USA Cheer Membership

Cheer Coach Membership

Price: $35

USA Cheer Coach Membership is available for youth rec, junior high, high school, and college cheerleading coaches. This membership comes with member-only newsletters, and special rates on USA Cheer merchandise and select online courses. New this year: The Cheer Coach, STUNT Coach, and Dance Coach memberships come with additional liability coverage for current members who are 18 years of age or older while coaching their designated team*.

Requirements:

  • Background Screening
    • Results can take up to 10 business days to receive once submitted
  • Athlete Protection Course
  • Concussion Awareness Training
    (TeachAids, NFHS, or CDC Heads Up)
  • USA Cheer Safety & Risk Management Course (separate cost, every 4 years)
    AND/OR Youth Safety & Risk Management Course (separate cost, every 2 years)

    – Existing course certificate UPLOAD option available
  • USA Cheer Waiver
  • USA Cheer Member Code of Conduct Agreement

Membership Benefits:

  • Membership card
  • USA Cheer newsletters
  • Member discounts on select USA Cheer courses
  • * Beginning in 2022-23, this membership includes $1,000,000 secondary liability coverage for members who are 18 years of age or older who have completed all requirements for membership. Coverage applies while the approved Cheer Coach member is supervising cheer practices, games, or competition with their designated team. No coverage applies for 1) training individual participants or conducting their own camps/clinics 2) acting as a choreographer for a team that they do not coach full time or 3) while coaching any other sports besides cheer, STUNT and dance.

Background Check Information

It is the policy of USA Cheer that all USA Cheer Professional members, Coach members, and STUNT Official members must complete a background check every year. Further, all coaches and anyone who works regularly with youth athletes should receive a primary screening from the hiring organization in addition to this secondary background screening.

Primary Screening

It is the responsibility of the hiring organization to utilize a selection process that includes screening for any behavior or history that would warrant prohibiting someone from working with youth. Such screening should include an application, information and reference check, interviews, a criminal background check, and comparing the information to any organizational disqualifiers (see NAYS: Background Screening in Youth Sports).

Secondary Background Screening

To obtain a USA Cheer Professional, Coach level membership (Cheer Coach and STUNT Coach), or Dance Membership, an applicant must successfully pass a criminal background check. Background screening is one step to help ensure a positive and safe environment. It is important to note that background screening is a snapshot in time of recorded and reported criminal behavior or potential criminal behavior. A successful background screening should never warrant relaxing protocols for preventing abuse as outlined in the free USA Cheer Athlete Protection Course and the Athlete Protection Course for Athletes.

This secondary screening, which is done during the membership application and eligibility process with USA Cheer, serves to establish criteria that would disqualify from membership those persons who have something in their background that would preclude them from working with children. The USA Cheer screening is consistent with the standards used by similar youth serving organizations, sport organizations and governing bodies.

USA Cheer Background Check Policy