Working Wisdom: Q&A with Steve Wedge
From the moment Steve Wedge got his first taste of competitive glory as an Ohio State University cheerleader, he was hooked. It was during Wedge’s first year of cheering that the squad brought home the title from UCA’s Ford Collegiate Cheerleading National Championships in Honolulu—and he hasn’t looked back since. Armed with a business degree and several years of choreography and judging experience, Wedge went on to start his own company, COA Cheer & Dance, where he was president and CEO for 25 years. By the time he retired in 2011, COA had grown to more than 100 instructional camps and 35 competitions.
Along with serving as COA’s fearless leader, Wedge has maintained involvement in a virtual alphabet of associations—from the National Council for Spirit Safety and Education (NCSSE) to the Spirit Industry Trade Association (SITA) to the International Cheerleading Union (ICU) to the USASF (for which he sits on the Worlds Advisory Board). Much of his time is also spent spearheading the Shirley A. Wedge National Cheer and Dance Scholarship Fund, which has awarded more than $600,000 to deserving athletes.
CheerProfessional caught up with this busy cheer mogul for an in-depth Q&A:
When weighing the various competitions and camps available, what factors should cheer professionals take into account?
Wedge: Cheer professionals should consider many factors when selecting competitions and camps, but many times budget and price are dominant factors. Parents can drive these two factors, but looking at the big picture, cheer professionals should also consider event/camp producer experience, reputation and quality, event/camp location (i.e. is it easy to get to and is it family-friendly?), fit (i.e. does the score system fit the style, skill and level of their teams), competition (i.e. will their teams have ample teams to compete with?), and of course, date.
You’ve said that customer service has been the key to COA’s success. How do you think cheer gyms can best provide optimal service to their own clientele?
Wedge: With all things being equal (i.e. sound skill development and coaching), it is great customer service that will retain current customers and attract new customers. Cheer gym clientele (parents and athletes) want to feel appreciated and the best way to accomplish this is by providing top-notch customer service through accessibility of gym personnel (especially gym owners); effective, compassionate and frequent communication; and last, but not least, transparency.
You work with Spirit Industry Trade Association, which focuses on industry issues and relevant topics. What in your opinion are some of the top concerns or issues facing cheer professionals today?
Wedge: Support, respect and professionalism. While we have come a long way in these areas, we are only as strong as our weakest link, so all cheer professionals must continually strive to promote and exhibit positive actions, images, and beliefs to others involved with the cheerleading industry, as well to those in the general public.
You also sit on the ICU Safety Council. What’s your response to the media reports and people who say cheerleading is unsafe?
Wedge: Media geared towards the general population needs readers/viewers, and one way they capture an audience is by generalizing, sensationalizing, and sometimes making conclusions without complete information and sound data. These media techniques have plagued the perception and reputation of cheerleading since at least the early 1980’s. Like all sports, cheerleading also possesses inherent risks. However, the risk of injury can be mitigated with the proper equipment and environment, and continuous education and training of coaches and athletes.
Your Shirley A. Wedge National Cheer and Dance Scholarship fund provides college scholarships for high school juniors and seniors. Do you have any tips for cheer gym owners who want to help their athletes procure college scholarships?
Wedge: Gym owners can help their athletes procure college scholarships by providing consistent promotion and exposure at competitions and by networking with college coaches and choreographers. If the best cheerleading athletes in the world are not given these platforms, college programs that provide scholarships will have a difficult time discovering them.
Your cheer career spans more than 30 years—what do you think the future holds for all-star cheerleading?
Wedge: All-star cheerleading has a firm foundation in the United States and an ever-growing presence in the world due to the efforts of the USASF/IASF and the ICU. In recent years, the growth pace of all-star cheerleading has slowed (some would say stalled) in the United States, but I believe that will change as we continue to emerge from the Great Recession and the next wave of athletes choose to become gym owners. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, I firmly believe this is still the area of greatest growth potential for all-star cheerleading. In five to 10 years, I would expect there to be more all-star cheerleaders in the rest of the world than there are in the United States.
What’s your personal motto or mantra for success?
Wedge: Work harder than everyone else, do it ethically, with dignity and humility, and treat others with kindness and respect.
If you could give the modern cheer professional one piece of advice, what would it be?
Wedge: Respect your profession and your colleagues by setting the bar high and always strive to do things that will advance the profession as a whole.