May I ask where you got your statistics for your statement that "the VAST majority [of high school coaches] are not [qualified]"? I was not able to find the total number of AACCA-certified coaches online, but I searched my last name (Smith) and found that there are 172 AACCA-certified Coach Smiths in the US. I would guess (very unscientifically, based on that one name) that there are thousands of AACCA-certified coaches in the US. If AACCA certification is not enough to be "qualified," then what is? NYSCA? NCSSE? All of the above? More? (Did you read my question about allowing high school coaches to be certified under USASF? What do you think of that?) What resources exist for high school coaches to become "qualified"? By shifting the argument from "we need to make sure that cheerleading is performed on a suitable surface" to "we need to make sure that cheerleading is performed under a qualified coach" you're left in a bit of a quandary - what or who determines qualification? I understand that this is in the all star forum, but there's no need to be so all-star-centric that you alienate "the VAST majority" of the audience to which you should be making your argument. (And I'm on your side!! I agree with many suggestions you've offered! But, man, it is tough to be supportive when I and my peers are very obviously second-class in your estimation.)
The thrust of my argument is this: because there is no national governing body for high school cheerleading with any real power (whereas there is USASF for all star cheer, and arguments could be made about its "power," I'm sure, but at least there are standardized rules at competitions and standardized certifications for coaches recognized across the country that indicate, at least ostensibly, a coach's competence) you will *always* be able to say that high school coaches are "unqualified" for one reason or another. That doesn't get to the heart of the problem: making sure that coaches are educated up to a particular standard (wherein they'd recognize, for instance, what skills can safely be performed on each type of surface they may encounter), making sure that parents are aware of the standards and expect their school teams to adhere to them, and making sure that there are no incentives for violating the standards - these appear to be the same kind of goals the USASF is trying to achieve in the all-star cheer world. How can we work toward achieving these aims in the high school cheerleading realm?