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THE WOW FACTOR GET THE EDGE WITH WINNING CHOREOGRAPHY
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OFFICIALLY USASF-SANCTIONED COMPETITIONS— THEY’RE HAPPENING! PERFORMANCE MAKEUP DOS AND DON’TS HOT NEW UNIFORM TRENDS
COVER MODEL WINNER!
ToniAnn YULI
CONTENTS FALL 2006 VOL. 1 ISSUE 3 www.allstarcheermag.com
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Features
TECHNICAL
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34 Fitness: It’s All in the Preparation
16 Making a Point: The Cup
Utilizing a complete conditioning program will help your athletes perform at peak ability and reduce injuries. By Robb Seahorn
Race Begins Again The second year for the USASF Nfinity Cup starts now. By Lynn Singer
38 Credentialing Spotlight
20 All-Star Cheerleading Makes A Leap Forward USASF to officially sanction competitions. By ASC Staff
22 Good Choreography: Not Just Routine With a little creative choreography your team will electrify the crowd and judges. By Sharon Biggs Waller
Level 4 Stunt: Kick Full Basket Toss
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64 USASF Rules Rules are updated as of September ’06. Please check usasf.net for updates.
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28 Dressed to Skill: The Evolution of the All-Star Uniform Discover how today’s cheer athletic wear enchances performance. By Moira C. Reeve and Ashley Burton
44 Ready, Set, Safety Keep all-stars going strong with safe cheer conditions. By Leigh Vandiver
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CONTENTS FALL 2006 VOL. 1 ISSUE 3 www.allstarcheermag.com
Departments 6 Action Shots 9 USASF Message Dramatic Growth Continues By Jim Chadwick
12 Judges’ Perspective [Not Just] Young at Heart Keeping our little girls little. By Joy Troup
COVER PHOTO BY BILL MASON. See our cover model ToniAnn Yuli on page 37.
14 International Update
Competition
New Season of Growth Further expansion of the sport provides exciting opportunities worldwide. By Sarah Toler
48 What I did Last Summer: Cheer Camp! Follow along with an all-star cheer athlete as she gives a behind-the-scenes look at cheer camp. By Vanessa Nemec
58 Parental Guidelines Getting that Extra Support A top-notch cheer parent is key to a well-rounded cheer athlete. By ASC Staff
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54 A Winning Look: Performance Makeup Put the final touches on your team with a tasteful touch of makeup. By Sharon Biggs Waller
70 All-Star Cheer Q&A Three Golds, What Next? An exclusive interview with Jody Melton of Cheer Athletics. By Sarabeth Beekman
60 Teams Across America Cheer In The Heartland By Lauren Crawford
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62 Competition Composure Semi-Tough Preparing psychologically can give all-star cheerleaders an advantage. By Jessica Pupillo
56 Dance
52 Competitive Dance Don’t Fear the B-Word Ballet can transform your all-star dance and cheer program. By Lynn Singer
56 Stepping Up: Training for All-Star Dance Discover what type of training the competitive dancer needs for success. By Bonnie Spivey, with Lisa Saline
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“ALL ART IS ABOUT CONTROL—THE ENCOUNTER BETWEEN CONTROL AND THE UNCONTROLLABLE.”
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–RICHARD AVEDON
"SKILL AND CONFIDENCE ARE AN UNCONQUERED ARMY." –GEORGE HERBERT UNIVERSAL EVENT PHOTO
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USASF Message
DRAMATIC GROWTH CONTINUES Expanding international role and addition of Dance to Worlds helps take USASF to next level. Our sport is at a turning point as membership in the USASF continues to grow dramatically. Here is a quick look at the figures: Last year at this time, the USASF had a total of 282 competition event producers, coaches and athlete members. By the Cheerleading Worlds in April 2007, we expect to have nearly 12,000 members including about 100 domestic and international competition event producers, 1,500 all-star gyms, 3,100 credentialed coaches, and 7,300 credentialed athletes. This is tremendous expansion in such a brief time, and it’s an excellent barometer of how cheer and dance are continuing to be recognized as legitimate sport. There is still a long way to go, but no one can deny we are off to a great start, and we’re doing it together. The addition of Dance to the Worlds in 2007 is likely to accelerate the growth of the USASF membership over the next few years. Interestingly, all-star dance is much larger internationally than all-star cheer. We believe there will be much synergy between all-star cheer and dance at home and abroad, and thus this organization is well positioned to accomplish our mission of increasing the number of participants who benefit from the positive life experiences of all-star cheer and dance. As the largest governing body for all-star cheer and dance both domestically and internationally, our members around the world have requested that we create an international name and logo for our collective efforts. The US All Star Federation will remain the name for our US governance responsibilities while the name for our international governance responsibilities is the International All Star Federation. We look forward to our new role in international sport as well as the opportunity to further elevate the position of all-star cheer and dance throughout the world.
å “LOOKING FORWARD TO THINGS
IS HALF THE PLEASURE OF THEM.” –LUCY MAUD MONTGOMERY
Jim Chadwick (right) and Karl Olson, a member of the International Committee.
—By Jim Chadwick, President, USASF
USASF is the national governing authority for all-star cheerleading
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All-Star Cheer Magazine and the USASF would like to thank the advertisers who helped make this magazine possible. They are true supporters of All-Star cheerleading and are dedicated to the advancement of the sport.
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Judge’s Perspective By Joy Troup | Photography by Sharon P. Fibelkorn
Let’s keep our little girls little.
(Not Just) Young at Heart It happens at every competition. I’ll be judging, let’s say the mini prep division first thing in the morning. A team will come out and the little ones’ faces are covered in heavy makeup, their pale bellies showing from their midriff uniforms and they’re shaking their bootys to some inappropriate music — andI wince. These kids are way too young for that sort of thing. The subject of our youngest cheer girls can be rather touchy. Not everyone has the same opinion, and people can get “animated” when discussing the topic. However, we need to look at our industry a little more globally. No one can refute the argument that as we’re working diligently to legitimize cheerleading as a sport, one of the first places we can start is an area that we are criticized in. The general public can be critical of cheerleading’s image, and things such as fake hair, too much makeup and 5-year-olds dancing suggestively only fuel their opinions and give a negative impression. As a business, coaches desire to grow their gyms efficiently. How does one do that? One simple way is with homegrown talent: by getting the youngsters in early, training them according to the coach’s unique program, and ideally keeping them until they graduate from high school. But it’s often a challenge, particularly for new or young coaches, to fully understand what to do with those youngsters. Of course, it’s impossible to make a wee one’s performance look truly athletic, so the other choice is to make them look cute. But there’s a very fine line between cute and over-the-top. It’s sad because these tiny tots are only doing what they are taught to do and are only emulating the big girls, their role models. And they love to be like the big girls on the other teams. They want the midriffs like the 16-year-olds. They want the makeup. But as a coach, it’s important to understand that at their impressionable age, they will emulate all the people that they look up to, including you. If you have a lot of youngsters in your program, be cognizant of the fact that you are setting an example for them. That doesn’t mean that everything has to be boring or childish. The key here is “age appropriate.” As a judge, I think it’s fine to have the young girls put on a teeny bit of little glitter eye shadow and the lightest pink lipstick. You can’t really see at all, but it makes them feel all grown up, and they feel good in it. And we know all the reasons why our performers wear makeup (lighting, etc.), you don’t need that much on the little ones, and performance makeup companies have plenty of more natural
options, too. Coaches should have a sepa- it really is inappropriate for 10-year-olds, rate makeup kit for the little girls where on the verge of adolescence, to be doing everything is toned down. the same thing. We all know programs where the senior Of course, not everyone will agree, but Level Five girls have midriff uniforms. if we are legitimizing cheer as a sport, we Why not let the youngsters look forward are fighting to be respected. More emphato the day when they’ve worked toward sis needs to be placed on the athletic wearing that uniform? If coaches are aspect and less on the hair and makeup looking to keep that talent in their pro(even though we know it’s all part of grams, shouldn’t they be giving them being a performer). When we’re judging a something to look forward to—a little division, it comes down to ability, skill perk that keeps the athlete hooked in the and technique, rather than hair, makeup program and aspiring to reach that level? JUDGES DON’T NEED LITTLE ONES Age-appropriate material SHAKING THEIR BOOTYS. SHOW US doesn’t stop with the cheerleader. Music has to be as well. THE BASICS, THE FUNDAMENTALS, It’s one thing to have “Born To SMILE AND HAVE A GOOD TIME. Be Wild” for 5-year-olds, which is kind of cute, but it’s another to have a song with really suggestive and sexy uniforms. Even with the little lyrics. Another area is their moves. We ones, if I see clean forward rolls in a mini often turn to one another at the judges’ division and clean motions—I’m happy. table and say, “OK, five point deduction Judges don’t need little ones shaking for ‘exotic dancer’ move!” It’s bad enough their bootys. Show us the basics, the funto see 5-year-olds shaking their hips, but damentals, smile and have a good time.¢
Joy Troup was a principal performer with Walt Disney's World on Ice for nine years and has more than seven years of cheerleading experience as well as more than 18 years of dance training. She is a judge for competition companies nationally and internationally, an all-star coach and is the Western regional credentialing director for the USASF.
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All-Star International By Sarah Toler | Photography by ASC Staff
New Season of Growth Further expansion of the sport provides exciting opportunities worldwide. As all-star cheer continues to grow, with major competitions being held from Mexico City to Montreal, it faces new and exciting challenges ahead. Even across Europe and as far away as China, all-star cheer’s burgeoning popularity is providing more athletes with excellent opportunities to compete and travel abroad. The U.S. All-Star Federation (USASF) is making great strides to not only keep up with the sport’s international expansion, but to lead it worldwide with a new role and responsibilities. Karl Olson, a member of the USASF’s International Committee, speaks candidly to All-Star Cheer magazine to discuss the latest news and challenges within the organization and the sport. ALL-STAR CHEER: What are some of the biggest obstacles that the USASF is encountering in taking all-star cheer international? KARL OLSON: Funding, facilities and access to educational resources continue to be standard issues we face. With the expanding interest in allstar cheerleading, however, determined coaches and directors are accessing valuable support systems such as the Internet, DVDs, world events, educational programs and conferences, and so we’re making progress in these areas. ASC: Is the sport approached differently by international teams? KO: The USASF Board of Directors is currently working toward taking competitive emphasis off of tumbling for international teams and placing that emphasis on style. International teams are often challenged when it comes to tumbling because they simply do not have adequate facilities to train for that event like we do here. We are making efforts to accommodate international teams and make all-star cheer a positive, life enhancing experience for all the |14|FALL
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athletes and coaches involved in the sport. ASC: What international events are coming up? KO: There are quite a few international events coming up around the globe. Europe and parts of Asia have already started giving Worlds bids at their qualifying events this past summer. Teams from England, Scotland, Czech Republic, Germany, Netherlands, Slovenia, Italy,
Sweden and Switzerland have already received their Worlds bids with a number of European qualifying events still remaining. Some of the great Asian teams have already bid, but the majority of the continent's events are yet to come. For the rest of the globe, namely Oceania (Australia and New Zealand), South America, Latin America, Mexico, Canada and Africa, the number of great events and country representation is equally impressive. These continents/countries will host an enormous quantity of quality events running September 2006 through spring of 2007. The participation levels are expected to be quite high, and we suspect these
qualifiers will reach great teams from at least an additional 20 countries. Based on this and the addition of Dance Worlds 2007, we would expect quite a showing from international teams in 2007. ASC: Will there be any changes to the rules that will affect the International Division at the Worlds 2007? KO: There have been a few changes to the rules in the international division that were based on input we received from both the National Advisory Board and the World Advisory Board, as well as issues that USASF members agreed needed to be tackled. First, junior divisions will be added to international divisions in order to accommodate the many countries where cheerleading is relatively new and very youthoriented. Another change that will occur at the Worlds 2007 will be that only a limited number of teams per country will progress from international prelims to finals to give the international finals a stronger country versus country focus. And finally, international division score sheets will be adjusted to reflect the predominant international skill capabilities. The USASF is tremendously excited about its new global role. As the organization that is leading the way for all-star cheer around the world and is legitimizing it as a sport, the USASF’s worldwide members have asked that the organization create a new arm of the association to reflect its international presence. Now, in addition to being the USASF, it will now have its international governing administration under the umbrella of the International All-Star Federation. This will certainly present a promising season and future for international teams. ¢ Sarah Toler is a freelance writer based in Texas.
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COVER FEATURE: By Lynn Singer
MAKING A POINT
THE CUP RACE BEGINS AGAIN The Second Year for the USASF Nfinity Cup starts now. Is your team competing for the 2007 USASF Nfinity Cup? If not, there’s no time like the present to start collecting points now, since there are great rewards and prestige for this year’s winner. The first USASF Nfinity Cup was presented last April at The Cheerleading Worlds 2006 to the Small Senior team from Stingray All-Stars in Marietta, Ga. After accumulating more points than all other USASF member teams last season, the Stingray team pushed its way to the top of the rankings and claimed the coveted Cup. Each member of the team also received a beautiful sterling silver and diamond bracelet to commemorate her accomplishment. The concept of the Cup, dubbed the “great equalizer” of cheerleading competitions, was created by Tate Chalk, president of Nfinity Shoes. This introduced the all-star cheerleading industry to a way of leveling the playing field between large gyms and small gyms, as well as those with bigger and smaller budgets. “The Cup is so new and different, and it’s a special way of crowning a year-long high point champion as opposed to just the team that does well on a particular day,” Tate says. “It awards strategy, consistency and playing up to a higher level. Theoretically, it could even be won by a team that doesn’t win a bid to The Worlds.” |16|FALL
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MAKING A POINT— THE CUP RACE BEGINS AGAIN
THE RULES The USASF Nfinity Cup is to cheerleading what the Nextel Cup is to NASCAR racing. Just as drivers earn points at every NASCAR event, all-star cheerleading teams that are members of USASF earn points for participating, placing and winning at USASF member company competitions. The points chase begins in September 2006 and runs through April 2007, and the high point champion will be announced at The Worlds in Orlando, Fla., in April. An award-winner itself, the USASF Nfinity Cup was voted “Best New Product or Service” at the 2005 Spirit Industry Awards, sponsored by the Spirit Industry Trade Association (SITA). The award recognized innovation and creativity in a new product or service that has changed or enhanced the industry, and was nominated and voted on by competition and cheerleading product companies. “We knew we had a great idea,” Tate says, “but to be recognized by the industry was a nice affirmation of what we started.” How to Join the Points Pursuit 1. Make sure your gym is a member of the USASF. 2. Attend USASF member company competitions. 3. There is no fee for entering the Cup race. Top Three Strategies for Higher Point Accumulation 1. Compete in the highest ability level your team is prepared for. “The Multiplier” (see “The Rules”) earns your team more points for competing in higher levels. 2. Compete in divisions with more teams. The more teams you score higher than at a competition, the more points you earn toward the Cup. 3. Compete at bigger events for the same reasons stated above. Sponsored by Nfinity Shoes, the USASF Nfinity Cup race for the 2006 - 2007 has already begun, so make your gym is a member of USASF in order to start collecting points! ¢ For more information, visit www.usasf.net or www.nfinityshoes.com Lynn Singer is All-Star Cheer magazine’s regular columnist for Competition Dance.
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Rule 1 Anytime you register, show up and compete at a competition held by the partner companies of the USASF, you will receive 10 points. It doesn't matter if it is a one or two day event. (These points are not included in the multiplier explained in Rule 4.) Rule 2 Some competitions last one day and some last two. If you attend a two-day competition you are rewarded for placing in the top three on the first day. The most points you can score for attending a two-day event is 30. (These points are not included in the multiplier explained in Rule 4.) Rule 3 The 100 point system is what determines the points awarded for your final placement. If a tie occurs at a competition, you will be awarded the points for a team that has placed two spots down. Example: If there is a tie for 1st place, and your team is the next highest after the tie, then your team will be awarded the points for a 3rd place team. (These points are included in the multiplier explained in Rule 4.)
Rule 4 The Multiplier! This is the USASF's first step in controlling "sandbagging." If a team places 5th in a competition at Level 4, then that team will be awarded 60 points. These 60 points will then be multiplied by four because this is the level in which they competed. Note that only the points from the "100 point system" are multiplied, not the points from Rules 1, 2 or 5. Rule 5 These points will be awarded for scoring higher than other teams in your division and level at a competition. Example: Your team places 2nd in a division with five other teams in it. Your team will receive 75 points for outscoring three other teams (3 x 25 points). (These points are not included in the multiplier explained in Rule 4.) Rule 6 Your team may compete in as many competitions during the season as they want. However, only your best seven point totals will be accumulated for your overall score for the season.
TOP 25 FOR 2006 USASF NFINITY CUP 1 The Stingray All Stars Small Senior "Orange" GA 2 Top Gun Small Senior Coed FL 3 Stingray All Stars Small Senior Coed "Gold" GA 4 Cheer Tyme Small Advanced Sr PA 5 World Cup Shooting Stars Senior Advanced NJ 6 Cheer Extreme Senior Large Coed NC 7 California All Stars Large Coed CA 8 California All Stars Senior Advanced Small CA 9 Power Small Advanced Senior CA 10 West Coast Mavericks Small Advanced Senior Coed CA 11 Cheer Extreme Large Junior NC 12 World Cup Starlites Junior Coed Large NJ 13 Midwest Cheer Elite Large Advanced Jr OH 14 Celebrity Cheer L Large Junior NH 15 Celebrity Cheer Junior Prep NH 16 Maryland Twisters F Large Senior advanced MD 17 Georgia All-Stars Junior Coed GA 18 Celebrity Cheer Large Senior Coed NH 19 World Cup Twinkles NJ 20 Spirit of Texas Junior Coed Large TX 21 Spirit of Texas Small Coed Large TX 22 Top Gun Senior Coed Large FL 23 Spirit of Kentucky Senior KY 24 World Cup Odyssey Small Senior Coed NJ 25 Top Gun Junior Prep FL
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USASF Sanctioning Committee : By ASC Staff
USASF is the national governing authority for all-star cheerleading
BENEFITS BENEFITS OF OF SANCTIONED SANCTIONED EVENTS EVENTS Q&A Q&A with with USASF USASF President President Jim Jim Chadwick Chadwick
ASC: How does sanctioning improve the sport and help the competition companies? JC: Sanctioned events improve the public’s perception of all-star as a legitimate sport. For example, all football games are played on the same size fields. However, not all all-star competitions are held on the same size floor. There are a multitude of similar discrepancies, competition to competition, that the new sanctioning standards will address and standardize. ASC: Why is this such a landmark move for the sport? JC: Getting the top 20 all-star competition event producers to agree on a structure and standards for sanctioning all-star competitions is something nobody would have thought possible as recently as two years ago. It is a true credit to the presidents of these companies that they realized the give-and-take of committing to these standards would lay a solid foundation for the entire all-star community's future. It is hard for anyone to give up something now for the future benefit of an entire community but these presidents did it and their names, and this landmark action, will be remembered in the history of this sport for a long, long time. ASC: What are the benefits for the competitors? JC: Competitors will be able to know the competitive conditions before they get to each competition. Additionally, since the conditions will be much more standardized, they will have confidence that they can practice in conditions that will exist at the sanctioned competition.
ALL-STAR CHEERLEADING MAKES A LEAP FORWARD USASF to officially sanction competitions Every legitimate sport has “official” events sanctioned by a governing association. From professional basketball to golf, from swimming to bowling, each activity has approved competitions that are overseen by its federation or agency. Why? Sanctioned events receive a “seal of approval” from their governing body—they have agreed to play by the association’s rules. Sanctioned competitions are good for any sport’s industry because there is a certain level of excellence, standardization, professionalism, safety and commitment that is |20|FALL
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required of organizers. And that is passed along to the competitors and fans of the sport. All-star cheerleading is finally in a position to sanction its competitions through the USASF. “The goal of the USASF is, and always has been, to be the governing authority for AllStar cheerleading," Jim Chadwick, USASF president said. "This entails credentialing coaches and athletes, certifying gyms to provide a safe and legitimate foundation for the sport, and sanctioning competitions." Last
August, key committee members met in Dallas, Texas, to discuss how to develop and maintain the standards for sanctioned allstar competitions. Even before the meeting took place, a lot of groundwork had been completed by a steering committee. Two issues emerged as the main focus of their efforts. The first was that basic requirements had to be set in order for competitions to be sanctioned by USASF. The second was that a format and terminology needed to be fully developed for all USASF sanctioned competitions.
NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR OFFICIAL EVENTS Safety standards were at the forefront of USASF sanctioning requirements. The committee believed it essential to standardize safety and performance-area standards. Under the proposal, minimum requirements to achieve USASF sanctioning were set, and after complete discussion a final proposal was drawn up and approved. The new basic sanctioning requirements take effect beginning with the 2007-2008 season and the details are as follows: To be an official USASF sanctioned competition, it must: • Provide on-site medical personnel • Possess $1,000,000 in general liability insurance coverage • Follow USASF rules • Offer divisions only from the approved USASF list • Follow USASF logo requirements • Have at least one company representative attend the annual USASF Rules Interpretation Meeting • Provide competitors with a performance floor of at least 40’ by 40’, matted with 13⁄8” carpet bonded foam • Provide competitors with a matted practice area. • Hold competitions in a structure that has an unobstructed ceiling height of 20’ over
the performance floor if Levels 3 and above are offered • Provide suitable inclement weather areas If performance or practice area is outdoors • Sanitize performance and practice mats of bodily fluids NEW RATING SYSTEM The second item for consideration was a steering committee proposal that defined the format for USASF sanctioned competitions. The necessity of a cohesive program is vital to creating competition legitimacy because no common understanding of competition format existed. A five-star rating system was developed to define the requirements for five distinct levels of competition. Under the proposal each competition level will conform to standardized rules and be branded with a logo that identifies its level of competition. The star system proposal was debated and approved. The program details are as follows: FIVE-STAR RATING MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS • Must be a Tier 1 Worlds qualifying event • A minimum of 125 all-star cheer teams • 5-year history for specific event • 2 performances (preliminary and finals acceptable) • 54’ by 42’ flat performance area spring floor and 54’ by 42’, 13⁄8” carpet bonded foam warm up floors with double wide
spring tumble strip • If the performance floor is on an entirely built stage, the stage height must not exceed 4’ high and must have a minimum 4’ border, including any slope, from the 54’ by 42’ flat performance surface • Minimum arena, hotel, resort, or convention center venue. High school and below venues do not qualify • All coaches of Level 5 teams must be USASF credentialed and carry a USASF issued ID card. International teams exempted until further notice • Event champion team member awards • Mandatory division consolidation to create competition in divisions with only one team—small, large. Exceptions will follow FOUR-STAR RATING MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS • 100 or more all-star cheer teams. • 3 year history for specific event. • 2 performances (preliminaries and finals acceptable). • 54’ by 42’ flat performance area spring floor and 54’ by 42’, 13⁄8” carpet bonded foam warm up floors with double wide spring tumble strip. • If the performance floor is on an entirely built stage, the stage height must not exceed 4’ high and must have a minimum 4’ border, including any slope, from the 54’ by 42’ flat performance surface. • Minimum arena, hotel resort, or convention center venue. High school and below venues do not qualify • Mandatory division consolidation to create competition in divisions with only one team – small, medium, large THREE-STAR RATING MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS • 75 or more all-star cheer teams • 3-year history for specific event • One day, one performance • 54’ by 42’ flat performance area spring floor and warm up floors with double wide spring tumble strip • If the performance floor is on an entirely built stage, the stage height must not exceed 4’ high and must have a minimum 4’ border, including any slope, from the 54’ by 42’ flat performance surface • Mandatory division consolidation to create competition in divisions with only one team—small, large ¢
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Feature: By Sharon Biggs Waller | Photos by ASC Staff
Good Choreography: NOT JUST ROUTINE With a little creative choreography your team will electrify both the crowd and the judges.
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SPECIAL THANKS TO IRVINE CHEER ACADEMY / ERIC ANDERSON FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE WITH PHOTOS.
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No matter how athletic your stunts, how impressive your dance moves or how intricate your transitions, if they aren’t organized into an eye-popping, crowd-pleasing, ooh-ahh routine you’re sunk. And for top competitions you need to push that creativity even further because it’s the “wow factor” that makes the difference between a good team and a great team. Choreography is the buzz word here, and with many competition companies it’s a big part of the score—up to 40 percent. “If you don’t have an exciting or fun routine, a judge won’t be interested,” says noted dance and cheer choreographer Eric Little, from Dana Point, Calif. “Depending on how the routine is judged, you could score low on creativity or overall expression, or choreography. It’s important to keep the judge interested,” Little explains. “Even if a team is strong in its stunts, other teams may be just as talented. But if another team has a better routine, they are going to get the great score.”
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