What does it take to make it to the Cheerleading Worlds each year? From tryouts to the final flight of the season in Orlando, FL, we got the scoop from a few EPIC coaches that are headed to the 2013 Cheerleading Worlds: Fame Super Seniors Coach Phil Logan and Pro Athletics Coach Jason Graham.
Try-Outs
The first look at what the new season might have in store for your Senior Level 5 team starts at the summer tryout. This is the first time you have all your returning veterans, new athletes and those athletes that are ready to take the next step to being on a level 5 team. As a coach, keeping in mind that all your teams are just as important, making the decision of which athletes make up each team is the first battle. There are some tough decisions, but there’s a reason why you’ve been given this decision to make—and these decisions play a key role in determining if your teams can grab the coveted Worlds bid.
First time on the floor
As a coach, this is the first time you get to see if the team you picked might have what it takes to be a 2013 World Champion. As an athlete, the pressure starts here. Not only to impress your coach and keep your last tumbling spot, but also knowing that your video will go global in a matter of minutes. The pressure then swings to the coach. After seeing how your athletes stack up, you are now in control of your team’s health, positive attitude and getting them to the right event with the right bids.
The Paid Bid
Not only do you have to win a bid to Worlds, you also want to win the bid that pays for everything! Talk about a happy parent that does not have to pay a dollar for their athlete to compete! Picking the right event to win a bid is sometimes just as tough as picking your uniform. As a coach, you want to go for a paid-bid, but know these are limitedly given throughout the season.
Going for Gold
Over 10 months, you practice to win a bid, win a bid, practice to win Worlds and then win Worlds. It is the yearly cycle of a World bound team—from the exciting new Worlds sports bras to the craziest superstitions picked up along the way. You have created a bond between 20 to 36 completely different cheerleaders. The excitement of flying as a team, practicing outside in the Florida sun and competing in a packed arena at the Wide World of Sports adds up to be the most impactful weekend of these athletes’ lives. They will remember that road to Worlds for the rest of their lives…or at least until the following season, when they do it all over again.
-Season Daugherty
What it is: Want a cloud-based gym management solution? You should know Jack. Used by gyms like East Coast Nitros, All Star Legacy and Cheer Force One, Jackrabbit provides a web-based way to easily manage registrations, as well as automate payment and other processes. The program can also collect other types of data and connect to other programs like QuickBooks and Payroll Express Plus. Pricing plans range from $45/month (for up to 100 students) up to $245/month (for up to 3000 students); a free trial is available.
Why it matters: Say goodbye to bulky paperwork and hello to an entirely cloud-based gym management system that can be accessed from anywhere (a plus for gyms with multiple locations). Along with online registration and accounting, Jackrabbit also offers other features such the ability to send mass emails, view customer data, track employee hours and store new leads. Parents like it, too—for the added convenience factor of being able to register, pay and view their accounts online.
Quick tip: Cut down on collections and save your customers late fees by implementing the auto-pay feature.
Similar services: iClassPro (http://www.iclasspro.com); eSoftPlanner (http://www.esoftplanner.com/cheerleading_facility_scheduling_software.php)
Many cheer professionals have been asking for an update about the GrowCheer.org proposal and whether the USASF has responded. The companies affiliated with GrowCheer.org have sent us the following update to share with the community:
GrowCheer.org would like to thank all of those in our industry that have voiced their support for our efforts, both publicly and privately. We would also like to thank Jim Chadwick and the USASF BOD for recognizing GrowCheer.org and agreeing to an initial dialogue after receiving our formal proposal. It is out of respect for the USASF, and an earnest desire to make all of the changes that we have proposed, that we will not be commenting publicly while discussions are ongoing.
Since the creation of GrowCheer.org, we’ve all noticed an increase in discussions about additional changes that should be made in the future with the USASF and our sport in general. While it is this kind of creativity and “what if?” thinking that will eventually make our industry better and growing again, we emphasize that the primary mission of GrowCheer.org is simply to create an independent and transparent USASF that can tackle these issues in the best interest of all of our members.
We also reiterate that while we are prepared to financially help the USASF gain independence, our only expectation in return is a truly independent and transparent USASF. To repeat, NONE OF THE FOUNDING COMPANIES OF GROWCHEER.ORG HAVE A DESIRE TO REPLACE VARSITY AS THE CONTROLLING ENTITY OF THE USASF. No sport or industry should ever be controlled by special interests within that organization if it truly wants to grow and get better.
Business experts and Gym Kix owners Carrie Harris and Stephanie Beveridge
Step three on the Starting a Business Checklist = writing a business plan. This is another crucial element that many current business owners still do not have. This is like going on a vacation without an itinerary or any idea of what you are going to do. You need a clear picture of what is in store for your business and the resources needed to get you where you want to go.
A well-written business plan is the story of how you will run your business, and almost every lender will require some form of business plan before lending money to a business.
The essential components of a business plan are:
Executive Summary: An overview of the entire plan along with a history of your company
Marketing Analysis: Illustrates your knowledge about the particular industry your business is in and presents general highlights and conclusions of any marketing research data you have collected
Company Description: How all of the different elements of your business fit together
Organization and Management: Your company’s organizational structure; details about the ownership of your company; profiles of your management team; and the qualifications of your key staff
Marketing and Sales Strategies: Your outline to attract and service customers
Service or Product Line: What are you selling/providing?
Funding Request: The amount of funding you will need to start or expand your business
Financials: The critical financial statements to include in your business plan packet
Appendix: Additional supporting information such as: credit history (personal & business), resumes of key managers, product pictures, letters of reference, details of market studies, licenses, permits, or patents, legal documents, copies of leases, building permits, contracts, etc.
Once you have gathered the information for the essential components, you can reformat it to fit a variety of needs (such as expansion, new business, plan for a lender or plan for personal records). Once you know exactly what information you need for your business plan, search for a basic Business Plan template online to assist you in the process. The majority of the information should come from the business owner because what gives a business plan “life” is you telling the story of your dream and how you are going to make it a reality.
–Stephanie Beveridge and Carrie Harris of GymKix
Past posts:
Starting a Gym 101: Legal Forms of Business Ownership
Talk of a universal scoresheet has permeated the industry for years. In 2010, the Independent Event Producers (IEP) made an official recommendation to the USASF stating that its 22 independent companies felt a universal scoresheet would be in the industry’s best interest. “We have made great strides toward legitimizing our sport and scoring is one area where we have not achieved legitimacy,” says Cheer America’s Colleen Little, who sits on the board for IEP. “The IEP recognized that our sport had reached the point where a universal scoresheet was the next logical step.”
Though the initiative stalled, talk resurfaced at the NACCC meeting in Doral last May, and in October, the NACCC released a position statement from its Universal All-Star Judging System Summit. “In order to enhance the integrity of the industry, the NACCC along with event producers have implemented a plan to develop a Universal Scoring System for All Star Cheerleading competitions,” the statement reads. “To ensure quality, fairness and consistency, a committee made up of judges, coaches and event producers will utilize their expertise and experience to create a structured scoring system to benefit the athletes, coaches, spectators and event producers. The development process for the system is scheduled to take up to 24 months which will include careful analysis of available systems, assessment and editing.”
As development and discussion continue over this 24-month timeline, the debate continues among some circles about whether it will truly be beneficial. Karlette Fettig of Indiana Elite sees both sides. “From the gym’s perspective, it would be easier not to have to worry about the differences between competitions; once you put a routine together, you know you won’t have any nuances from competition to competition,” she says. “However, I do understand from an event producer’s perspective that it takes away a piece of their individuality. I’m not sure it’s fair to them.”
Spirit Celebration’s Billy Smith is one event producer who’s all for it. “I am so excited to see the coaches getting organized and taking control of their industry,” says Smith. “This idea has been presented for years and shot down by the USASF without the support of the larger event producers. Now that the coaches are leading the crusade, I think it can really happen.”
