Cheer News

As the industry—and our nation—tries to get back in the holiday spirit after last week’s tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn., a cheerleader named Janie Pascoe is doing her best to restore hope. After being named Athlete of the Year at America’s Best National Championships in Kansas City last weekend, Janie requested to donate her $500 scholarship prize to the Newtown Memorial Fund for the victims’ families rather than using it toward her Indiana University education.

“It is an honor to receive this award, but I feel the money would be better used in the hands of the New Town Memorial Fund rather than mine and maybe this will encourage others to help as well,” said Janie in a statement.

Though it’s an unconventional approach, America’s Best Championships and The JAM Brands were more than happy to oblige Janie’s selfless wishes. “I couldn’t help but tear up at how amazing this young athlete truly is,” says Chad Lemon of The JAM Brands. “It is so refreshing to know that there are great, positive role models out there and Janie fits that bill to a tee. I think Janie’s small act of kindness shows that she truly is ‘America’s Best’ Athlete of the Year.”

Cheers to Janie for showing what the true holiday spirit is all about.

Much like a double full or a scorpion, happiness is a learned skill—and good things come to those who practice. If you’re looking to lead a happier life, it’s crucial to learn the right skills and put them into practice. So how do you get from point A to point Be-happy? Here are a few clues.

Commit acts of kindness. Sometimes the fastest way to personal happiness is to make others happy—whether that means planning a philanthropic event, volunteering, or banding together to help another gym in need (like many did earlier this year when a tornado destroyed Cheer Fusion in Fredericksburg, VA).

Contributing positively to others’ well-being can also boost your sense of purposefulness. “I believe wholeheartedly that happiness is tied to purpose,” says motivational speaker and success coach Shawn Anderson. When individuals have a passionate purpose that inspires and drives them, happiness and fulfillment often follow hand-in-hand. At Gym Kix in Copperas Cove, TX, owner Stephanie Beveridge spearheads charity efforts for deployed soldiers and the local Hope Pregnancy Center. “[Our work] allows us to realize that there are other people out there struggling and how a little time, effort, and money on our part can be a great blessing,” she says.

Be optimistic. “Happiness is choice,” says Randy Taran, founder of the non-profit Project Happiness. “We cannot control the situations we’re in, but we can control our attitude towards them.” Beveridge agrees, saying, “We cannot equate our happiness with only the ‘good times’ or we’ll all be searching forever for happiness.”

When something doesn’t go your way, look for the opportunity within the adversity. (Taran calls this your “advertunity.”) Staying optimistic is key during difficult times, since focusing on an emotion tends to attract more of the same. The more you can focus on happiness and laughter, the more chances you’ll attract those into your life.

Know your happiness triggers. Do you know what makes your heart smile? Taran calls these things your “happiness triggers.” Spending time on the things you love is crucial for happiness—and the better you know yourself, the easier it will be to lead a more satisfying life. For Morton Bergue of CheerGyms.com, it’s taking time to indulge in a spa day, while for Beveridge of Gym Kix, happy times are most often spent relaxing with family.

If you’re still scratching your head as to your  own happiness triggers, Taran suggests thinking of happy times and analyzing what made those times special. By pinpointing the situations that elicit happiness, you can then incorporate those triggers into your daily life.

Count your blessings. Expressing gratitude can open your eyes to all that you have and all that you’ve accomplished. “There are a hundred blessings we each have that we tend to ignore, only to wonder instead why we don’t have something else,” points out Anderson. By being grateful for even the smallest things, you’re more apt to be content and appreciative for what you’ve got. For those struggling with anger or dealing with distressing emotions, try keeping a gratitude journal—or simply make a list of 100 things you’re thankful for and watch the anger melt away as the list gets bigger.

Follow your heart. A fulfilled heart is a happy heart. When you’re doing what you love, happiness is easier to find. Don’t wait for the perfect moment to start chasing happiness. Making one small change today can change your whole life.

Happy days are here again.

Meet Trisha Hart, now in her 10^th year as co-owner of All-Star Legacy (a decorated cheer gym with three locations in Virginia and West Virginia), coach for the program’s Mini Level One and Youth Level Two teams, and cheer consultant/choreographer. We snagged this busy cheer professional for a candid Q&A—read what she had to say below:

CP: What is one thing you wish you’d known when starting out?

Trisha: I would have liked to find more balance from the beginning. In this industry, you work from the minute you wake up until the minute you go to bed, and at first, I sacrificed a lot of my personal friendships and family relationships to bring the gym great success. I also invested a lot of emotion into the clients and kids, which I wouldn’t take back, but in retrospect, I wish someone had told me not to take it so personally when kids would leave and go to a different gym.

CP: You spend a lot of time training coaches from other programs. What’s one thing you think coaches could do differently as a whole?

Trisha: After seeing Worlds on ESPN or certain YouTube videos, coaches often have expectations that their kids will be able to do those things, but teaching them how to get there is something we’re lacking. A good test-taker might be able to get credentialed very high, but at the end of the day, hands-on training and being able to communicate with different athletes is bigger than anything else. Going to a gym or practicing 3-10 hours a week and having them repeat bad habits won’t get progress. Coaches need to be more hands-on, and I blame that on lack of training that we’re offering as an industry.

Q: Name something you wouldn’t do again as a coach.

Trisha: Relying on parent volunteers to be the communication of the business. We’ve worked with a lot of parents to get messages to the masses—each team has one or two parent representatives. I’ve learned that giving them the reins can sometimes bite you in the butt, as your words can be misconstrued. It’s great to have parent volunteers, but not necessarily as a main line of information.

CP: Talk about trends you’re seeing in choreography.

Trisha: Right now, it’s too skill-based. Look at any event producer’s scorecard—in order to get a quantity score, you end up jam-packing two minutes and thirty seconds with so many skills that you lose all the flashy fun. Showmanship and entertainment value are what competitive cheerleading was originally built for, but we’re starting to get away from them. We have to do so much in a routine that we’re counting the number of elements and skills versus appreciating the creativity of what we do. In maximizing the scoresheet, we lose the creative overall effect and appeal. I’d love to see it all be one big package again, but the only way that will happen is by not expecting so much.

CP: How would you sum up your coaching approach?

Trisha: Passionate and energetic about our industry and coaching, with high expectations for all athletes’ growth and development—no matter what age or ability level.

If your head starts to swim in legal jargon when considering the various types of insurance for your cheer gym, you’re not alone. “About 90 percent of gym owners don’t have a grasp on the types of insurance they need to carry, and they’re not always attuned to what can happen,” says Ray Snyder of Snyder Insurance Services, which specializes in insuring cheer, gymnastics, and other amateur sports gyms. “In gymnastics, no one in their right mind goes without cover, but cheer people often don’t renew [their policies] because of economics.”

Yet insurance is an investment most cheer gym owners can’t afford not to make. Just like locking the front door and screening your employees properly, knowing how to properly protect your business liability-wise is of utmost importance—otherwise, you could be leaving your program vulnerable to devastating financial loss. See if you subscribe to any of these common insurance myths and learn the realities below:

MYTH #1: Forming a corporation protects me from liability if my business is sued.

The Truth: Incorporating may protect your personal assets (such as your home and personal finances), but it may not provide absolute protection. In some circumstances (such as fraud or co-mingling of personal and business funds), a judge may permit “piercing of the corporate veil” and hold officers of corporations personally responsible—making your house, savings, and other assets susceptible. This exception is seen more commonly in smaller privately held businesses than publicly traded corporations, making it a very real concern for small businesses.

According to Sandra Mihaloff of Markel, consulting a lawyer can help you pinpoint which type of corporation can provide the best protection for your specific needs. “Only your business attorney can advise you on the entity that suits your business best, and whichever type you choose will be indicated on the declarations page of your policy,” says Mihaloff.

MYTH #2: My landlord has insurance, so I’m covered.

The Truth: According to Snyder, most landlords will carry “lessor’s risk only insurance,” which covers liability and property coverage for building owners only. On top of that, “in most cases, the landlord would like you to cover their liability as an additional insured on your own general liability policy; some companies may charge an additional cost for this purpose,” advises Mihaloff.

To cover your own business bases, Snyder recommends that cheer gym owners obtain a dual-purpose liability policy, which provides an umbrella of both no-fault and at-fault coverage.

MYTH #3: Nobody would sue me.

The Truth: Why? Because you’re so nice? Because you run your business so safely that nothing can go wrong? Or because you’re not rich? Think again—cheer gyms are often sued for everything from injuries to sexual abuse allegations to discrimination, and no cheer professional is exempt from the possibility. “As a gym owner, to think you will never get sued is a myth,” says Mihaloff. “There have been cases where best friends sued  each other over an accident or incident.”

Snyder agrees, adding that “in times of recession, claims go through the roof on an alleged basis.” According to Snyder, going uninsured and taking that risk can be a costly mistake. “It costs me an average of $100,000 to get you off an alleged negligence situation,” says Snyder. “The minimum premium we offer is $350/year. Who in their right mind would chance $100,000 out-of-pocket expense over $350?”

And finally, when you do obtain insurance coverage, be sure to take the time to thoroughly understand the contents/extent of your policy, and have it reviewed regularly by a competent and trusted business insurance agent or lawyer. Mission: protection complete!

He’s dedicated. He’s athletic. He’s experienced. Cheerleaders respect him and parents like him. That male coach on your staff is a major contributor to your gym’s success. But could he also be a major risk?

If your knee-jerk reaction is “no,” consider the case of 24-year-old Andrew Gonzales, a coach at Harlingen, TX-based Elite Cheer. Earlier this year, Gonzales was accused of having performed sexual acts and sending obscene text messages to a 16-year-old male cheerleader at his former employer, rival gym South Texas Xtreme, and later issued a $20,000 bond. Though the charges were affiliated with another gym, Elite Cheer owner Brandy Maley was placed in the position of defending her employee publicly and dealing with possible negative ramifications for her gym’s image.

In a sport where young women make up the majority of athletes, it’s critical to keep male coaches—and your gym—safe from threats ranging from gender biases to sexual harassment. Take the proper precautions to ensure this type of situation doesn’t occur in your gym.

Develop procedures and enforce rules. At Cheer Force’s five locations around Southern California, owners Becky and Shawn Herrera have implemented strict policies about coaches’ interaction with kids. For instance, coaches aren’t allowed to give out their cell phone numbers and must keep a separate professional Facebook page if they want to communicate with athletes that way. Coaches are also forbidden from any transportation of athletes and socializing is only permitted at team events or outings. “We try to avoid situations where things can happen and that tends to alleviate them from happening,” says Shawn Herrera, who also holds staff meetings at least once a month to review rules and policies.

Introducing a “zero tolerance” approach has also been effective for the Herreras, who have an almost exclusively male coaching staff. Last year, they were forced to fire a male coach who’d developed a flirtation with a younger athlete (the two are now dating). “You can date an athlete or coach here, but you can’t do both,” says Herrera. “Anything that’s not appropriate—[we say,] ‘You’re gone.’ It’s an immediate termination.”

To communicate expectations, the Women’s Sports Foundation advises administrators to formulate a written policy that details appropriate and inappropriate behavior, to develop and distribute rules, and to clearly define sexual harassment and other violations. Should something go awry, it’s important to have proper reporting processes in place for coaches and athletes alike—such as whom to talk to, how informal and formal complaint procedures work, and what should be confidential. All personnel should also receive periodic training on gym policies and how to respond properly if an athlete confides in them about inappropriate behavior.

Screen and train employees. Carefully check all staff members’ backgrounds and qualifications, including looking into and addressing any previous incidents. At Cheer Force, the Herreras consult all of a prospective employee’s former employers to check references before making any hiring decisions. If a potential coach comes on board with no previous experience, the employee must wait at least a year before they are permitted to work with teams in that capacity. “We take a while before we let [coaches] into the inner circle,” says Herrera.

Herrera also relies on his intuition when making new hires, as well as the way others he trusts respond to the potential hire. “When new coaches come in, I look at how my two sons react to them. If my boys latch on to them and like them, it usually turns out to be a good coach for us,” says Herrera.

Demand professionalism. Regardless of gender, a coach’s behavior is constantly being watched and judged. Your zero tolerance policy should extend to any displays of ignorance, immaturity, and other inappropriate behavior for all staff. “It’s all about professionalism,” says Jeremy Towle, choreographer and former head instructor for the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA). “If something happens, like a hand slips when spotting a stunt, you avoid the awkward giggles and just keep moving forward.”

At Cheer Force, coaches are indeed being watched—literally. Cameras record everything happening within the gym’s confines, mostly to serve as protection against possible accusations of negligence. “Everything is recorded,” says Herrera. “We tell our coaches to always stay in view of a camera and they’ll have video proof that nothing happened. You don’t have that at a pool party or a movie theater, so you have to take extra precautions [in social settings]—but within these walls, it’s a safe place.”

Keep parental lines of communication open. Athletes and parents who are new to competitive cheerleading may be surprised—or even concerned—to learn that a man will be in charge of their team. Alleviate concerns by emphasizing the prevalence of male coaches in the sport, as well as touting the experience and achievements of male staff members. Also, be upfront from the outset: introduce male coaches and their roles at tryouts, be open about the gym’s safety and sexual harassment policies, and immediately address any concerns that are raised.

“As soon as you have any information, it’s important to act upon it and inform the parent,” says Herrera. “We try to be an open book—nothing is hidden.”

–Katelyn Holbrook