Varsity Spirit
Encyclopedia
Varsity Spirit Corp. is an organization that sells cheerleading and dance apparel, trains cheerleaders and dancers at educational camps and hosts competitions. It is based in Memphis, Tennessee.
Varsity’s history dates back to 1948, and it continues to be the global leader in growing cheerleading’s influence and profile.
In 1980, Varsity hosted the first cheerleading championship called the National High School Cheerleading Championships. Each year these events are held at Walt Disney World Resorts and are broadcasted on ESPN networks
.
Each summer, Varsity camps train 325,000 cheerleaders from colleges, high schools, middle schools, and all star programs at 1,500 camps sessions around the United States. In all, 475,000 cheerleaders and dance team members compete at Varsity Brand events.
With 17 million video streams in 2009 alone, Varsity TV on Varsity.com has the largest collection of cheerleading and dance team competition videos. Viewers can choose from 30,000 competition videos on Varsity.com. Varsity TV also features original shows, like “Friday Night Cheerleading in America,” “Varsity News Now,” “Hit It,” “Inside UCA Cheer Camp” and “NCA Camps – A Cheerleading Tradition.”
Webb founded UCA in 1974.
Webb’s use of marketing and promotional campaigns to increase cheerleading’s profile have directly impacted cheerleading’s popularity. Today, ESPN televises 8 hours of Varsity’s national championships, a relationship that began in 1985 and continues to this day. In 2002, Webb was featured prominently in a USA Today article entitled From Megaphones to Mega-Profits.
founded the National Cheerleaders Association in 1948, the nation’s first professional cheerleading training organization. He held the first organized cheerleading camp in Huntsville, TX in 1948. His signature jump, the “Herkie
” is one of the most famous cheerleading jumps and is still performed today. Herkimer started the first cheerleading uniform company, Cheerleading Supply Company, in 1951 to meet the needs of cheerleaders, dancers and drill teams. Today it is known as Cheerleader and DanzTeam. In March 2009, the New York Times published an article about Herkie.
Varsity Contributions to Cheerleading Safety
AACCA is the defining source for all cheerleading safety education. The AACCA manual was composed by the industry's top cheerleading professionals, doctors, business professionals, lawyers, and Dr. Gerald S. George.
The AACCA manual has been endorsed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the National Federation of State High School Associations, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the Women's Sport Foundation, the National Athletic Trainers Association and the University Risk Management and Insurance Association.
AACCA was created to form a structured platform for cheerleading safety. The concept of the certification was to create stronger, safer athletes. The physics of cheerleading mixed with the intense emotional toll that any sport can have were all taken into consideration when creating the manual. Topics such as physical vs. emotional readiness are also discussed. The AACCA manual is an intensive study of the philosophy of safety, along with cheer and dance specific techniques, legal liability issues, medical responsibilities, nutrition and hydration, environmental safety, and many other topics relative to the practice and performances of cheerleader and dance skills.
The CheeReaders program provides support to cheerleaders who want to start group that read to schoolchildren in the hopes of improving literacy and overall academic success. Varsity helped support this start up literacy group with free advertising through bookmarks to all campers (300,000) and signage to them to use for their events.
Varsity is a partner with The Sparkle Effect, an initiative begun by two varsity cheerleaders from Iowa who started a special needs cheerleading squad in their community, then created a template so that other schools could follow their lead. Featured on “Oprah!”, the Sparkle Effect has been a hugely successful program. When the Sparkle Effect won a grant for their organization’s efforts, Varsity Spirit Fashions matched the uniform budget with a $10,000 credit towards the Varsity apparel.
UCA and the Muscular Dystrophy Association: This Labor Day will mark the 20th year that Varsity cheerleaders have participated in the MDA Telethon and helped to raise donations for this organization. Last year, they were able to raise $52,000 for MDA and have raised the goal higher for 2009. In addition to performing during the telecast, Varsity raises funds at events throughout the country. Cumulatively, Varsity has helped to raise $750,000 over the last 20 years. This year, donations to the Muscular Dystrophy Association will top $1,000,000. UCA staff members represent not just UCA during the Jerry Lewis Telethon, but all cheerleaders. The Telethon is just one way Varsity puts cheerleaders in the forefront, and broadcasts the positive aspects of being a cheerleader on a global scale.
NCA and NDA are sponsors of the Make-A-Wish Foundation
, a global charity that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.
American School Spirit Award – The ASSA is an award for outstanding schools whose cheerleaders demonstrate academic excellence, leadership and school spirit. Varsity rewards one cheerleading team and one dance team every year with the American School Spirit Award. The American School Spirit Award recognizes cheerleaders who embody the best of this world: leadership, sportsmanship, athleticism and community service.
America Needs Cheerleaders and National School Spirit Day
These are two campaigns that work together to foster leadership and community service among cheerleaders. America Needs Cheerleaders shines a light on all of the positive attributes of cheerleaders—from high academic achievement, to athletic excellence and school spirit to a willingness to help others in need. National School Spirit Day – Varsity’s competition organizations started this National day of service for cheerleaders beginning on September 9, 2009. Cheerleaders are encouraged to be visible leaders in their community and to do perform acts of kindness and charity.
Varsity’s history dates back to 1948, and it continues to be the global leader in growing cheerleading’s influence and profile.
In 1980, Varsity hosted the first cheerleading championship called the National High School Cheerleading Championships. Each year these events are held at Walt Disney World Resorts and are broadcasted on ESPN networks
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
.
Each summer, Varsity camps train 325,000 cheerleaders from colleges, high schools, middle schools, and all star programs at 1,500 camps sessions around the United States. In all, 475,000 cheerleaders and dance team members compete at Varsity Brand events.
Achievements
- First Camps
- First Pom Pons
- First Partner Stunt Competition
- First televised competitions
- First Safety Guidelines
- First Half Time Show
With 17 million video streams in 2009 alone, Varsity TV on Varsity.com has the largest collection of cheerleading and dance team competition videos. Viewers can choose from 30,000 competition videos on Varsity.com. Varsity TV also features original shows, like “Friday Night Cheerleading in America,” “Varsity News Now,” “Hit It,” “Inside UCA Cheer Camp” and “NCA Camps – A Cheerleading Tradition.”
History and leadership
Jeff Webb is the CEO and Founder of Varsity. was a yell leader at the University of Oklahoma contemplating law school and working summers as a camp instructor for National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) with Lawrence Herkimer when he decided to start Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) under the Varsity name. In 2004, the two cheer giants merged to form the largest partnership in the cheerleading and dance team industry.Webb founded UCA in 1974.
Webb’s use of marketing and promotional campaigns to increase cheerleading’s profile have directly impacted cheerleading’s popularity. Today, ESPN televises 8 hours of Varsity’s national championships, a relationship that began in 1985 and continues to this day. In 2002, Webb was featured prominently in a USA Today article entitled From Megaphones to Mega-Profits.
Lawrence Herkimer
Lawrence HerkimerLawrence Herkimer
Lawrence Herkimer is an American innovator in the field of cheerleading. He created the Herkie cheerleading jump, which was named for him, and received a patent for the pom-pon...
founded the National Cheerleaders Association in 1948, the nation’s first professional cheerleading training organization. He held the first organized cheerleading camp in Huntsville, TX in 1948. His signature jump, the “Herkie
Herkie
The Herkie is a cheerleading jump named after Lawrence Herkimer, the founder of the National Cheerleaders Association and former cheerleader at Southern Methodist University...
” is one of the most famous cheerleading jumps and is still performed today. Herkimer started the first cheerleading uniform company, Cheerleading Supply Company, in 1951 to meet the needs of cheerleaders, dancers and drill teams. Today it is known as Cheerleader and DanzTeam. In March 2009, the New York Times published an article about Herkie.
Varsity and Cheerleading Safety
Varsity underwrote the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators (AACCA) in 1987.Varsity Contributions to Cheerleading Safety
- AACCA was begun in 1987 to ensure that cheerleaders were exposed to the best training available and the safest conditions possible. Everyone in the cheer community benefits from AACCA, regardless of which camp, competition or uniform they purchase.
- Currently, 22,000 coaches nationwide are certified through AACCA’s safety course.
- More than a quarter of a million cheerleaders completed the AACCA Safety Awareness Program in 2009 at Varsity cheer camps
- School employees 21 and older who have completed the AACCA certification receive an additional $1,000,000 in liability coverage.
- Every Varsity cheer camp instructor is safety certified through AACCA, and has received a minimum of 30 hours of hands-on training
- In May, 2010 AACCA released new safety guidelines for elementary, middle and junior high school teams
AACCA
AACCA is a non-profit educational association for the over 70,000 cheerleading coaches across the United States. Founded in 1987, members of the association include: youth, junior high school, high school, all star, and college or university coaches/advisors, as well as leading national cheerleading instructional companies dedicated to the safe and responsible practice of student cheerleading.AACCA is the defining source for all cheerleading safety education. The AACCA manual was composed by the industry's top cheerleading professionals, doctors, business professionals, lawyers, and Dr. Gerald S. George.
The AACCA manual has been endorsed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the National Federation of State High School Associations, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the Women's Sport Foundation, the National Athletic Trainers Association and the University Risk Management and Insurance Association.
AACCA was created to form a structured platform for cheerleading safety. The concept of the certification was to create stronger, safer athletes. The physics of cheerleading mixed with the intense emotional toll that any sport can have were all taken into consideration when creating the manual. Topics such as physical vs. emotional readiness are also discussed. The AACCA manual is an intensive study of the philosophy of safety, along with cheer and dance specific techniques, legal liability issues, medical responsibilities, nutrition and hydration, environmental safety, and many other topics relative to the practice and performances of cheerleader and dance skills.
Sponsors & Partners
- Degree Girl
- ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
- GatoradeGatoradeGatorade is a brand of sports-themed food and beverage products, built around its signature product: a line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo, distributed in over 80 countries...
- Pottery Barn/PBTeen Pottery BarnPottery Barn is an American-based home furnishing store chain with retail stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Since September 1986, when it was purchased from GAP, Inc, Pottery Barn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Williams-Sonoma, Inc....
- Walt Disney World ResortWalt Disney World ResortWalt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...
s - Women’s Sport Foundation
Philanthropy
Varsity and the Office on Women’s Health Best Bones Forever teamed up to promote teen bone health at major events in Orlando and Dallas.The CheeReaders program provides support to cheerleaders who want to start group that read to schoolchildren in the hopes of improving literacy and overall academic success. Varsity helped support this start up literacy group with free advertising through bookmarks to all campers (300,000) and signage to them to use for their events.
Varsity is a partner with The Sparkle Effect, an initiative begun by two varsity cheerleaders from Iowa who started a special needs cheerleading squad in their community, then created a template so that other schools could follow their lead. Featured on “Oprah!”, the Sparkle Effect has been a hugely successful program. When the Sparkle Effect won a grant for their organization’s efforts, Varsity Spirit Fashions matched the uniform budget with a $10,000 credit towards the Varsity apparel.
UCA and the Muscular Dystrophy Association: This Labor Day will mark the 20th year that Varsity cheerleaders have participated in the MDA Telethon and helped to raise donations for this organization. Last year, they were able to raise $52,000 for MDA and have raised the goal higher for 2009. In addition to performing during the telecast, Varsity raises funds at events throughout the country. Cumulatively, Varsity has helped to raise $750,000 over the last 20 years. This year, donations to the Muscular Dystrophy Association will top $1,000,000. UCA staff members represent not just UCA during the Jerry Lewis Telethon, but all cheerleaders. The Telethon is just one way Varsity puts cheerleaders in the forefront, and broadcasts the positive aspects of being a cheerleader on a global scale.
NCA and NDA are sponsors of the Make-A-Wish Foundation
Make-A-Wish Foundation
The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a 501 non-profit organization founded in the United States that grants wishes to children who have life-threatening medical conditions. The charity now operates in forty-seven countries around the world through thirty-six affiliate offices.The president & CEO of this...
, a global charity that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.
American School Spirit Award – The ASSA is an award for outstanding schools whose cheerleaders demonstrate academic excellence, leadership and school spirit. Varsity rewards one cheerleading team and one dance team every year with the American School Spirit Award. The American School Spirit Award recognizes cheerleaders who embody the best of this world: leadership, sportsmanship, athleticism and community service.
America Needs Cheerleaders and National School Spirit Day
These are two campaigns that work together to foster leadership and community service among cheerleaders. America Needs Cheerleaders shines a light on all of the positive attributes of cheerleaders—from high academic achievement, to athletic excellence and school spirit to a willingness to help others in need. National School Spirit Day – Varsity’s competition organizations started this National day of service for cheerleaders beginning on September 9, 2009. Cheerleaders are encouraged to be visible leaders in their community and to do perform acts of kindness and charity.