Starting A Rec Program From Scratch?

[caitlyn_the_camille]

Oh, I'm not even sure where to start. (I know there's been a few threads lately concerning not-very-promising programs; I hope no ones sees this as something like that)
-I'm 17 years old, coming up on my senior year of high school. For a while it's been a dream of mine to start a Rec program in the town where I plan to go to college.
-To my knowledge (I researched every rec program in the town on the town website) there is not a cheerleading program, but there is a football program they could cheer for.
-There is an AllStar program in this town (I'm not yet sure how that's pertinent, I just feel like it is).
-I will have coached AllStar level 1 (and to a lesser extent, level 2) for 2 seasons by the time I graduate, and plan to be USASF certified in both levels (already am in level 1; hopefully will be in level 2 very soon if everything goes right).

Things I've considered/I know:
-I don't know yet how hard college will be for me (nor have I even decided fully on a major). I know that will play a huge part in how successful this plan is.
-I'll be going to this college for free (parents are planning to use a little the money they had saved for my college to get me a residence off campus), so it's not like I'll be a broke college kid. I say this to say I'm fortunate enough to not have to worry about making ends meet for myself alongside my cheer program.
-The city has a public gym. I don't know yet if it costs to practice there or anything, but I know that's where we'd practice as it would probably be the cheapest indoor facility. (As I'm writing this I'm realizing there are YMCAs and making a note to find out if there is one where I'll be, and whether or not it'd be a better option.)
-I'd have to apply for a small grant from the city, if for only a mat or two to practice on, and before I did that I'd have to have my business plan and everything together for them to even consider giving me money.
-I'm sure I'd probably have to get some sort of other certification through the city to coach rec, but I really don't know how much of a presence the city would have to have in anything.
-I know that coaching rec would be an entirely different world than coaching AllStar. There will be a billion differences I'm sure. I also know that coaching anything is different from creating a business (I call it a business for lack of a better word; I don't plan to make money doing it.)
-I don't expect kids to walk in competition ready, although it'd be my goal to get them there eventually. The first year (and maybe second too) would be for building skills and cheering sidelines.
-If everything goes as planned, I'll only be in college for 4 years (this also depends on my major, which I need to stinking figure out). Is that enough time to build up a solid program? What if no one cares to take my place after I leave? *shudders*
-I've been lurking around the Rec section on this site for days (not done yet though), and it's been very helpful.
-I know of teams that don't go through pop warner or AYC and don't plan on doing so (not that I'd know how where to begin if I wanted to).
-you can get uniforms fairly cheap, I can make bows (and even cut music together when it's time), and I won't require them to buy shoes or anything like that, at least not the first year. (A uniform and bloomers, at the very least.)
-This is all to happen at least a year into the future, I'm just trying to figure things out early.
-Just to amuse myself, I've thought about everything from fundraising to how my practices will be run, marketing/recruiting to the first cheers I'll teach them. I'm organized and mature for my age (like they all say... but I really am: instead of my usual designer handbag my parents get me every birthday, this year I'm asking for a new Oreck vacuum cleaner. Whoops ) and feel like I can handle responsibility well.


I'm here seeking advice as I know there are some really awesome rec coaches (and just people in general) on the boards. My first idea was to learn as much as I could this year and apply for a job at the AllStar gym in the area next year. But I want to go beyond that. I love cheerleading and don't want to give it up because I'm going to college. I'm not good enough to cheer college, and due to some really crappy circumstances I'm not even doing school cheerleading next year. But I've concluded that just because I'm not great at something doesn't mean I can't like doing it, or that I should give up on it. I'm pretty sure it's been said here that there's a place for everyone in the industry, and I feel like this could be mine. Obviously I have a really long way to go, and a lot to learn. I genuinely want to give girls who can't afford all star a chance to cheer. I want to be a mentor for them and instill the same love I have for the sport in them. Any and all advice is extremely appreciated. Thanks!
ETA: sorry this post is 12 miles long. Just wanted to lay everything out.
ETA again: "I am not just some teen trying to start a team." I hope.

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[luv2cheer92]

While I don't have any specific advice since I've never coached (sorry ), I just wanted to say thank you for actually taking the time to sound professional and talk about what you have done to help you get started. It's very refreshing lol.

 

[CheerStrict]

I recently tried to get a rec league started at my local YMCA and if they already have a gymnastics program you don't need to get mats because they already have them and to coach there you just need to go through their safety certification. I found it to be an easier option to build upon their program rather than build my own from scratch. As for college (I'm a college junior) maybe you could spend the rest of the fall and winter planning so you could offer it in the summer so it wouldn't interfere with classes. Because be prepared. College is HARD.


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[SarahS]

I'll send you a pm with my contact details and I'll do my best to answer your questions -- after I get done coaching my rec team this evening You're awesome - it is clear that you have put a great deal of thought into this. Thank you!!


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[caitlyn_the_camille]

While I don't have any specific advice since I've never coached (sorry ), I just wanted to say thank you for actually taking the time to sound professional and talk about what you have done to help you get started. It's very refreshing lol.

Thank you! Every time I think about it I get really excited and really nervous at the same time. I've waited a while to post on here and ask for help, because I wanted to try and get some of the harder stuff figured out on my own, and then see what others had to say about it.


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[caitlyn_the_camille]

I recently tried to get a rec league started at my local YMCA and if they already have a gymnastics program you don't need to get mats because they already have them and to coach there you just need to go through their safety certification. I found it to be an easier option to build upon their program rather than build my own from scratch. As for college (I'm a college junior) maybe you could spend the rest of the fall and winter planning so you could offer it in the summer so it wouldn't interfere with classes. Because be prepared. College is HARD.


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It would be awesome to be able to go through the YMCA. (Although I'm like 80% sure the rec football team doesn't, and I don't know if that would matter or anything. I've read on here that you need proof you cheer sideline for a sport to be able to compete rec (I'm looking pretty far into the future), or at least you should have proof, and I'm not sure how strict that rule is.) I had thought about using it as practice space, but I never even considered going through them for the whole thing. I remember when I was little there was always something going on at the YMCA/YWCA; they even let my middle school volleyball team practice there twice a week for almost nothing.
About college, thanks for the warning. I thought maybe if I could have "tryouts" (signups where I ask them to show me their favorite "cheer trick" and give them something saying they made the team) at the end of the summer before school started, it would take a little pressure off as I'd already have a team. Also, I'm very not self-disciplined when it comes to balancing my time between school and cheer (I've never had to be in high school; if I wanted to come up with pyramid sequences instead of studying for finals, I could and still do well on them. That's just how my school is.) Obviously college has the opportunity to wreck my life because of this, which leads me to wonder if maybe I should wait until my sophomore year...
I do think I'd have to do it in the fall though,since that's when the rec football team would be doing their stuff.


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[caitlyn_the_camille]

I'll send you a pm with my contact details and I'll do my best to answer your questions -- after I get done coaching my rec team this evening You're awesome - it is clear that you have put a great deal of thought into this. Thank you!!


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Thank you! You were actually the first person I thought of when I was thinking of rec coaches who could help a lot
ETA: apparently grammar eludes me this morning. In my defense I'm pretty sure I had food poisoning last night and didn't get to sleep until 4 this morning.

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[cupieqt]

@caitlyn_the_camille you sound like a very intelligent girl with a well thought out plan to get started. Bravo! I will caution you to dot your i's and cross your t's with the qualifications to start a rec program. A true rec program is community run and is affiliated with some sort of youth sports league. Here in Livingston Parish and the surrounding parishes we have rec cheer and they fall under S.L.Y.F.A. I can PM you their info if you'd like to call and ask them some questions. You might even qualify if you start a YMCA program.
If you want a program that is strictly yours to run then you should do All Star Prep. It's very similar to rec but it falls under the USASF governance so it's much easier to find rules and resources for those of us in Louisiana.

Good luck and keep us all posted! I think you will be very successful.

 

[Cheer Dad]

Is the local football team associated with Pop Warner or any other national program that may have established guidelines where you could basically start a program based on their membership?


"What, you don't even go here!"

 

[caitlyn_the_camille]

@caitlyn_the_camille you sound like a very intelligent girl with a well thought out plan to get started. Bravo! I will caution you to dot your i's and cross your t's with the qualifications to start a rec program. A true rec program is community run and is affiliated with some sort of youth sports league. Here in Livingston Parish and the surrounding parishes we have rec cheer and they fall under S.L.Y.F.A. I can PM you their info if you'd like to call and ask them some questions. You might even qualify if you start a YMCA program.
If you want a program that is strictly yours to run then you should do All Star Prep. It's very similar to rec but it falls under the USASF governance so it's much easier to find rules and resources for those of us in Louisiana.

Good luck and keep us all posted! I think you will be very successful.

Is the local football team associated with Pop Warner or any other national program that may have established guidelines where you could basically start a program based on their membership?


"What, you don't even go here!"

Thank you both! The website says it's just through Ruston Parks and Recreation, so it sounds like it would definitely be a community thing not affiliated with any national programs. It lists the volunteer football coaches, so I plan to contact them and ask about certifications. I forgot to mention in my original post that I plan on getting re-certified in CPR whether or not I'll have to (most likely I'll have to anyway). I have been in the past, but it's been a few years. Can anyone recommend any other certifications or classes I should take before trusting myself with other people's kids on my own? I've never had to worry about it because my gym owner is a nurse, so I don't know.
As for pop warner, I've checked out their website and while I can tell it's a really great organization, and appears to be virtually nonexistent in Louisiana. And cupieqt, I've actually visited the S.L.Y.F.A. website! It sounds really great; I wish they had that as far east as I was when I was little. Thanks for the offer, but I might just email some of their cheer coaches (whose email addresses are on the websites already) and ask for advice. I'll be in Ruston, so too far north to be a part of them anyway.




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[cupieqt]

Sounds like you're on the right track and you've got a level head about all of it. I'm really impressed.

I think your CPR certification and a First Aid training course would be quite sufficient. The Red Cross offers both but there are also doctors that are qualified to teach it to you and it's usually cheaper and shorter than the Red Cross classes. Both will come to you if you have a big enough group of people paying for the courses.

 

[caitlyn_the_camille]

Sounds like you're on the right track and you've got a level head about all of it. I'm really impressed.

I think your CPR certification and a First Aid training course would be quite sufficient. The Red Cross offers both but there are also doctors that are qualified to teach it to you and it's usually cheaper and shorter than the Red Cross classes. Both will come to you if you have a big enough group of people paying for the courses.

Thank you very much for all the kind words! Especially since you're one of the few people on the boards whose coaching ability I've gotten to see in person (your teams are incredible and always fun to watch; I specifically remember your Junior 2 being outstanding last year!), so it means a lot. After you mentioned that about doctors I called my dad (he specializes in gynecology, but he's done 2 tours of duty with the National Guard so he's helped teach combat first aid in the past). He actually has a friend that teaches classes for certification maybe 30 minutes for where I live, so it's falling into place perfectly. I'll just have to find out when the next little series starts. Thanks so much for the idea!


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[Official OWECheer]

I'm excited about this! Let us know how it goes.

 

[caitlyn_the_camille]

@officialOWEcheer I will, thanks!


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[CheerBank]

After reading this thread and the two other ones which just went in the wrong direction, I feel as though we were all just on an episode of Punk'd.

Good luck to you, I hope you are able to achieve your goals of setting up the rec program!


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