All-Star Starting a CheerAbilities team

[Embarrasing_cheer_mom]

Hello! I am working with our gym to start a CheerAbilities team. I am a mom of a competitive allstar cheerleader and have another daughter with special needs. I also work with special needs kids as part of my profession. But I have never coached cheer before. Myself and one other woman will be coaching. Does anyone have any advice for us as we start? What do you wish you knew when you were starting a team? I appreciate any insight anyone has!

 

[Keep_Believing]

I am not a coach, so I am not much help. I am a special education teacher and wanted to say I love what you are doing!

 

[catlady]

My daughter and her friend started a cheerability team several years ago. Her friend's mother worked for a group who specialized in therapy through play for special needs individuals and they recruited many of their athletes from there. The girls had help via their teammates and coaches to have one on one assistance, and the coaches were going to help with the routine and meeting scoresheet skills. The gym had half year uniforms they leased out but, they provided them free to the cheerability team to borrow. The pro shop charged a minimal fee for the t-shirt and bow.

While my daughter's friend knew what to expect since she had volunteered and hung out with many of her mom's clients, my daughter and the rest of the volunteers weren't as prepared for the vast spectrum of needs. Often, practices would end up being light from either medical needs or just exhausted parents needing a break from running to another place. Sometimes practices just ended up being athletes taking turns barrel rolling down a wedge mat. At the end of the season, they didn't compete or exhibit but, the athletes and volunteers all had fun, they learned some motions, took pictures, ate cookie cake, and they called it a success.

I'd reach out to other cheerability coaches and your daughter's AS team coaches for advice. There are, also, many great videos of routines on YouTube. Varsity CheerABILITIES has different divisions you can choose from.