The Prime Minister announced tighter Covid-19 restrictions on the 22nd September and new regulations enforceable in England from today, Thursday 24 September make changes to the ‘Rule of 6’.

Continue to follow the UKCA Return to Cheerleading guidance circulated on the 7th September but note:

Rule of 6 

Under 18 years of age 
Adhering to social distancing guidelines.
No change.

Over 18 years of age
Adhering to social distancing guidelines.
Multiple groups of 6 can attend training sessions as long as Covid-secure measures are in place.

Groups must ensure that there is no interaction (socialising) amongst different  groups of more than 6 people. 

Northern Ireland
You can find details on restrictions to gatherings in Northern Ireland here.

Wales
You can find details on restrictions to gatherings in Wales here.

Scotland
You can find details on restriction to gatherings in Scotland here.

Stay Safe

This Girl Can have teamed up with UK Active to bring you the #BeActive Girls Night In on Saturday 26th September as part of the Great British Week of Sport that runs between 19-27 September. The event, starting at 6pm and streamed live across the @gbweekofsport Instagram, will feature exclusive workouts and DJ sets people can join from the comfort of their own living room.

Get involved – #UKCATakeTheChallenge

This week as part of the Great British Week of Sport we want to see you and your families take the challenge of bringing some action to your living rooms during those boring ad breaks by getting active with some fun challenges set by UKCA qualified coaches!

Squat the Ads
Every time there’s an advert, count to see how many squats you and your family can squeeze in throughout! Post us your best score on Instagram using #UKCATakeTheChallenge!

No ads? No problem! You’ve got 3 minutes to rack up your best score…

Pass the Pillow Challenge – 1 minute
Pair up with someone in your house and lie feet to feet on the floor.
How many sit-ups while passing a pillow between you and your partner can rack up?

No Hands Challenge – 1 minute
Starting sitting on the floor cross-legged.
How many times can you get to a standing position and return to your crossed-legged sitting position, without using your hands?

Tuck Jump Challenge – 1 minute
How many tuck jumps can you do?

How many can you achieve?!

Share your family’s accomplishments with us on Instagram by tagging in @theukca and hashtagging your post with #UKCATakeTheChallenge!

Let’s go, over to you!

The purpose of this statement is to respond to SportCheer England’s statement dated 4 September 2020 concerning a Return to Sport document for Cheerleading. That statement is misleading and has resulted in criticism of UKCA on various social media fora.

There are various inaccuracies in SportCheer England’s statement but the essence of what is being suggested is that UKCA has caused a delay in the ‘Return to Sport’ within Cheerleading, which is simply untrue. We wish to clarify the position and explain to our stakeholders what actually happened.

There is no National Governing Body for the sport of Cheerleading in England. Against that backdrop, Sport England contacted both UKCA and SportCheer England and asked both organisations to collaborate with a view to submitting a joint document to DCMS. The email from Niall Judge of Sport England dated 1 September 2020 timed at 14:36:39 to xxxxxxxxxx of UKCA and xxxxxxxxxx of SportCheer England reads as follows:

“Hope you are both keeping well.

Thank you both for replying to my emails from last week. As highlighted in the emails we are working with DCMS to help them understand where guidance for Cheerleading clubs / groups come from.

I appreciate that you both have been providing support to clubs and that SportCheerEngland have submitted return to play guidance to DCMS for comment. We are all keen to have one set of guidance that DCMS can look through therefore it would be great if you were able to collectively look at the guidance and look at a joint submission please? I appreciate you both have done a lot of work so I shouldn’t see there being too much extra work, but I don’t know the intricacies of the sport!

This is really about ensuring that we support Cheerleading to get back to activity, so if there is a collective view that would be really useful for all involved. I should just say that this isn’t about recognition as NGBs, purely looking at supporting the sport.

We are here to support in any way that you need us to and can also liaise with DCMS if you have any questions for them.

Please do keep me in the loop and let me know if there are any issues / questions.

Thanks”

The email is self explanatory and was sent in the best interest of our sport, to collaborate in the production of a joint Return to Sport Guidance document for Cheerleading in line with current Government Guidance.

UKCA identified a number of areas we believe following current Government Guidance required amending such as:

• A return to stunting (contact resumed)
• The use of face masks during exercise
• Inter-club training – moving outside areas in lockdown (bubble to bubble) 

Unfortunately, none of our comments or advice were listened to, culminating in Sportcheer England producing a statement on 4th September 2020 without the content above being fully explained.

As all our Athletes, Coaches, Members and parents are aware, UKCA have been providing ongoing updates and Guidance through our website, social media channels and newsletters, as and when Government including Public Health England guidance has been updated.

UKCA have pulled all of the previous guidance we provided and produced a Return to Sport Guidance document for Cheerleading, dated 7th September 2020, which has been published on our website.

Please note the Return to Sport Guidance document for Cheerleading should always be interpreted in line with the quickly changing landscape and follow updated Government Guidance.

As restrictions continue to change throughout the country, the safety of staff and participants must be at the forefront of our efforts in group/team activity. It is important that local guidance is adhered to and there remains absolutely no contact between coaches and athletes or athletes and athletes.

The UK Cheerleading Association recommends all UK Cheerleading Clubs and Coaches follow the suggested practices outlined in UKCA’s Return to Cheer document which has been developed inline with the the UK Government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) and Sport England’s most current guidance.

Moving into Step Four of the Return to Cheer Roadmap 

On Monday 19th July, England moves into Step Four, which sees most legal restrictions lifted by the government.

Some key protections will remain in place locally to help keep ourselves and others safe and the government and Sport England are currently working together to provide answers to questions about what this means across sport and physical activity. Once this information becomes available, we will share this with you and in the meantime, let’s safely return to ‘The Sport of Smiles’. 

Please refer to the links at the bottom of the page for other areas of the UK (Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland) as currently guidelines are not the same for all countries.

Take care and stay safe.

Current government guidance:

Guidance for the public on the phased return of outdoor sport and recreation in England

Return to recreational team sport framework

Providers of grassroots sport and gym/leisure facilities

Providers of grassroots sport and gym/leisure facilities – 10.2. Session organisation and activity grouping

Please find below a list of additional resources for those not currently support by just Sport England or additional resources specific to your area.

Northern Ireland

For More Information

Wales

For More Information

Scotland

For More Information

The latest news from the UK Cheerleading Association

Still Time To Apply…

Deadline 20th September 2020

Upcoming Courses

The previous 6 months have been a testing time for many of us, lockdown has meant many of us have been isolated from family, friends, school, work and physical activity. They have also highlighted the important role that physical activity has on our physical and mental health.

During the pandemic UK Coaching announced that their Mental Health Awareness for Sport and Physical Activity Course (Developed with Mind and 1st4Sport Learning) would be FREE to benefit anyone who delivers physical activity and coaching sessions in clubs and leisure centres.

The course aims to gives activity providers the confidence to be able to support people experiencing mental health problems, and help them to thrive inside and outside of your sessions.

“One in four people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year. Completing this course will give you the knowledge, skills and confidence to better understand and support people living with mental health problems, and create a positive environment that ensures they enjoy the benefits of being active and keep coming back for more.” – UK Coaching

This is a fantastic opportunity for Cheerleading coaches who are beginning to return to sessions to gain valuable knowledge and practical skills helping participants who are experiencing mental health struggles. The course is only FREE until 31st August so there’s no time to waste!

Visit UK Coaching’s Mental Health Awareness for Sport & Physical Activity Course to find out more and take the course.

After the coronavirus lockdown ended the competitive Cheerleading season, Cheer training and gatherings of athletes from different households for the majority of 2020 so far, UKCA Training Courses have also been put on hold.

Over the period of isolation, along with bringing you conditioning videos and online challenges we’ve also been working hard preparing online courses so you can get the qualifications you need without leaving the comfort of your own home!

Recently a group of aspiring Cheer coaches attended our 2-day Online Leadership Award. The course uses a mixture practical and theoretical work and aims to give participants the Leadership Skills necessary to assist the delivery of Cheerleading activities under the guidance of a Qualified Coach. Successful course participants receive a leadership certificate of qualification enabling them to assist their qualified Coach or Teacher with the delivery of Cheer and Dance activities.

Along with an official UKCA Certificate available to download from the UKCA Member Dashboard, successful course participants will now also gain access to new UKCA Resources relevant to the UKCA qualifications they currently hold.

The UKCA Resources area is designed to support and assist coaches in the successful running of their Cheerleading club. The resources include everything from video tutorials of exercises and warm-ups, example skills used in competitions and example documentation all accessible from the UKCA Member Dashboard. Find out more about UKCA Resources here.

Get the qualifications you need & gain access to brand new resources this summer!

We have an Online Leadership Award coming up on 24th & 25th August and an Online Urban Cheer Foundation Skills coming up on 5th & 6th September with plenty more courses to be added in the coming weeks and months!

Visit the UKCA Course Calendar and book on a course today!

After the recent easing of COVID-19 lockdown measures by the UK Government, many clubs and coaches will be thinking about welcoming Cheer athletes back to training sessions. If coaches are planning to begin sessions in the near future it is imperative that they follow the strict guidance laid out by the government to ensure the safety of themselves and their participants.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM UKCA ON CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) CAN BE FOUND HERE

In addition to adhering to the government guidelines on returning to sport, coaches should also make sure they have the correct insurance policies in place to protect themselves and their club should a participant get injured during one of their sessions.

Why do I need insurance?

Cheerleaders, along with gymnasts, have one of the highest injury rates of any athlete. Muscle tears, whiplash and neck injuries are common, which is why it’s essential to have a specialist insurance policy in place to protect you if an accident happens. In addition to athletes, Cheerleading coaches who advise and guide the team on a regular basis should seek a policy that covers all Cheerleading disciplines including acrobatics. If someone injures themselves following your advice or instruction and decides to take legal action, it could set you back thousands.

In such a high-flying, twisting and turning world, Cheerleading insurance is a must have for everyone who wants to maximise their enjoyment of the sport.

UKCA partner, Insure4Sport, offer 10% off their insurance cover for UKCA Members.

Take advantage of Insure4Sport‘s 10% discount for UKCA Members:

Following the government’s guidelines and ensuring you have the necessary insurance in place means we can gradually and safely return to the sport we love!

New to UKCA – Coach Resources

We are pleased to announce the rollout of our all new resource section.
We’ve got warm up exercises, video lessons, competition examples, useful document downloads and much much more

Online Leadership & Foundation Courses

Courses are now available for both levels, with a Zoom session for the practical instruction followed by an online test (where applicable).

Following the course you will have immediate access to your certificate

Disability SEN Module

Last month we launched our first online course. This course is a certified module for clubs and coaches to gain a better understanding of the needs of disabled participants

If you’ve already completed the Disability SEN Module you’ll now be able to access our Disability Resources to help support your club and athletes.

2021 Competition Dates

2020/2021 Rules Update