I'm about to say something really obvious: Cheer is expensive. We've been paying for cheer for so long, I don't even want to think about what we might have been able to pay for if we'd saved that money over the years....college? a month-long Sabbatical in Maui? a private jet?My favorite running cheer joke right now is when a cheer mom posts about her athlete's new skill and calls it "the $10,000 back handspring," or "the $20,000 tuck." It doesn't get more real than that.It makes sense that almost every cheer mom I know is looking for ways to offset the cost of cheer. Money is not easy to come by, and with all the ... view the post
Keeping Our Kids Safe On Social Media
Social media can be a big part of a cheerleader's lifestyle. Showing off skills, uniform reveals, and posting photos of cheer besties can all be part of the experience. Social media can be a positive thing that connects our small world of cheerleading and helps to create community and connection, but as we all know, there is a dark side to it, and as we have seen in recent years in the cheer world, it can be a place for unfettered bullying and even abuse by those in power. Dan Cotton is not only a powerful force in the cheer industry, he is also a trained police officer, specializing in online safety. In this ... view the post
Redefining What it Means to be a “Bad Flyer”
If you have not heard of today's guest, go follow Bad Flyer right now! I usually don't reveal the ages of my guests, but Steph Bell, aka "Bad Flyer," is a 34-year-old mother of two...and she's a flyer on a cheer team! Steph is inspirational, and has a beautiful heart. She talks with me about. Why she decided to start doing all-star cheerleading as an adult, how she did it, how hard she worked to get there, and the beautiful things that have come from it. We talk about creating positivity in cheer, flipping bullying on its head, mean comments online, and how she is redefining what it means to be a "bad ... view the post
Breaking Down the High School Cheer Routine
It's not often that we get to talk solely about high school cheerleading, but this episode is all about the high school cheer routine! Not only is it different from All Star cheer, high school cheer routines differ from state to state in the US, and even competition to competition. With the help of my new friend, Cameron Hockaday, we're breaking down the elements of a high school cheer routine, a few of the divisions, and a glimpse at the high school score sheet. To connect with Cameron, find her on social media Find Varsity's high school scoring guides, here Shop The Cheer Collection for ... view the post
