Get your athletes and staff interested in community service.

By Rebecca Behrens

CBN Dec/Jan 2010

I feel that, as a gym, we can open people’s eyes and hearts to the many needs of our community and world. The athletes see the power they have and believe they can make the world a better place for others. It’s not just talk; it’s action and involvement. That’s effective leadership.” —Diana Miller, co-owner of Pro Spirit

It can be tough to plan and schedule all the activities needed to nurture a great cheer program: classes, private lessons, clinics, camps, fundraising and competitions. However, many cheer gyms aren’t yet including one very beneficial activity in their schedules: community service. Cheer gyms are great places to get kids, staff and parents involved in volunteering, because they’ve already brought together a dedicated group of people who work well as a team. Not only does philanthropy help your athletes and staff bond, but it also betters your business and community. Plus, it’s increasingly encouraged by organizations such as the U.S. All Star Federation (USASF), which began awarding the Chairman’s Cup for community service in 2009, and serves to generate positive press about cheerleading as a whole and fosters good will toward your program. If your gym already participates in community service, how can you expand and promote your efforts? And if you’re not involved yet, how can you get started?
Beginning community service projects at your cheer gym may be easier than you think, and the rewards can be huge. Diana Miller, co-owner of Pro Spirit in McKinney, TX, says her gym has been involved in different types of community service since its second year in business. Their efforts earned the gym the first Chairman’s Cup at the 2009 Cheerleading Worlds. Morton Bergue, owner and founder of California-based Cheergyms.com, recently began a green initiative that has his athletes excited to get involved in the world outside of cheer. Here, Miller and Bergue describe the benefits community service has given their teams and share tips on how other teams can get in the philanthropy game.

How to Give Back

There are infinite possibilities for community service projects for your gym. Try linking up with existing community service organizations (such as the United Way or a local hospital or food pantry) and volunteering as a group. Alternatively, your gym can start community service projects from scratch, using your creativity and enthusiasm to organize events that will benefit a cause or group dear to your gym.
Another option is to fundraise for a charitable organization of your choice, such as the American Heart Association, Breast Cancer Research Foundation or a local school. Pro Spirit participates in a variety of service projects each year. “We create a theme that we build on throughout the year,” says Miller. One year, the program supported U.S. troops, and one team adopted a soldier who was directly connected to a squad member’s family. The group sent care packages and letters to soldiers abroad, welcomed servicemen and women at the airport when they returned home, and even wore camouflage practice wear in honor of the troops.
Last year, their theme was the “Pink Ribbon.” “We began with a fun run for the Susan G. Komen Race For the Cure, and the project just kept growing,” says Miller. “We raised more than $30,000 for the three-day walk, in which Pro Spirit members walked 60 miles to support finding a cure for breast cancer. In addition, we had 57 team members, along with two moms and an inspired friend, cut a minimum of eight inches off their hair to donate to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, [an organization that makes wigs for patients undergoing chemotherapy].”
Pro Spirit’s not the only gym jumping on the service bandwagon. Cheergyms.com recently started a green initiative at the gyms to get athletes and staff involved in community issues. “We have a plastic recycling program at our gyms, and we also do a recycling day where parents, kids and staff collect electronics and have them sent to a recycler,” says Bergue. “Now, everyone’s more aware of the junk they throw away. They bring in plastic bottles to recycle and have even started using reusable bottles instead.” Additionally, the athletes and staff have begun saving electronics instead of throwing them away and are learning how to properly dispose of used ink cartridges, batteries and other recyclable materials.

The Benefits

Philanthropy in general is incredibly beneficial to those who participate in it. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, volunteering provides both social and personal health benefits. It gives people a feeling of satisfaction and pride for helping those in need and strengthens social bonds among people who volunteer together. In addition, a recent study by the Corporation found that volunteering just two hours per week promotes significant health benefits, such as lower rates of depression and heart disease and greater longevity. Although young athletes might not yet be concerned with these health issues, making community service a habit in their youth might help them to continue helping others and living healthier lives in the future.
When cheer gyms get together to do good work, it not only benefits everyone on the team individually, but it also helps the group as a whole. According to Bergue, the green initiative has created positive internal press at the gyms. “We’ve really seen kids getting into it,” he says. The athletes and their families also enjoyed the big recycling day, which created a lot of excitement and goodwill among members.
Miller agrees, insisting that Pro Spirit’s community outreach has encouraged her athletes and staff to become more involved. “I love that the athletes are being exposed to the world beyond the gym,” she says. “I feel that, as a gym, we can open people’s eyes and hearts to the many needs of our community and world. The athletes see the power they have and believe they can make the world a better place for others. It’s not just talk; it’s action and involvement. That’s effective leadership.” As a testament to Pro Spirit’s inspiration, several of the athletes have continued to fundraise for the Susan G. Komen Foundation and still participate in the Race For the Cure and the three-day walk independently.
Getting cheer teams to be active in the community also serves to create a positive image for the sport. The USASF’s Chairman’s Cup award was founded not only to honor teams’ community service actions but also to positively promote all-star cheerleading nationwide. Media portrayals of cheer often focus on negative and outdated stereotypes or on accidents and injuries. The Chairman’s Cup does the industry a service by highlighting the good work teams across the country are doing, instead of the negative, which some media outlets choose to focus on. After a successful philanthropic initiative, send a press release to local news outlets about your efforts. Include it in your gym newsletter and website, and post it on your other social media sites. “The benefits as a business organization won’t be measured by dollars signs or numbers,” says Miller. Community service shouldn’t be done with the goal of drumming up more business, but it’s always good business to have a positive public image.

How to Get Involved!

No cheer gym is too new or established to start a community service effort. Pro Spirit’s first philanthropic project was collecting teddy bears and donating them to a local children’s advocacy center. After Hurricane Katrina, Pro Spirit collected thousands of dollars to donate to the American Red Cross relief efforts. “As the gym grows and matures, so do our ideas [for community service],” says Miller. “We’ve never set any official guidelines for a service project. The projects usually guide us.”
Whatever idea you start with, educate your athletes on why it’s important for them to get involved in the first place. Instill excitement in your athletes about giving back, so they bring the same passion they have for cheer to your community service efforts. “As the leader of the gym, you need to be excited about your vision,” says Miller. “Your flame will begin to spread like wild fire if you’re focused with passion and purpose.”
Cheerleading already teaches young athletes about dedication, accountability and teamwork and helps them grow up to be hard-working and responsible adults. Community service is a natural extension of the life lessons athletes are already learning in the gym and a truly rewarding addition to a program’s activities. And, of course, it’s a lot of fun!

How to start a “Green Initiative” in your gym

Cheergyms.com owner and founder Morton Bergue shares a few tips to starting a recycling initiative similar to theirs.

1. Start by identifying a parent to be in charge.
2. Research websites about recycling. Find local recycling organizations you can work with.
3. Once you’ve figured out the logistics of recycling, set up a “Recycling Day” at your gym. Put up “recycle” reminder signs around the gym, and make recycling bins available.
4. Repeat regularly!