The American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators, AACCA,is a non-profit educational association for the over 70,000 cheerleading coaches across the United States. Founded in 1988, 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, or The American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators, is the defining source for all cheerleading safety education. It 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 certification process involves a three-hour review followed by a 2-hour open book testing session. One of the benefits of the open book testing is the ability to become intimately familiar with the AACCA manual. This gives coaches the ability to quickly reference the AACCA manual and utilize it's contents. AACCA wants to give coaches the ability to retrieve necessary information at their own practices or performances. Discussing important topics and highlighting pertinent sections of the manual will allow for better situational applications.
What can an AACCA certification do for you?
Cheerleaders- Cheerleaders who are trained by AACCA certified coaches develop a sense of security and confidence! They know that they will practice and perform under the safest conditions possible. Cheerleaders will also learn that the athletic activity of cheerleading is about more than just stunting and tumbling. It’s also about community outreach, school spirit, and leadership.
Coaches- Coaches who are AACCA certified gain the understanding of how to implement the need for safety as their program evolves. They can rest, assured that they are getting the BEST safety training from experienced professionals with expert credentials in cheerleading and risk management. Coaches will also enjoy the AACCA website! It will provide them with updates, news, cheer related stories and resources!
Parents- Parents get a sense of relief that their children are under the best supervision and care. They get a sense of security that, with AACCA, there is a professional organization looking out for the safety of their children! Parents can read more about the type of safety training AACCA provides in A Parent's Guide to Cheerleading Safety!
For more information you can visit their website at www.aacca.org and www.cheersafety.org
