I decided to keep a few of my favorite ones and donate the rest to a local women’s shelter – one that houses children as well. They accept ‘costumes’ so that the children can dress up and suspend reality for a while. It was my hope that some little girls could have a great time playing in my old uniforms and transport themselves to a happier place where they’d be on a soft grass field cheering on their favorite team, far from the cold floors of their temporary home.
Read MoreWhen I was a freshmen in high school, I pretty much lucked out when it came to cheerleading. I had no idea what 8 counts, punch motions, or baskets were, but I STILL made the JV squad at my school. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?! Well, fortunately for me, I was a somewhat elite tumbler due to my gymnastics background... but I was definitely border-line clueless about cheering at games, let alone collegiate-style cheerleading.
Read MoreLike the tightly woven fabric of a cheerleading skirt, cheerleading is woven into the fabric of American history and culture. Cheerleading traditions run deep and its imagery, well, it’s as American as apple pie.
Read MoreI’m from the great state of South Carolina, where cheerleading rules the land. Almost every girl I went to high school with was a cheerleader at some point in their lives, and if they weren’t, they knew our cheers and could do them along with us. One thing about South Carolina cheerleading is we were not allowed to travel out of state to compete. Our season actually ended with the state championship in November. You can imagine once I made Clemson and was given the opportunity to compete at the College National Championship in Florida, it was a huge adjustment.
Read MoreNothing is better than seeing a cheerleading team that practices nearly five times a week, keeps busy with games throughout the weekend, is overly involved on their school’s campus and community events, and maintains strong academic standing that STILL finds the time for CHARITY WORK! Who would have ever guessed that high school and college cheerleaders are some of the most involved groups when it comes to charity service?
Read MoreCheerleading has paved my way in this world by providing a foundation on which many life lessons were learned and creating an outlook that champions perseverance, dedication, and a commitment to the greater good. What I learned from cheerleading…
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As a resident of Memphis the majority of my life, there is so much I appreciate about this remarkable city. I could go on and on about the great food, cool music, and incredible history. But one aspect of Memphis I tend to forget about is one that makes it even more special than any of the incredible things above. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is the heart of Memphis, and it doesn’t just impact our city; it impacts the entire world.
In 1962, the late entertainer, Danny Thomas founded St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as a place of research, prevention, rehabilitation, and ultimately, a place in search of cures for cancer and other catastrophic illness in children. Operating at 1.6 million dollars a day from donations and partnerships, St. Jude continues the dream of Danny Thomas by never forgetting his words, “no child should die in the dawn of life.”
This year, St. Jude is gaining a partner that will CHEER for a cure. Varsity is teaming up with St. Jude this year, encouraging cheerleaders around the nation to make a difference in the lives of children. Before cheerleading camp this summer, Varsity will ask teams to have each member send out five donation letters. 
Each team member and coach that achieves this goal will be awarded a special Team Up for St. Jude pin at camp.
As a cheerleader, this is a great opportunityfor you! Five simple letters is all you have to write to possibly save a child’s life! For more information on this program with St. Jude and Varsity, read about it here: http://varsity.com/event/1458/varsity-teams-with-st-jude.aspx.
For more information on how to get involved in saving lives, visit St. Jude’s website. And if you ever want to experience one of the coolest cities in the U.S. with blues, BBQ, and Elvis galore, come to Memphis, but don’t forget to make a stop at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital while you’re in town!
- Andrea LeTard
Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, and I'm definitely feeling the love! Love for my husband, my family, my friends, my life... But we should not forget to put our hearts in other places, in other people’s lives on this special day. Let this Valentine’s Day be a time for your team to “show the love.” Here are some fun, thoughtful activities your team can accomplish this Valentine’s Day and days to come!
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