headed and how you are going to get there is very important. Each new step you take should have those goals in mind so you can ensure you are working efficiently. Making sure the coaches, parents, athletes and everyone else involved in your program are on the same path that will make your goals easier to obtain, so share your goals! The more people who buy into your longterm goals the more support you will have if there are bumps in the road. H

About Dawnn Doychak: With several years as a competitive gymnast and cheerleader, her love for the sport of cheerleading has grown into an integral part of her life. Dawnn Doychak has spent over 18 years coaching gymnastics and cheerleading. She started coaching the cheerleaders for a local recreational football league. After 4 years of coaching at the recreational level, she moved into coaching high school and college teams, and then moved into coaching competitive cheerleading. Dawnn continued on to spend 10 years owning, directing and serving as a head coach and choreographer of (a few) competitive cheerleading programs. Dawnn has spoken at several coaches’ conference and worked with gym owners and coaches on both the business aspects and the training aspects of competitive cheerleading. Dawnn has served as the State Director, Lead Instructor and a Project Coordinator for the USASF for the past 2 years. She was responsible for the launch and production of the USASF monthly newsletter, First Friday, and has spent the past year serving as its publisher. To further share her love and knowledge of the all-star industry, Dawnn has recently joined The JAMbrands Team, as the JAMcare Rep for the Midwest. If you would like more information on this article, or any other program needs, please feel free to contact Dawnn at dawnn@thejambrands.com.

Ch eer Coach & Advi sor H HOL IDAY is s u e 2010

P Coaches Sound Off P P

HOW DO YOU SELECT A COMPETITION?

In this issue we asked Cheer LTD’s Pinnacle and 30 Under 30 Coaches to answer the questions below. These are some exceptional coaches and we hope you can benefit from their experience and knowledge. Their responses follow. If you’re interested in joining our Coaches’ Advisory Panel, please email Valerie@cheercoachmagazine.com.

Questions: When selecting a competition or event to attend we consider: a. Company’s reputation and whether we’ve attended their events in the past b. Entry fees c. Location (City/State) d. Venue (other activities and family entertainment close by or on premises) e. Prizes f. Travel distance g. Length of event (multi day events or all day) h. Who else may attend in your division i. Date of the event j. Company incentives

Debbie Love—Kentucky Allstars— Lexington, KY, Director of Instruction and Clinician in Injury Prevention Conditioning, Flexibility, Sports Psychology and Technical Tumbling: 1. Date of Event first 2. Location (we do a lot of those fairly close to home for financial reasons) 3. Travel Distance (same as above) 4. Company’s reputation and whether we’ve attended their events in the past (It is more enjoyable when you know what to expect and are comfortable with the venue) 5. Entry fees (I feel they are high) 6. Company incentives 7. Length of event (This could be more important depending on what I am looking for—sometimes I just want a local one day) 8. Venue (safeness and ease of navigation) 9. Who else may be attending the event (I look at this only to see that I have competition and am not alone in a division) 10. Prizes (I don’t even look at this)

Kim Kawachi, Northwest Cheer & Dance Academy, South Elite All Stars & Kentwood High School Cheer, Kent WA: 1. Company’s reputation and whether we’ve attended their events in the past 2. Venue (other activities and family entertainment close by or on premises) 3. Date of the event 4. Location (City/State) 5. Travel distance 6. Entry fees 7. Company incentives 8. Prizes 9. Length of event (multi day events or all day) 10. Who else may attend in your division When selecting a competition or event to attend, one of the most important things we consider would be the company’s reputation and whether we’ve attended their events in the past. Customer service that a company has provided for us in the past is key and extremely important to me. Customer service is above all the most important aspect that makes us continue to come back. From the registration process to the warm up floor to the competition itself and all the way to the awards ceremony, we want to feel the “Nordstrom’s” customer service insuring our coaching staff and program, as a whole, will become repeat customers year after year.

Ch eer Coach & Advi sor H HOL IDAY ISS U E 2010