As cheerleading gains more national recognition and safety issues are at record high, Kelly Stewart offers West Virginia University students the chance to learn how to coach cheerleading in a safe, responsible and exciting way.
In recent years, cheerleading has gained widespread acknowledgment for the increasing physical demands of the sport. Observations of accidents and serious injuries are prompting people like Stewart to take action. Her experience in both coaching and judging has given her insight into these issues, and she is using her talent to help students gain hands-on experience in coaching cheerleading.
The course is titled Techniques of Coaching Cheerleading, or ACE 356. It is a three credit hour class offered online each semester. Prior to registering, students should have experience or possess an extensive knowledge in cheerleading, gymnastics, or dance.
Students learn the art of coaching cheerleading through hands-on projects. They coach stunting at local gyms, they choreograph their own routine, they research legal issues related to coaching and they create their own coaching philosophy.
“After years of coaching, judging and watching teams compete, I realized that a lot of them weren’t prepared. There’s a safety aspect. The sport is very dangerous. We need coaches who know what they’re doing to avoid all these injuries,” said Stewart.
It is an exciting time for students to enroll in the course as cheerleading moves to becoming a new women’s sport at the collegiate level.