DALLAS (October 26, 2021) – The National Council of Youth Sports, with support from the National Fitness Foundation and the CoachSafely Foundation, has provided a $5,000 grant to USA Cheer and has committed to training its coaches and administrators.

This year’s NCYS grant, in addition to important and relevant coaching education, provides additional financial relief (adaptive cheer equipment, supplemental travel expenses) for athletes around the country to join and participate in a unified national cheerleading program. The diverse team of athletes and range of disabilities represented in a national team is important for visibility and encourages future young athletes to begin their journey towards an advanced level ParaSport activity. The US. Nationals team not only presents goals and aspirations for U.S.-based athletes, but also for adaptive abilities cheer/ParaSport cheer athletes and teams around the world!

“The impact of this grant and training can’t be overstated and I want to thank Wayne Moss and the entire team at the NCYS for their support,” said USA Cheer Executive Director Lauri Harris. “Cheer provides young people an incredible avenue to learn life skills like teamwork, perseverance, and commitment, and making sure that opportunity is available to every child is absolutely central to what we do at USA Cheer.”

The grants are part of a long-term commitment from the National Fitness Foundation to NCYS designed to increase access and youth participation. The CoachSafely Foundation and NCYS have a goal of training some 1 million coaches by 2024 in nine subject areas including, but not limited to, communicable diseases, emergency preparedness, overuse injuries, concussions, and mental health.

The benefits of regular physical activity, including sports, are indisputable. Providing opportunities for all youth to engage in sports help them meet the Physical Activity Guidelines and support the health of American youth. Organized sports are a proven strategy to create healthier youth, develop transformational leaders and globally-minded graduates – all serving to address many of our nation’s social and economic challenges.

About USA Cheer

The USA Federation for Sport Cheering is a not-for profit 501(c)(3) organization that was established in 2007 to serve as the Governing Body for Sport Cheering in the United States and is recognized by the International Cheer Union. USA Cheer exists to serve the cheer community, including club cheering (all star), youth recreational cheer, traditional school-based cheer programs, and the growing sport of STUNT.

USA Cheer has three primary objectives: promote safety and safety education for cheer in the United States; help grow and develop interest and participation in cheer throughout the United States; and represent the United States of America in international cheer competitions.

About NCYS

NCYS’s mission is to unite and led communities to realize the positive power of youth sports. NCYS members comprise many of the Who’s Who in the youth sports industry. The NCYS membership includes national community-based organizations, local unaffiliated community-based organizations, National Governing Bodies, Parks & Recreation Departments, and Destination Marketing Organizations. NCYS member organizations serve some 60 million youth registered in organized sports programs in every state and U.S. Territories. Learn more at https://www.ncys.org/.

About the National Fitness Foundation

The National Fitness Foundation is the only congressionally chartered nonprofit focused on health and fitness. The Foundation develops corporate partnerships to help expand youth sport participation in America. It is the official charity of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition. Learn more at http://fitness.foundation/.

About the CoachSafely Foundation

The mission of the Foundation is to limit youth sports-related injuries through research, advocacy and education of coaches, parents, physical educators and other influential figures in young athletes’ lives. Learn more at http://coachsafely.org. Since the passage of the Coach Safely Act in Alabama in April 2018, the Foundation has dedicated its work to designing and producing the online course curriculum and reporting system to meet and exceed the requirements of the law.