Blog Entries for dbracewell

Join Professional Organizations

dbracewell@roadrunner.com — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0100

As a cheer coach, you are part of a larger community-the spirit industry. Thousands of event producers, cheer vendors, organizations, gyms, and teams comprise the spirit industry. The longer you coach, the more you need to know. Why join professional organizations?

Membership in professional organizations gives the individual cheer coach an immediate network of other spirit professionals. Belonging to a professional organization puts you in contact with others who share your [...]

Frequently Asked Questons about the NCSSE

dbracewell@roadrunner.com — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Q. What is the NCSSE?

A. The National Council for Spirit Safety and Education is an association of companies serving the United States & International cheerleading community who share a primary mission: to provide comprehensive safety training and certification programs for the educational development of spirit coaches and advisors through an international council of unified industry leaders.

Q. I already have taken one course from another company. Why do I need t [...]

2008 Spirit Industry Awards

dbracewell@roadrunner.com — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

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Congratulations to the recipients of the 2008 Spirit Industry Awards!

It's the Academy Awards of the Spirit Industry! From "Best Spirit Apparel Catalog/Brochure Design" to "Best New Product or Service," from "Best Lighting, Sound and Set Design" to "Best Philanthropic Initiative" and many more, peers are recognizing peers for raising the standards of excellence, professionalism and innovation in all areas of the Spirit Industry.� The 2008 Spirit Industry Awards were pre [...]

Pet Peeves

dbracewell@roadrunner.com — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

I'm watching college football on tv and the camera zooms in on a cute cheerleader--Not! She's chewing gum. Granted the game hasn't started yet, but this tops my list of pet peeves. As a coach, I could spot a gum chewer a mile away!

Second--"spirit fingers." If you are wiggling your fingers and kicking up on [...]

Cheering on the Sidelines

dbracewell@roadrunner.com — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

I had a call this morning from a coach whose athletic director has forbidden the cheer squad from standing on the sidelines at the football game. This decision was made as a safety concern for the cheerleaders. I agree with the athletic director. Her question was how can her cheerleaders see the game to know what cheers to yell--offense or [...]

Heat and Heart

dbracewell@roadrunner.com — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

In the last month, two football players in New Jersey have died as a result of their participation in football. One died after a tackling incident; the other died from a previously unknown heart condition. As we work through a new cheer season, let's look at two health and safety issues that have taken the forefront in [...]

Going Through The Motions

dbracewell@roadrunner.com — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0100

I recently heard a television reporter saying football coaches were tired of their players just going through the motions. That comment made me think of the last two cheerleading competitions I attended. I wish the cheerleaders had gone through the motions!

Are good, crisp cheerleading motions becoming extinct? I see pictures of cheerleaders in [...]