Cheerleading in Australia

In Australia, competitive cheerleading is a rapidly growing sport.

History

Prior to 2000, cheerleading was primarily known as the dance-and-pom style displayed by professional cheer squads for NRL rugby. The US movie Bring It On (released December 2000[1] in Australia) popularised acrobatic-style cheerleading, and has been credited with sparking subsequent development as a competitive sport.[2]

During the 2000s and 2010s, the style of cheerleading seen as pre-game and half-time sideline entertainment at professional rugby matches continued to attract criticism for objectifying women, and some clubs discontinued their cheer teams. For example, the Canterbury Bulldogs in 2013 announced they would cease their relationship with the studio contracted to provide their cheer team, the Belles.[3] The next day, when journalists sought comment from other football clubs, the chief executive of the Canberra Raiders stated that they were "reviewing the club's game-day entertainment". He denied the move was based around any female exploitation, rather citing cost as a factor.[4] As of 2019, most clubs have dropped cheerleaders.[5]

Governing bodies

Gymnastics Australia

The Australian Cheerleading Union (ACU), founded in 2008 and managed by Gymnastics Australia (GA), was recognised as the official body by both the International Cheer Union (ICU) and by the Australian Sports Commission (ASC).[6]

GA recognised Cheerleading (code CHL) as a "gym sport" alongside artistic, rhythmic, trampoline, acrobatics, and aerobic gymnastics. Cheer has similarities to acrobatic and floor gymnastics. Acrobatic Gymnastics (code ACR),[7] also involves partner or group lifts, balance, and throws. Floor, which involves tumbling and balancing, is one of four disciplines that compose Women's Artistic Gymnastics (WAG) and one of six in Men's Artistic Gymnastics (MAG). All three (ACR, WAG, and MAG) are governed internationally by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), whereas cheerleading is governed by the ICU.

In December 2017, GA resolved to cease being the governing body for cheerleading in Australia, with an exit process to proceed through 2018.[8]

International All-Star Federation and AASCF

As in the United States, the US All Star Federation (USASF) and its international version, the IASF, function as de facto governing bodies. Whereas the ICU world championships only allow one national team in each event from a given country, the USASF worlds accept all teams that have won bids from local championship competitions and at Hence USASF coaching, credentials and competition rules are seen as highly desirable.

The Australian All Star Cheerleading Federation (AASCF) is affiliated with USASF/IASF and has promoted the use of their rules in Australia.

Australian Cheer Sport Alliance

The Australian Cheer Sport Alliance (ACSA) was formed in 2017,[9] with board members from Gymnastics Australia, Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique, Australian All Star Cheer Federation, and Aussie Gold.[10] It is promoted as "Australia's Peak Body" for cheerleading.

In early 2018, in response to GA's withdrawal, ACSA applied to the ICU to be the official "recognised body for cheerleading in Australia".[11]

ACSA runs a "Sanctioned Events" program to accredit event organisers that meet its safety and competition standards.[12]

Coach accreditation

USASF coach credentialing is provided in Australia by The Australian All Star Cheer Federation (AASCF), and previously also by World Cup Cheer and Dance (WCCD).[13] From 2018, Aussie Gold also provides coach accreditation.

As at 2018, some competition events accept either Gymnastics Australia (Coach Education Framework for Cheerleading) or USASF accreditation for coaches.[14]

Rules

Most competition events follow USASF/IASF rules for age divisions, difficulty levels, and terminology.[upper-alpha 1]

Competition divisions

As in the US, cheer teams are grouped into classes based on a combination of age, level, and team size. Certain categories are also separated into "all-girl" (females only) and "co-ed" (mixture of females and males) groups. For large events, organizers can choose to additionally split on studio size, depending on the number of teams registered. The aim is to have a manageable number of teams in each group.

For example, a team might compete in "Youth level 1 small-gym", or "Senior Co-ed level 5".

Dance categories are grouped by age but not level.

Age classes

All-star age groups are based on the competitors' ages at 31 December, that is, how many years old they turn at their birthday during the given calendar year. (In contrast, USASF has used age at May[18] or August[19] for normal divisions and December 31 for International divisions.[19])

Overlap in the age divisions means that athletes can compete as members of multiple teams. For example, a 10-year-old can perform in youth, junior &/or senior teams.

Age group USASF and AASCF 2006[18] to 2014[19] Aussie Gold 2017[20] AASCF 2018[21]
age range (years)
Tinyup to 5up to 63–6 (novice), 5–6 (level 1)
Miniup to 8up to 85–8 (all levels, novice to level 2)
Youthup to 11up to 115–11 (novice to level 2), 7–11 (levels 3 to 5R)
Juniorup to 14up to 147–14 (novice to level 2), 8–14 (levels 3 to 5)
Senior2006: up to 18 (2006)
2014: 10–18 (levels 1 to 5R), 12–18 (level 5)		10–18 (levels 1 to 5R), 12–18 (level 5)10–18 (all levels, novice to 5R)
OpenInternational Open 14+ (level 5),
Open 18+ (level 6)		14+ (levels 1 to 5), 17+ (level 6)14+ (levels 2 to 5),
17+ (level 6)
Adult18+ (level 1)
IASF Juniorn/an/a10–16 (all levels, 1 to 5)
IASF Seniorn/an/a14–18 (all levels, 1 to 5)
Scholastic PrimaryBased on school enrolment, ages may vary between Australian states.
Scholastic Secondary
University17+Based on tertiary education enrolment.

Levels

Difficulty or safety levels are most often based on USASF rules, starting from "Novice" (similar to USASF "Prep") followed by levels 1 to 7. Level "4.2" combines level-4 stunts with level-2 tumbling.

There is also a division for teams having competitors with Special Needs. These are more usually seen in the Group Stunt category, which has a smaller team size than Team Cheer.

For each level, there are detailed lists of allowed and disallowed moves in tumbling, stunts, pyramids, and tosses.[22][23] This enables teams to compete with others at the same level of ability, and disallowing more difficult moves prevents competitors from dangerously attempting moves beyond their ability.

Scoring

Scoring systems vary depending on the event organiser.

At AASCF competitions, the components of cheer routines – standing and running tumbling, jumps, stunts, pyramids, and tosses – are scored separately out of 5.0 for the difficulty and for technique. Stunts and pyramids are also scored for creativity, so they are worth 15.0 instead of 10.0 points. Building skills (stunts, pyramids, tosses) account for 45 points out of 100 (35 of 90 at Level 1 where there are no tosses); tumble skills (tumbling and jumps) for 30 points, and an additional 25 points are scored on dance break, overall routine composition and performance.[24] Points are deducted for falls and rule violations.[25]

In 2015, four event organisers formulated a common scoring system which they named the "Australian Independent Scoring System" (AISS),[upper-alpha 2] also known as the AIEP scoring system.[29]

Under this system, scores are apportioned as follows:[26]

  • 50% Building Skills (Stunt/Pyramids/Tosses)
  • 30% Tumbling Skills (Standing/Running/Jumps)
  • 20% Dance & Choreography

Competition organisers

The major cheer competitions in Australia are run by cheer federations and by independent event organisers. Events run from March through to October, in line with the Southern-hemisphere school year.

  • Australian All Star Cheerleading Federation (AASCF) is affiliated with USASF and IASF. Runs several competitions, including State Championships (6 states), Nationals, and the bid-only Pinnacle championships. Founded in April 2006.[30]
  • Australian Independent Event Producers (AIEP)[31]
    • Aussie Gold International Cheer & Dance Championships are held annually at the Gold Coast Exhibition Centre in Queensland. Aussie Gold also runs events in regional Queensland and in several state capitals. Brisbane and Rockhampton were added in 2016;[32] Mackay, Perth, and Adelaide in 2017; and Melbourne in 2018.[33]
    • CheerCon, a supplier of cheerleading uniforms and accessories founded in 2008,[34] CheerCon also runs competitions in eastern and southern states.
    • Cheer Unlimited Australia (CUA). Founded in 2011[35] and based in Western Australia, CUA runs events in WA, South Australia, and Queensland.[36]
    • Spirit Industries Australia (SIA) runs an annual event in Sutherland, south of Sydney in NSW.
  • Battle at the Beaches, an outdoor competition at Manly, NSW.
  • CheerBrandz. Based in Auckland, CheerBrandz runs events in New Zealand and Australia.
  • Dance and Cheer Events (DCE), formerly World Cup Cheer and Dance (WCCD) – all states.


Notes
  1. For example, "The CUA Championship Series will follow the USASF Cheer Rules as the governing documents for safety and participation. Please refer to the USASF website links below for complete listing of 2016-2017 Cheer Safety Rules."[15] Similarly, "AUS Cheer will follow the 2011-2013 USASF/IASF Cheer Level Rules Chart and 2011-2012 USASF/IASF Dance Rules.".[16](p2) AASCF, WCCD, CheerCon, Aussie Gold,[17] and SIA also refer to the USASF documents.
  2. Introducing the "Australian Independent Scoring System" appears on the web sites of Aussie Gold[26] CUA,[27] and SIA.[28]

References
  1. "Bring It On release dates". IMDb.
  2. Gladman, Simon (2008-06-30). "That's the Spirit! Cheerleading champs get Coast crowds on a high". The Gold Coast Bulletin. Organisers of the Downunder Spirit Championships credited hit movie Bring It On, released in Australia in 2000, as the reason cheerleading had become one of Australia's fastest-growing sports. EBSCO
  3. Massoud, Josh (2013-12-09). "Howls of protest as 'traditional' Canterbury Bulldogs cheerleaders are given the flick". Fox Sports / Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2018-08-12. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  4. Ritchie, Dean (2013-11-12). "Pom pom war as more NRL cheerleaders axed - this time at the Canberra Raiders". News Corp Australia Network. Archived from the original on 2017-02-13. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  5. "Sports Radio". www.sportsradio.com.au.
  6. Australian Cheerleading Union page at Gymnastics Australia web site
  7. Acrobatic Gymnastics, Gymnastics Australia.
  8. "Gymnastics Australia statement on Cheerleading". Gymnastics Australia. Archived from the original on 2018-04-02. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  9. Officially registered February 2018. "View details: Australian Cheer Sport Alliance Limited ACN 624 569 080". ASIC Connect. Australian Securities and Investment Commission. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  10. "Members". Australian Cheer Sport Alliance. Archived from the original on 2018-07-15. Retrieved 2018-07-15.
  11. Announced at ACSA and AASCF:
  12. "Sanctioned Events". Australian Cheer Sport Alliance. Archived from the original on 2018-07-15. Retrieved 2018-07-15.
  13. "2016 USASF Coach Credentialing" (PDF). World Cup Cheer and Dance. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-09-28.
  14. "DCE 2018 Event Handbook" (PDF). Dance & Cheer Events. Retrieved 2018-07-15. ...in the interest of participant safety, DCE will require all coaches that are accompanying teams in the warm-up area, as well as the competition floor, to be qualified to the appropriate level for that team. DCE recognises coach credentialing from USASF and the Coach Education Framework for Cheerleading from Gymnastics Australia.
  15. CUA Scoring http://www.cheerunlimitedaustralia.com.au/scoring-1/
  16. "AUS Cheer Competition Handbook 2012" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-06-28.
  17. Aussie Gold 2016 Rules http://aussiegoldchamps.com.au/?Page=30615&MenuID=Championships%2F20114%2F0
  18. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2006-11-27. Retrieved 2006-11-27.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  19. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-08-01. Retrieved 2014-08-01.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-03-10. Retrieved 2018-08-14.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  21. "Australian Cheer Sports Alliance 2018 cheer age grid" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-08-12. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  22. "2016-2017 USASF Cheer Safety Rules" (PDF). AASCF. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-03-01.
  23. "ICU Divisions Rules & Regulations 2017-2019" (PDF). International Cheer Union. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-01-28. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  24. "AASCF All Star Scoring Sheet" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-13.
  25. "2016 AASCF All Star Deduction System" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-02-14.
  26. "Aussie Gold 2015 Scoring". Aussie Gold International Cheer & Dance Championships. Archived from the original on 11 June 2015. Retrieved 2016-11-08. 1 April 2015. Today marks an exciting day in the history of Australian Cheerleading…. Introducing the 'AUSTRALIAN INDEPENDENT SCORING SYSTEM'. History has been made in 2015, with four Australian All Star Cheer & Dance Event Providers collaborating to develop an independent scoring system for the Australian cheerleading community.
  27. CUA Scoring http://www.cheerunlimitedaustralia.com.au/scoring Retrieved 2016-11-08 (archive copy https://web.archive.org/web/20160912124729/http://www.cheerunlimitedaustralia.com.au/scoring).
  28. SIA, Introducing the "Australian Independent Scoring System" http://www.spiritindustries.com.au/blank
  29. "SCORING — cheer unlimited australia". cheer unlimited australia.
  30. "Why compete with AASCF". Australian All Star Cheer Federation. Archived from the original on 2016-11-15.
  31. http://www.cheerunlimitedaustralia.com.au/scoring-1/ "CUA is proudly part of the AIEP (Australian Independent Event Producers) comprised of Aussie Gold International, CheerCon, Spirit Industries and Cheer Unlimited Australia. We are independent event producers working together to bring quality and consistency at cheer and dance events across Australia by offering the same scoring system. The AIEP cheer scoring system is based on the Varsity scoring system which is used predominantly at events around the world"
  32. "Home". Aussie Gold International Cheer & Dance Championships. 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-10-31. we're not only going to be holding the Aussie Gold International Cheer & Dance Championships on the Gold Coast, we're also taking that Golden Spirit up to Brisbane and Rockhampton
  33. Aussie Gold International Cheer & Dance Championships. Archived home page for 2017. Archived home page for 2018.
  34. "About". CheerCon.
  35. "Our Story — cheer unlimited australia". cheer unlimited australia.
  36. CUA web site,home page and see also the pages for individual competitions.
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