Move aims to ensure robust athlete safety policies and programs are consistent and collaborative across the country
DALLAS (November 18, 2020) – USA Cheer announced today that it is launching a nationwide membership initiative to strengthen athlete safety and protection policies and procedures within the broader cheer community. All USA Cheer members are required to have undergone USA Cheer “identifying maltreatment” training, as well as coach and professional members passing a background check. This initiative is compatible with U.S. All Star Federation’s membership policies and procedures, and is aimed at broadening membership opportunities for participants in the cheer community who do not currently have a USA Cheer membership and/or a U.S. All Star Federation membership.
USA Cheer is committed to creating a safe and positive environment for its participants’ physical, emotional, and social development and promoting an environment free from abuse and misconduct. USA Cheer has implemented policies addressing certain types of abuse and misconduct, as well as policies intended to reduce, monitor and govern the areas where potential abuse and misconduct might occur. These policies have been outlined in the USA Cheer Safe Sport Code.
In addition to the current “coach” membership, USA Cheer has a new category of membership for those individuals that are not technically coaches, but for whom it is important that they have proper training and credentials. This “professional” membership category is available for individuals like choreographers, judges, contract employees and anyone else that may have access to athletes in training or competition.
“USA Cheer members are required to have the necessary training to create safe spaces for participants to train and compete,” said USA Cheer Executive Director Lauri Harris. “Coupled with our background screening process for all adult coach and professional members, we believe USA Cheer membership will help our entire community continue to put athlete safety first.”
USA Cheer and USASF are in the process of combining their safety reporting and investigative procedures. Later this year they will release a unified reporting structure and centralized database that will provide a singular “suspended and ineligible list” across the cheer community.
“Education and awareness are fundamental building blocks for athlete protection programs, but in an instance of abuse, ensuring everyone knows where and how to report a suspected instance of abuse is critically important,” said Harris. “Likewise, having one suspended and ineligible list across the cheer community is an important tool to ensure perpetrators are identified and don’t have access to our members or their facilities.”
A new membership directory is now available at USACheer.org where every member is listed nationwide, ensuring transparency and allowing athletes, parents, club owners and anyone affiliated with cheer to confirm individual membership and credentials.