News
AASCF is very proud to be accepted as a SILVER Corporate Sponsor for UNICEF's Champion For Children Charity.
As a UNICEF Champion for Children partner AASCF is contributing to UNICEF’s development programs in more than 150 countries and territories throughout the world.
Whilst our ongoing cash donations will greatly benefit whole communities through the establishment of schools, clean water supplies and through the protection, survival, health and well-being of children we feel that the greater value we can contribute is to raise awareness of the plight of disadvantaged children to our valued supporters and members.
Cheerleaders and dancers in Australia are lucky enough to be able to participate in something they love and cherish and would love if we can get our supporters and members to show their gratitude and community spirit by getting behind UNICEF in their mission.
You can be involved in a number of ways whether that is as simple as giving a cash donation to one of the UNICEF volunteers at our events, spreading the word amongst your friends, family and communities or contacting UNICEF directly to see how you can assist.
UNICEF is one of the largest development agencies dedicated to working exclusively with children. UNICEF works closely with children, women and communities as well as governments, other UN agencies, faith-based groups, non-government organisations and the private sector on behalf of all children without regard to race, creed or religion.
UNICEF is unique among children’s aid organisations as it has the global authority to influence and produce change in local policy and attitudes, for the good of children and their communities.
For more information either contact Stephen James steve@aascf.com.au or http://www.unicef.org.au/home.aspx
AUSTRALIAN ALL STAR CHEERLEADING FEDERATION AND HORIZONS SPORTING EVENTS ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP
Horizons Sporting Events (Horizons) and the Australian All Star Cheerleading Federation (AASCF) have entered into a Partnership that will see Horizons become the Official Travel and Tour Supplier to AASCF.
The Partnership will see Horizons working with AASCF to manage all the Travel and Tour requirements of AASCF and its members and participants, ranging from flights and accommodation to transport and international tour packages.
The first major focus of the Partnership will be the AASCF National Championship to be held in Brisbane, Queensland in November. Horizons will provide Air, Accommodation and Travel Management services for Australia’s largest cheerleading event, allowing participants to access the best available fares and rates for flights, accommodation and car hire.
The relationship will also see Horizons creating international tour packages that will be offered to members, for AASCF sanctioned events. The first of these tour packages will be for the Duel in the Desert in Palm Spring, California, one of the highlights of the international calendar in a fantastic location. The second major event will be the premier international cheerleading event, the USASF/ICU WORLD CHEER & DANCE CHAMPIONSHIPS, held in Orlando, Florida. AASCF sent 8 Bid Teams to the 2011 Championships who were exceptional in the competition that features 17,000 participants from 70 countries.
About Horizons Sporting Events
Horizons Sporting Events is a Sports Travel specialist with 10 years managing the travel of teams, groups and individuals to all corners of the globe. Horizons currently send approximately 500 people overseas each year, with a specific focus on the USA. Horizons experience allows us to effectively cater to the specific needs of sporting groups. Horizons are also a Member of the Travelscene American Express agency group. The group consists of over 500 members nationwide and is backed by global financial giant, American Express giving significant purchasing power and economies of scale.
Contact Details
AASCF
Steve James – Executive Director
PH: 03 9754 1125
EMAIL: steve@aascf.com.au
Horizons Sporting Events
Michael Edwards – Managing Director
PH: 02 9764 3421
EMAIL: michael@horizons-sport.com.au
australia takes silver & bronze at world championships
There were quite a contingent of Australian teams including our AASCF Bid Winners
Aust Outlaws International Open Co-Ed L5 Melbourne
Aust Dreamgirls International Open AG L5 Melbourne
/ East Coast All Stars International Open Co-Ed L5 Newcastle
/ East Coast All Stars International Open Pom Newcastle
/ Wolfpack Dance International Open Pom Melbourne/ Bradshaw Dance - Open Hip Hop/ Open Jazz and Open Pom
as well via Australian Cheer & Dance Alliance (ACDA) we coordinated the ICU TEAM AUSTRALIA (TA) entries being
International Open Co-Ed L5 (Aust Outlaws) / International Open AG L5 (Aust Dreamgirls) / International Open Pom (Wolfpack Dance) / Open Hip Hop (Bradshaw Dance) / Open Jazz (Bradshaw Dance)/ Doubles Hip Hop (Bradshaw Dance)/ Doubles Jazz (Bradshaw Dance) .
John Paul College QLD POM also competed as did Perth Angels WA, Starmites WA and Starlets NSW but were independent of us.
COA Nationals
Some teams took up the opportunity to get their untested routines out on the floor the week prior to Worlds at the COA Ultimate Championships and was great for these Aussie teams to be able to meet and support each other – The comp was conducted at the amazing Gaylord’s Palm Hotel and Convention Centre which was an experience in its own J
WOLFPACK -Open International Pom 1st place
JPC - Open International Pom 2nd place
AUST DREAMGIRLS -Open International AG L5 2nd place
AUST OUTLAWS - Open International Co-ed L5 2nd place (to Top Gun!!)
PERTH ANGELS - Open International Co-ed L5 4th pl
STARMITES - Open International Co-ed L5 5th pl
I know that ECA took this week to sightsee and also visit and train at the amazing California All Stars in LA. Starlets trained at the awesome Brandon All Stars.
After COA the Aust Outlaws / Aust Dreamgirls & Wolfpack reluctantly transferred from Gaylord’s to nearby Clermont to have 3 days training at Clermont All Stars training facility under Coach Rosemary Sims as they had to rework their routines for the unsprung floor at ICU – VERY hard work in 34C heat and the flyers were slipping through the bases hands covered in sweat!!
We transferred to All Star Music at Disneyworld on the Thursday prior to the ICU/IASF and met up with our good friend Derrick & Kassandra Turner (Head Coaches / Owners ECA) and the ECA cheer & dance teams and also got to say hi to the Starlets coaches Dani Ings and Will Cairns as well as some of the Starlets team which was great....
As soon as we checked in I had to take up our TA Flag Bearer ( Brittany Byrnes of Bradshaw) for ICU opening ceremony rehearsals and then meet up with the 85 strong contingent of TA for the opening. Team Australia had the 3rd largest representation behind USA and Canada and we all had so much fun in the marshalling area with our Aussie, Aussie, Aussie chant and getting to meet and have photos with all the countries... One of my favourite moments of the Worlds is the very emotional Opening Ceremony as the combination of pride seeing our fantastic athletes walking out behind our flag and how well received they were will remain with me forever.
In no time it was straight into the ICU competition with our TA Dance teams taking the floor in the very entertaining Doubles division with our teams from Bradshaw taking the floor in the Hip Hop Doubles Jordan Ligt & Adrian Choy and blowing everyone away to snatch our first of 4 Medals with a well deserved SILVER quickly followed up with our Jazz Double couple of Matthew Chase Jenson & Oliveah Almeda dancing a beautiful and skillful routine to bring home BRONZE!! Australia should be very proud of these fantastic ambassadors for Aussie dance who were a crowd favourite and set the tone for the Aussie flavour of the ICU Worlds..
The TA athletes had a fantastic time at the Cultural Exchange party after the first day of comp dancing the night away whilst getting photos and exchanging gifts and photos with the other 60 countries from around the World – many friends were made on this fantastic night..
Next day were the Cheer divisions with TA All Girl L5 (Aust Dreamgirls) first up who were the talk of the comp with their distinctive Australian flag uniform – when they entered the floor the place went nuts with the now familiar Aussie chants – the World sure loves Aussies!!! The girls did a wonderful clean routine and were rewarded with SILVER coming behind the powerhouse Canada and in front of the awesome New Zealander’s – we were all ecstatic with TA’s third medal as the girls only started training in January under Coach Rosemary Sims so many smiles and tears of joy!!
Next up was the very competitive ELITE (Level 5) division with TA being represented by the Aust Outlaws… The team’s HUGE opening basket and double ups bought many ohhs and ahhs and they performed their routine flawlessly and once again did Australia proud with a fantastic BRONZE medal behind Canada and our close friends, Chile bringing TA’s tally to 4 Worlds Medals!!
Dreamgirls & Outlaws had no time to celebrate as they had to compete in the IASF Worlds the next day so with Coach Rosie were out on the adjacent field reworking their routine to incorporate their sprung floor tumbling as the ICU is on a non sprung floor whilst the IASF is sprung.
IASF Saturday
Four Aust teams were competing in the International Open Pom division prelims – Wolfpack , ECA, Bradshaw and JPC and all did Australia proud but unfortunately only 3 teams from each country can proceed to the finals which were Wolfpack , ECA and Bradshaw. All did brilliantly in the finals with Wolfpack 12th , ECA 17th and Bradshaw 20th. Bradshaw also stepped up in International Hip Hop with a fantastic 6th and International Jazz 13th.International Hip Hop - 6th place (Bradshaw)
International Jazz - 13th place (Bradshaw)
International Pom - 12th place (Wolfpack), 17th place (ECA) , 20th place (Bradshaw) International Hip Hop - 6th place (Bradshaw)
International Jazz - 13th place (Bradshaw)
International Pom - 12th place (Wolfpack), 17th place (ECA) , 20th place (Bradshaw) International Hip Hop - 6th place (Bradshaw)
International Jazz - 13th place (Bradshaw)
International Pom - 12th place (Wolfpack), 17th place (ECA) , 20th place (Bradshaw) International Hip Hop - 6th place (Bradshaw)
International Jazz - 13th place (Bradshaw)
International Pom - 12th place (Wolfpack), 17th place (ECA) , 20th place (Bradshaw) IASF Dance Worlds
International Hip Hop - 6th place (Bradshaw)
International Jazz - 13th place (Bradshaw)
International Pom - 12th place (Wolfpack), 17th place (ECA) , 20th place (Bradshaw) IASF Dance Worlds
International Hip Hop - 6th place (Bradshaw)
International Jazz - 13th place (Bradshaw)
International Pom - 12th place (Wolfpack), 17th place (ECA) , 20th place (Bradshaw)
In the International Open AG L5 prelims Dreamgirls again performed brilliantly and were through to the finals (as there were no other AG Aust teams competing). In the Finals on Sunday again hit it bringing home and finishing in the Top Ten with an awesome 9th place trophy.
Starlets , Perth Angels , Outlaws, Starmites and ECA all performed on the Sunday morning in the VERY competitive (46 teams ) International Open Co-Ed L5 prelims and had to nervously wait until 3.15pm to see which of the 3 teams would be going through to Finals later that evening which were Outlaws, ECA and Starlets.
Finals started at 4.30 and all teams showed the World how far Aussie cheer has come with final results being Aust Outlaws 6th (behind the powerhouse countries of USA 1/2/3 and Canada 4/5..), ECA 14th and Starlets 15th.
Australian teams also cleaned up in the IASF Nations Cup –
Dance Hip Hop - 3rd place (Bradshaw Hip Hop)
All Girl Cheer Level 5 - 5th place (Aust Dreamgirls)
Co-ed Cheer level 5 - 5th place (Aust Outlaws
So all in all a fantastic result for AACSF and ACDA teams and all the World sure knows of the talent from Down Under now and the
experience and recognition gained can only aid our mission to grow the sport within Australia.
2011 aascf t shirt range now available!!
2011 kaepa cheer shoes price list / order form
download aascf newsletter issue #1 here - aascf issue #1
AASCF IS PROUD TO SEND 8 BID WINNING TEAMS TO 2011 USASF/ICU WORLD CHEER & DANCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
AASCF teams will be competing in the following divisions -
IASF Level 5 Open Coed
East Coast All Stars ( Newcastle)
Australian Outlaws ( Melbourne)
IASF All Girl Level 5
Australian Dreamgirls ( Melbourne)
IASF International Open Jazz
Bradshaw Elite (Sydney)
IASF International Open Pom
Bradshaw Elite (Sydney)
East Coast All Stars ( Newcastle)
Wolfpack (Melbourne)
IASF International Open Hip Hop
Bradshaw Elite (Sydney)
It is possible to have fun watching and keeping up with the event.
The Worlds™ are provided via Video On Demand over the internet by USASF for a small fee. You will be able to get all the information here:
http://www.iasfworlds.org/worlds/video/
Also, there will be complete coverage and photos here on the USASF Facebook page www.facebook.com/USASF as well as the AASCF Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Australian-All-Star-Cheerleading-Federation-AASCF/341124442350
We know that all of the Australian cheer and dance community wish our teams all the best and make sure that you let them know of your support on our facebook page.
2011 IASF COACH CREDENTIAlling dates
I have set the IASF Coach Credentialing & Education dates for the first part of 2011, the venues are not confirmed but they are reliably in their stated cities.
- Saturday February 19th – 10am-5pm – Melbourne – Victoria
- Saturday February 26th – 10am-5pm – Brisbane – Queensland
- Saturday March 5th – 10am-5pm – Sydney – NSW
- Saturday March 12th – 10am-5pm – Adelaide – South Australia
All of the other States & locations not mentioned will have IASF Coach Credentialing either connected with their Winterfest or State Championship, which ever comes first.
If you would like an independent date for the IASF Coach Credentialing, we will need a minimum of 15 coaches, or else if you cover the cost of our flights and accommodation, we will work with as few as 6 coaches at the normal rates.
For bookings for the 2011 IASF Coach Credentialing, please complete the attached registration form.
Also below are the 2011 AASCF Competition Dates
AASCF ALL STAR WINTERFEST CHEER & DANCE SEASON STARTER
Newcastle (NSW) – June 26th
Melbourne (VIC) – July 3rd
Brisbane (QLD) – July 10th
Townsville (QLD) – July 17th
Penrith (NSW) – July 24th
AASCF ALL STAR STATE SERIES
21st August – Western Australia (Rockingham – pending on entries we might need a bigger venue)
27th & 28th August – Queensland (Brisbane Entertainment Centre)
4th September – South Australia (Adelaide)
11th September – Victoria (Melbourne MSAC)
25th September – Australian Capital Territory
2nd October – New South Wales (Sydney Homebush)
AASCF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
19th & 20th November – Brisbane (QLD)
05/14/2010 - The Hottest Shoe for Competitive Cheerleaders! | Kaepa Starlyte from AASCF
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- CAUTION! Starlyte is designed for competition. Recommended for use indoors only, on blue mat, spring floor, and similar surfaces.
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Available Sizes: Women's 4-11, 12, Youth 10-2
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11/18/2009 - AASCF Australian Championships coverage The Age newspaper 14/11/09
AASCF received a 2 page spread (reproduced below) in the leading national broadsheet newspaper, The Age on Saturday 14/11/09.
As well as concentrating on our Nationals it is a great promotion of cheer in general.
A leap of faith
Author: Mel Campbell
Date: 14/11/2009
Words: 1528
Source: AGE
Publication: The Age
Section: A2
Page: 16
On a glorious spring Saturday, bronzed Aussie youths are bathed in sweat and sunshine as they practise their pyramids on the lawn.
"Keep up your hydration, guys it's warm today!" barks their coach Dave James: good-looking, young, with tousled, blond-tipped hair. Like many of his charges, Dave has a gymnast's compact physique.
And he's strong, too. Next day, I watch him hoist tiny, blonde Shelley above his head to stand on one of his outstretched hands. The stunt is called a "cupie", presumably because Shelley resembles a kewpie doll on a stick. Alternatively, it's called an "awesome", which is fitting, too.
I'm at Sydney's State Sports Centre for the 2009 Australian All-Star Cheer and Dance Championship, and these are Cheerleading Victoria's Senior Outlaws.
Many people think of cheerleaders simply as hot chicks prancing on the sidelines at sporting matches, shaking pompoms and shouting: "Go team!" But all-star cheerleading (often called "cheer") is a high-octane blend of jumping, tumbling, dance and stunts, a sport in its own right.
"I call it the triathlon of performing arts," says Rosemary Sims, head coach at Cheerleading Victoria and director of this championship's host organisation, the Australian All Star Cheerleading Federation. "You don't need to be a master of one style, but really good at everything."
A classically trained dancer, coach, choreographer and events organiser, Sims is also on the board of the 79-member International Cheer Union and, in 2008, was the first non-American to win the World's Top International Cheer Coach award. She's a tireless cheerleader for cheerleading. She enthuses: "I have been involved in cheer and dance all day, every day, seven days a week for the last 31 years. I love the sport and cannot endorse it enough. It isn't a coincidence that it's the fastest-growing sport in the world."
The AASCF Nationals are held in a different city every year. (They'll be in Melbourne in 2010.) As well as 2-minute cheer routines across various age and level divisions, they feature jazz, hip-hop and pompom ("pom") dance competitions.
"All Star brings everyone together and determines the best of the best," Sims says.
AASCF is also a member of the International All Star Federation, which means it accredits coaches to world standards and can nominate teams to represent Australia at the annual IASF Worlds championship.
"We have sent three representative cheerleading teams and two representative dance teams so far over the past four years and have managed to rank Australia in the top 10 every time," Sims says.
But with only about 6000 participants, cheerleading is still a niche pursuit here. By contrast, it has an iconic status in the US, where 4.5 million people participate.
Student Miley Waldorf, 22, joined the Deakin University Cheer Squad during orientation week last year and quickly realised Australian cheerleading's marginal status. "It doesn't mean we are the most popular girls at school," she says.
American cheerleaders are considered ambassadors for their schools, which subsidise their costs. However, Australian cheer squads are more like clubs and societies. Cheerleaders pay their own way, and competing in a school's colours is no excuse for late assignments.
In the US, the sport's prestige even drives people to crime. In 1991, Texas woman Wanda Holloway notoriously tried to hire a hitman to murder the mother of her daughter's cheerleading rival.
Australian cheerleading just isn't that cutthroat. It's a small, tight-knit scene that expresses the sport's core value of "spirit" through friendliness and generosity. And it welcomes participants of all ages, abilities, shapes and sizes.
Japanese-born Waldorf hated PE all through school and didn't exactly ace the Deakin try-outs. "However, I got a position out of 12 [spots on the team] in the end because they understand my passion," she says.
At the nationals, Waldorf was cheering for Wildfire, an independent, Brunswick-based squad. Wildfire is run by Letty Fox, who has also coached the RMIT Redbacks and is editor and publisher of Australian Cheerleader magazine.
"Deakin's exam week was the second week of this month, so it's very hard to keep training," Waldorf says. "Then Wildfire sent a message looking for extra people. Even though it was a busy time, some of us were eager to join because we love cheerleading."
Training twice a week, the collaborative Wildfire team had just four weeks to pull a routine together.
Strident, high-energy music blares from within the State Sports Centre, accompanied by massed screams of such intensity you'd think the Jonas Brothers had just taken the stage.
Inside, the atmosphere is halfway between an eisteddfod and a school sports carnival. The merchandise stand is doing a roaring trade in short-shorts with "CHEER!!!" emblazoned on the backside. Meanwhile, the kiosk appears to offer only two cold beverages: water or energy drink.
Most competitors are wearing glitter make-up and hairspray. Their smooth, brown legs contrast with their crisp, white ankle socks and sneakers. I catch an acrid whiff of fake tan.
Almost every girl has long hair. The cheerleaders wear it in high, beribboned ponytails teased into pouffes or styled into ringlets. The dancers favour it loose and ironed straight; when they fling their bodies around it's like a shampoo commercial.
There are male cheerleaders, too, from tiny pee-wees to man-mountains. But they're still in the minority; while the worldwide gender balance among cheerleaders is roughly even, only about 10 per cent of Australian participants are male, and most get involved at university.
"This is undoubtedly due to the stirring at school," Sims explains. "The teasing ends once the other guys realise how muscular the male cheerleaders' bodies become due to lifting girls with equally impressive physiques. Sure beats lifting weights and male cheerleaders thrive socially, hanging with talented, athletic, beautiful young women."
Cheerleading has historically been male-dominated since University of Minnesota student Johnny Campbell yelled the first organised cheer at an 1898 varsity sports match. Women only began to participate on a large scale during and after World War II.
The grandfather of contemporary cheerleading is Lawrence "Herkie" Herkimer, now aged 83. From 1948, Herkie instituted hugely popular cheerleading camps. (One of his earliest pupils was Aaron Spelling, the TV mogul.) He also replaced heavy, baggy uniforms with the now-familiar pleated skirts and fitted sweaters, and in 1956 he invented the hand-held cheerleading pompom.
Done well, all-star cheerleading is incredibly exciting to watch although that might also be my giant can of energy drink. Squads perform to a demented megamix of sped-up pop hits favourites include Boom Boom Pow by the Black Eyed Peas, Low by Flo Rida and Poker Face by Lady Gaga with a stentorian voiceover thundering the squad's name.
Performers cartwheel, flip and leap impressively high on the sprung floor, yelling and clapping in unison. They fan into rows to execute perfectly synchronised dance moves, hurl each other into the air in "basket toss" manoeuvres, and form elaborate, multi-level pyramids. Those anchoring the stunts are called "bases", while those lifted and tossed are "flyers". The best flyers assume triumphant poses with such assurance it's as if magnets in their wrists and ankles are clicking together.
I'm fascinated by cheering's body language: cocky nods, fist-pumps and finger-guns when a flyer "sticks" or a tumbler nails it; coquettish winks at the judges; celebrating a routine with spontaneous high-kicking.
Waldorf usually takes a side base position, helping lift girls heavier than she is. This year, she's also been a flyer. "I did not expect how much they have to pay attention and focus, locking their legs on each moment," she says. "Flyers get attention from the audience, but they get stress at the same time."
In Australia, cheer is marketed as a family-friendly sport; the youngest participants are in the Tiny (aged three to five) and Mini (aged eight and under) categories. Their routines are adorably shambolic; the crowd goes wild. Still, it's disconcerting to see little girls gyrating in midriff-baring outfits. Some squads wear high-waisted skirts and turtle-necked bodysuits under their tops, or expose skin in strategic shoulder cut-outs.
However, Evolution of Dance from NSW's Hunter Valley are dressed like motorsport grid girls in fluoro crop-tops and tiny, low-riding skirts that barely cover their bloomers.
Judges can deduct points for lewd or suggestive routines, but the AASCF leaves decisions about appropriate uniforms to coaches.
"We offer firm guidance, but realise it's a display sport and what the athletes wear can add to the glamour and excitement," Sims says. She argues that cheerleaders' outfits are streamlined for agility, likening them to those of gymnasts or triathletes: "There is never any mention made of this not being family-friendly or age-appropriate, and cheerleaders' uniforms cover much more than both."
All things considered, the event doesn't feel sleazy. Perhaps that's because all-star cheerleading doesn't sideline its participants as eye candy but celebrates feats of athleticism.
Finally, the winners get their showy gold trophies. Sydney Altitude gets to compete at next year's worlds. The Senior Outlaws win their level 2 division. In the same event, Wildfire comes third. Every participant gets a medal.
"It was pretty messy, but we did our best," Waldorf says. "When the fifth place was announced, we were disappointed because we thought we were not placed anything. It was a great surprise to get third instead. I didn't fall down, so it was a good achievement for me."