Website offers comprehensive library of cheerleading safety information and resources.

Memphis, Tenn., March 1, 2013 – USA Cheer, the governing body of cheer for the United States, has teamed up with the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators (AACCA) to launch CheerSafe.org, the most comprehensive website to date for cheerleading regulation and safety information.

The launch of Cheer Safe.org coincides with National Cheer Safety Month (March), and will include 31 days of safety messaging on Twitter (@cheersafe).

CheerSafe.org is the one source for all cheerleading safety information, from the latest regulations and research to the rules that every team should follow. CheerSafe’s mission is to educate parents, coaches, cheerleaders and administrators on the facts of cheerleading safety at every level – school, college and all star—and to promote and improve cheerleading safety through the involvement of a wide spectrum of organizations in the cheerleading community.

The CheerSafe coalition includes the National Federation of State High School Associations, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the International Cheer Union, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and the University Risk Managers and Insurers Association. It is also supported by youth sports organizations, cheer publications and several state athletic associations. “CheerSafe.org will be the perfect online source for educating the entire cheerleading community,” says Bill Seely, the Executive Director of USA Cheer. “In many ways, cheerleading safety can be seen as the model for all athletic activities. The American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators has been leading the way in cheerleading safety since 1987, with risk management courses and safety guidelines, as well as building relationships with other youth sport organizations.”

Jim Lord, Executive Director of AACCA, has been a tireless safety ambassador for the cheerleading community, and is excited to be working with USA Cheer and other youth sports organizations to continue improving safety conditions for cheerleaders. “I know that CheerSafe will resonate throughout the cheerleading community,” says Lord. “CheerSafe members are united in a three-prong approach to safety: that every cheerleading team be trained under the direction of a knowledgeable coach; that the cheerleading team follows established safety rules; and that they have an emergency plan in place.”

The website provides information on where cheerleading coaches can receive training in person and online, safety guidelines for all states and sample emergency plans. It also invites cheerleaders and coaches to participate in the iCheerSafe pledge.

For more information, visit cheersafe.org, or contact Sheila Noone, [email protected].

About USA Cheer

The USA Federation for Sport Cheering is a not-for profit organization and is the national governing body for all disciplines of cheerleading. USA Cheer exists to serve the entire cheer community, including club cheering (All Star), traditional school based cheer programs and the new sport of STUNT. USA Cheer has three primary objectives: help grow and develop interest and participation in Cheer throughout the United States; promote safety and safety education for cheer in the United States; and represent the United States of America in international cheer competitions.

About AACCA

The American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators represents more than 20,000 cheerleading coaches and is the leading advocates of cheerleading safety in the U.S. AACCA is the most recognized source for cheerleading safety education. The AACCA manual, composed by a team of doctors, lawyers, cheerleading industry professionals and Gerald S. George, PhD, has been endorsed by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the University Risk Management and Insurance Association, the Women’s Sports Foundation and the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, as well as the NCAA and NFHS.