All-Star Easiest Way To Start A Cheer Program?

[dat.jpp]

Would you recommend going rec circuit for the 1st year to get the hang of it? Start a cheer class for the 1st year?

 

[Twinklestars]

I would recommend working for a gym and getting all of the coaching credentials while you are working before opening a program.

 

[Beans100]

I'd recommend graduating at least high school first.

 

[dance_extreme_94]

First off, there is no "easy" way to start a business. Ultimately that's what you're doing you're offering a service and starting a business. You're doing more then just "coaching" If you want to run a program that already exist try Middle School Cheer or Youth League.

Second, Yes I would recommend assistant coaching a youth league team that is already established to get some experience in. However, All stars is different from youth league and if you truly want to do all stars I would suggest writing your local gyms about volunteering with a mini or junior team to get some experience under your belt. Coaching isn't easy, sometimes you will have to change up things on the spot, you will have to replace and train fliers, bases, backspots etc. You have to keep parents informed about a lot of things if not, they will ride you with questions and if you don't have an answer for them you might not get a good response. You have to organized as well.

It is also important to get certified as well and CPR and First aide certified. It makes you look creditable as a coach and it shows that you care about the safety of your students. If you do go the youth league way they're many online certifications that they have such as AYC, Pop Warner (which is now USASF I believe) and so on. I would just recommend going ahead and getting USASF certified because it last a few years and it really gets into detail about a lot of things you think you may know but really don't. Plus its easier to get into USASF Sanctioned competitions being USASF certified. Its only very few Non sanctioned competitions that uphold good quality events that doesn't require you to be certified.


You also need to take business courses you can do this at your community college. "intro to business' is a good place to start I have to take that class in the summer to get my administration degree. You wanna take that class because it just teaches you 101 things about starting a business and being an entrepreneur. You also have to decide what type of business you want to be. Do you want to be non profit? how will you qualify for it? non profit 501 c3 doesn't work for everyone. Will be LLC? (Limited Liability company) and the list goes on. What type of insurance are you going to have an how many? Are you just going to have Accident and liability, are going to have insurances for students who may experience rape/molestation in the gym(It does happen) Are you coaching all the teams? Are you going to hire help? will the background check? whos' paying for background checks? are you? are your employees? will you reimburse them? Where will you get mats from? where you will find a building that is safe? how many comps you will attend? How will you pay your employees? what's your business plan? I can go on forever and ever. It is really important to know this. If you have to ask "what's the easiest way" to start a business you're not ready to start a business. There is no easy way to start a good quality, safe functioning business.

 

[dance_extreme_94]

Is your credit good enough for a loan? if not who will your co-signer be? what loan company will you go through? do you want to be a small gym, or a mega gym and start chain like CEA? If so how many years after you open will you want this to happen? 5,10-15?

Who do you want to be your endorsers? your sponsors? what kind of letter proposal will you send to them? Where you will find your athletes? how will you get your revenue to be successful? Are demographics in your area suitable for all star cheer? how many gyms already exist in your area?

 

[dance_extreme_94]

How many teams will you have? where you get your apparel from? (Uniforms, shoes) etc how will you treat students who come from low-fixed incomes? are you going to have a special needs team? Most importantly WHO'S GOING TO DO YOUR TAXES? the list can go on forever and ever. Those are the things you have to start thinking about. You need to have more experience then what you probably have already in order to start a successful business. It doesn't happen over night.

 

[XtremeWpg]

Watching our 2 owners start a program this year...I promise you there isn't an "easy" way. They have a lot of great business people giving advice to them, and still have had many struggles and frustrations. One of the owners works only part time and works, for free right now, on the business and admin side of the program. Our other owner also works for free, but also has a full time job, she's also my roommate. I witness first hand the sheer number of emails and communication that come in.

Are you prepared to deal with parents? Do you have coaches you trust that have the knowledge needed? Better yet....do you have athletes who are interested in a program you are starting.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Gyms/programs dont generally fail due to lack of cheer experience.

The cheer experience part is the easy part.

It's the BUSINESS part of owning/starting a program that is the most difficult and the reason so many fail.

 

[Official OWECheer]

Would you recommend going rec circuit for the 1st year to get the hang of it? Start a cheer class for the 1st year?

Watch other programs and learn from their mistakes. And take the advice of everyone is this thread.