The Cheer News

If you are at least 18 years old and think you can cheer with the best of them, you may have the opportunity to represent your country at the world’s largest international cheer competition. The USA Federation for Sport Cheering will start accepting online applications August 15th to select participants for the two national teams that will represent the United States at the International Cheer Union’s 2009 World Cup. USA Cheer is searching for the nation’s top 60 cheerleaders to form an all-girl and a coed team that will take on the world’s best at next year’s event.

The selection process will consist of three stages; anyone 18 years or older is eligible to apply. The first step is an online application process on the USA Cheer Web site (www.usacheer.net) where interested athletes can complete an application and upload a video of their skills. From there, USA cheer will select the best applicants to attend one of four regional tryouts. USA Cheer will make another round of cuts after the regional tryouts, and the final teams will be announced January 19, 2009.

The International Cheer Union’s World Cup is the largest international cheer competition in the world, consisting of 25-30 competing countries and more than 1,300 participants. It will take place in Orlando, Florida April 22-24, 2009. The competition will include two levels of cheer (elite and premier) and two partner stunt divisions (all-girl and coed).

“Our application process is unique in that it gives anyone a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete to represent our country,” said Executive Director of USA Cheer Bill Seely. “We’re scouring the nation to select the elite few who will form the first-ever USA cheerleading dream team; only the best of the best will represent our nation on the world stage.”

USA Cheer also announced the coaches of the soon-to-be-formed teams:

• James Speed, Head Coach of the University of Louisville cheerleading squads/Owner of Gym Time Cheer Gym
• Jomo Thompson, Head Coach of the University of Kentucky cheerleading squad
• Tony Nash, Head Coach of Morehead State University cheerleading squads

Seely said of the coaches, “Choosing the coaches was a critical step in this process. Our focus as an organization is to support all of cheerleading and to serve community, school-based and gym-based cheer programs, so it was important that the coaches have a strong background in all areas. We also wanted coaches with a successful track record with college-aged athletes, and these three coaches have won National Championships in both the school and all-star worlds. We are fortunate to have such great coaches to lead the first ever cheerleading dream team.”

USA Cheer

USA Cheer is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) and was formed exclusively for charitable purposes.

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