All Star Cheerleading As Different From School Cheerleading As Can Be
If you (or your Mom) was a school cheerleading and you still have not seen All Star Cheer, then hang onto your hat! This is as different from “traditional” cheerleading as apple pie is from chili con carne! In Raleigh, North Carolina, Elite Cheer and Dance is an example of an organization promoting this New Age cheerleading movement. all star cheer is a very distant relation of old-fashioned high school pep rallies that cheered the football teams and other school sports teams. It was more a social club for pretty, and often not very athletic, girls, rather than a sports club. In today’s All Star cheer, which is a recognized sport, only the finest athletes, gymnasts and dancers make the grade.
You may be wondering how all star cheerleading differs from the traditional type. Well, in 1986 cheerleading competition sponsors National Cheerleaders Association (NCA), the Universal Cheerleaders Association, Cheersport and America’s Best decided to address the question of formalizing the participation of cheerleaders in competitions where the teams lacked a sponsoring school or athletic association. The aim was to promote the safe and healthy participation in All Star cheerleading for the maximum number of participants benefiting from the positive life experiences of All Star cheerleading and dance by developing competition rules and all star gym training guidelines consistent with the latest safety, education and ethical practices. Thus the All Star Division was born. The first All Star competitions were held in 1987 – and the rest is history. The interest in All Star cheerleading participation grew beyond all expectations.
Soon a number of anomalies arose as squads entered various types of competitions run by many different organizations and companies. There was no consistency in terms of rules, regulations and divisions. The next great step forward in All Star cheerleading came in 2003 with the formation of the US All Stars Federation (USASF) where the various competition companies such as elite cheer in Raleigh, NC, joined to form a national governing body for All Star cheerleading. The USASF hosted the first Cheerleading Worlds on Saturday, April 24, 2004. That year the National All Star Cheerleading Coaches Congress (NACCC) was also formed, with the purpose of organizing all cheerleading coaches from across the US for rule-making purposes. In 2005, the NACCC was absorbed by the USASF to become their rule making body. Its mission is “to maximize the number of participants benefiting from the positive life experiences of all star cheerleading and dance by developing competition rules and all star gym training guidelines consistent with the latest best known safety, educational, and ethical practices”. By 2008 there were over 500 member gyms and 15 members competition-sponsoring companies. The major competitions are televised and are drawing growing number of viewers. The number of spectators who regularly attend the live events is also increasing.
Not only had a standard set of rules and judging standards been created to be followed in all USASF-sanctioned competitions, but various levels of competition have also been set by the body. There are eight levels of All Stars performers, with Level 1 being the beginners’ level and Level 5 being the most advanced. Level 6 is reserved for College Level athletes. There are even divisions for Special Needs and International Performers. Soon after these developments, in 2006, the USASF expanded its reach even further, with the creation of the International All Star Federation (IASF), the first international governing body for the sport of All Star cheerleading.
The expression that comes to mind for All Star cheerleading is “high-powered”. The music is loud – very loud – the pace feverish, the moves extreme and the energy levels way high. Some observers have described routines by Elite cheer in North Carolina, for instance, as “a cross between a WWE Smackdown match, a high-stakes gymnastics meet, Cirque du Soleil and So You Think You Can Dance, all rolled into one”.
The largest and most prestigious competition for All Star cheerleading, in which teams from cheer companies such as Elite Cheer takes part, is the annual Cheerleading Worlds held at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL. Teams that take part have to qualify for the event by attending one of several qualifying competitions. So far US teams have won the majority of medals but teams from across the world also competition and are getting stronger each year. By 2007, over 100 teams from fifteen countries competed in the Cheerleading Worlds. The sport of All Star cheerleading is scintillating, fast, furious and inspiring – for the participants as well as the fans. In a world that loves music, action and fanfare, the sport is set to grow even more popular.
Tags: all star cheerleading | elite cheer and dance | elite cheer and dance | all star cheer | cheerleading | elite cheer
October 7th, 2008 at 7:26 am
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