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COACHES' CORNER

​​Creating a Culture Where All Athletes Feel Included and Supported
Interview by Vanessa Vail: featuring Melissa Powell and Rebecca Luce | USASF Exceptional Athlete Committee Members

For coaches, creating an inclusive club culture can begin with a simple question: Who in our community needs an opportunity to be part of a team?

Vanessa Vail, Exceptional Athlete Committee Chair, recently sat down with fellow Exceptional Athlete (EA) Committee members Melissa Powell and Becky Luce to talk about their experiences building EA programs at their clubs, the impact those programs have had on their athletes, and what other coaches can learn from their journeys.


Their stories demonstrate that an Exceptional Athlete program is about far more than creating a class or performance opportunity. It is about building a community where athletes can develop skills, form friendships, set goals, and experience the pride of being part of a team.


Start by Recognizing a Need


For Melissa Powell of Dance Dynamics, the idea for an EA program began with her experience as a special education teacher.


“I was always creating performance opportunities for my students,” she explains. “I loved watching them light up when they were on stage, performing, being celebrated, and feeling like they truly belonged.”


Those experiences helped Melissa recognize a larger need in her community: a dance program specifically designed for individuals with disabilities.


She approached her club owners with her vision, and what began as an effort to meet an unmet need quickly became something much bigger.

“It has become a community, a team, and a place where our dancers get the opportunity to shine, belong, and be seen,” Melissa says.


For Becky Luce of Gymtyme Allstars, the response from the community was equally powerful. Her program grew from just three athletes to more than 30 in a short period of time.


“We quickly realized our program helped fill a gaping hole in our community,” she says. “We were able to offer specialized programs and classes five days a week.”


The rapid growth demonstrated just how much demand exists for opportunities that allow athletes with disabilities to participate, train, perform, and compete.

Recognize the Athlete in Every Athlete

One of the most significant benefits of an EA program is the opportunity for athletes to discover what they are capable of accomplishing.

Melissa sees confidence as one of the most important outcomes.


“Our dancers build friendships, learn teamwork, practice communication, and develop a sense of belonging,” she says. “For many of our athletes, having the opportunity to compete and perform gives them something to work toward and be proud of.”


Athletes also develop physical skills, including body awareness, coordination, motor skills, rhythm, strength, and the ability to learn and retain choreography.


But perhaps most importantly, Melissa wants her EA dancers to recognize themselves as athletes.


“I want our dancers to know that they are athletes. They have goals, they work hard, they improve, and they deserve to be challenged and celebrated just like every other athlete.”


Becky has seen that mindset translate directly into her program's training environment.


“We design practice plans and competition routines that are just as rigorous and comprehensive as those for our Level 5 teams,” she says. “By setting high expectations, our athletes truly flourish.”


The results go beyond athletic development. Becky has also witnessed significant social growth and the formation of lasting friendships.

“Seeing these athletes form lasting friendships is incredible—without these programs, many of them would have never crossed paths.”

Inclusion Means Belonging

Creating an EA program does not mean the athletes have to participate in every activity in exactly the same way as the club's other teams. Instead, Melissa believes inclusion is about intentionally creating opportunities for everyone to feel connected to the larger club community.


“There is something really special about seeing our typical athletes and their families in the audience cheering on our Shining Stars just like they would any other team,” she says.


While EA athletes may have different class schedules or training opportunities, they are still an important part of the same club family.


“I think inclusion doesn't always mean everyone doing the exact same thing at the exact same time,” Melissa explains. “Sometimes it means creating intentional opportunities for everyone to come together, celebrate one another, and experience that sense of belonging.”


For coaches, those opportunities can take many forms—from club-wide events and showcases to team celebrations, performances, volunteer activities, and simply encouraging athletes and families to support one another.

Don't Wait for Perfect

For coaches who are considering starting an EA program, Melissa offers a simple piece of advice: “Don’t wait for everything to be perfect before you start.”


Building a successful program takes time, but coaches do not have to do it alone. Melissa encourages coaches to build relationships with the special needs community in their area.


Connect with families, schools, special education teachers, therapists, transition programs, and other organizations serving individuals with disabilities. These relationships can help clubs connect with potential athletes while also helping coaches better understand the needs of the athletes and families they hope to serve.


Starting small can be the beginning of something much bigger.

Give Athletes the Opportunity to Show You What They Can Do

Ultimately, both Melissa and Becky return to the same fundamental belief: athletes with disabilities deserve the same opportunities to work toward goals, be challenged, improve, and be celebrated.


“Don’t underestimate what these athletes can do—and don’t be afraid to give them the opportunity to show you,” Melissa says.

Becky agrees.


“Athletes are athletes. They want to be challenged and appreciated. Everyone needs to be encouraged to do their best, even on the days they don’t feel it.”


For coaches, that mindset can be the foundation of a truly inclusive club culture. An Exceptional Athlete program can open doors to competition, performance, friendship, confidence, and athletic growth—but perhaps its greatest impact is creating a place where every athlete knows they belong.

Because when athletes are given the opportunity to shine, they often show us just how much they can do.

Vanessa Vail is the chairperson for the USASF Exceptional Athlete Committee and works for Dance Athletics Denver.

​​Busy to Strong
by Melissa Strong | 5678! Dance and USASF Dance Advisory Board

Start delegating what doesn’t bring you joy first. This can be one of the hardest things to do as a club owner or coach. However, if we want to be great owners and coaches, we also have to be happy owners and coaches. Your worth is not measured by how exhausted you are or how busy you are at the end of the day.


So, how do we stay organized and on top of things when life gets busy? When competition season gets busy? When the chaos of the season starts to take over?


As a gym owner with 250+ dancers and 15+ staff members, staying organized is key for me. I not only give myself deadlines, but I give my staff deadlines as well. At the beginning of each season, I provide my staff with a calendar of important dates—from uniform and costume deadlines to choreography deadlines, holiday breaks, and our end-of-year performance dates.


Getting information out sooner rather than later helps everyone stay on the same page.


And this doesn’t stop with staff. I also send our athletes and parents a calendar of important dates for the season, including competitions, breaks, performances, events, and other important reminders. When everyone knows what is coming, there is less confusion and fewer last-minute questions.

Communication is one of the biggest keys to organization.

During the busy season, weekly emails—or sometimes even daily communication—are a must for me. Reminders about upcoming events, gym happenings, schedule changes, and even daily classroom expectations help keep parents, athletes, and staff aligned.

The more information we communicate ahead of time, the less we have to scramble later.


Every owner and coach is different, but I am definitely a paper person.I love having a huge calendar where I can physically write everything down. I also love having a binder with folders for each of my teams and classes where I can keep notes, lesson plans, prep work, choreography notes, and anything else I may need throughout the season.


Of course, all of this can be done digitally on a computer, too. The important thing is finding an organization system that works for you and that you will actually use.


One of the biggest things that has helped me over the years is keeping things that I can reuse season after season. Warm-ups, skill work, drills, class plans, games, exercises, and other resources that work well don’t need to be reinvented every single year.

If something works, save it!


Organization doesn’t mean doing everything yourself. In fact, sometimes being organized means knowing what you shouldn’t be doing yourself. Delegate the things that don’t bring you joy. Give your staff and assistance clear expectations and deadlines. Communicate early and often. Create systems that keep everyone informed.


Because at the end of the day, the goal isn’t to be the busiest person in the gym.

The goal is to build a gym that runs well without you having to carry every single piece of it.

Melissa Strong is the owner of 5678! Dance in South Dakota and a USASF Dance Advisory Board member who also serves as a PEER Mentor.

​​Developing Athlete Leaders at Every Age 

​by Owen Cox | Stars Vipers-Katy & USASF Board of Directors and Connection Leader

Let's start with a call out: you read the title of this article, and something in it made you read this sentence. Good job — that's already a gain in becoming a better leader. That small step of acknowledgment is the foundation of developing leadership traits in our athletes at every age and level: small steps and call-outs.

Why should we be developing athlete leaders at every age


All-Star teams are built to be competitive, and developing leaders on your team is how we get there. But we're also caretakers of amazing, special humans during the most formative years of their emotional and physical development. It's our duty that when the season ends, they're better physically, mentally, and morally than when it started.

So how do we begin develop leaders in our clubs? It's just three simple steps.

Step 1: Understand the Ages

Leadership development among your athletes starts by understanding how kids learn at every age.

  • Tiny/Mini — These kids learn leadership by watching.
  • Youth/Junior — These kids learn leadership by belonging.
  • Junior/Senior — learning leadership by leading.

Step 2: Understand and Communicate with Empathy

Building leaders starts with how you first communicate. Every age requires a unique style of communication to be effective.

Tiny/Mini


Get down to eye level so they feel safe. Use simple words — they aren't grown-ups yet. Validate big feelings (“I understand you're upset”). Name it out loud when you see it (“That's a straight leg!”). Their eyes are always on you, so when you call it out, they see it. Stepping up at this age means controlling themselves and meeting the expectations you set. They're watching you lead, and they'll lead the same way you do — what are you projecting?

Youth/Junior


Listen and look past the surface. This age is sensitive to fairness, inclusion, and acceptance — confidence is just the outer display of those emotions. They're starting to understand strategy and the value of supporting a teammate. The key is belonging. Teach them the actionable skills of being a great teammate, and they'll use those skills on their own. Then call it out — no matter how small the progress, celebrate it.

Junior/Senior


At this stage, you're coaching athletes with an identity, so know each of them individually. They see things from a perspective you don't, and you can use that to cultivate their desire to lead. Emotional intensity and peer influence both peak here — but so does their readiness to mentor younger athletes and own a leadership role instead of just admiring one. Set the table and call it out when you see the needle move.

Step 3: See the Best


See the best in your team, and in your peers you work with. Without that, your voice, your actions, and your commands will feel like a lie to your athletes. The magic looks different every season, but the “why” never changes.

Actionable Steps to Apply in your Club for Every Age


At the end of practice, circle up — a circle puts everyone on equal footing. Ask for three positives from practice: an athlete, a stunt group, or the team.

Tiny/Minis will look to you for help, then repeat it back as their own — that's a win. 

Youth/Juniors will give positives to individual teammates as their way of showing belonging; thread those together so everyone sees they matter. 

Junior/Seniors will run with it, giving shout-outs to individuals, stunt groups, and the whole team. You set the table — now it's your job to see the ownership, foster it, and grow it. At this age, it's not your team anymore. It's theirs.


Owen Cox is the owner of Stars Vipers-Katy and a USASF Connection Leader who also serves on the Board of Directors.

​​Leveraging the Novice Tier
​by John Moore | Empire Athletics & USASF Connection Leader

Do you have parents looking for that “entry into cheerleading or dance” without having to fully commit to a Prep or Elite team? Ever wish your current athletes had a way to develop more advanced skills throughout the season and use them on stage without the judging? Lastly, do you want to give your coaches more chances to grow within the profession? This is where the USASF's Novice tier can help you, your coaches, and your athletes. 


What is the Novice Tier in All Star?

        The USASF Novice tier is for individuals who are new to All Star but ready for performance-based teams that are evaluated at events. Novice teams focus on strengthening technique and performance skills that help prepare athletes for competitive All Star teams. 


        The Novice divisions do not count toward your D1/D2 classification. It is our job as professional members to take USASF's information and craft it into our business model. 


How Empire Athletics use the Novice Tier

Empire Athletics Novice team

        At Empire Athletics we use the Novice rules as our spring board for newer athletes as well as bridging the gap between All-Star levels. Our Novice level 1 teams are made up of newer athletes, as well as seasonal class students who have been invited to our Half Year Program Experience, H.Y.P.E., or our Tiny Novice program. This is an easy way to bring in athletes brand new to competitive cheer or dance who are just finishing their sideline line commitment or need a little more polish before next year's school tryouts. 


        The USASF Novice level 1 rules help guide coaches and athletes to feel challenged without feeling lost or behind, which allows for the team routine to grow with them instead of forcing perfection from the start. 


        The USASF Novice tier also include level 2 and level 3 with restrictions in place to help differentiate these divisions from Prep or Elite divisions. At Empire Athletics we also use the Novice tier to improve our Prep and Elite athletes while in season. During September we invite athletes pushing the envelope on the next level skills in tumbling and stunting to join our On Deck program. The On Deck program is our progression-crossing team, which allows athletes to perform and practice skills one level above their current Prep or Elite team. 

Growth of Novice in 3 Years 


We started this program 3 seasons ago with the goal of answering the parent question of “How can my athlete progress toward higher-level skills throughout the season — not just with tumbling — when Elite practices are focused on perfecting and repeating current skills instead of developing new ones?.” 


After researching the USASF tiers and divisions, and with some adjustments in coaching on our end, On Deck was born. It started with two Novice level 2 and this year we're slotted for 4 On Deck teams ranging from Mini Novice level 2 to Junior Level 3. 


Each On Deck team performs 2-3 times a season, practices for one hour before or after their set Prep or Elite practice schedule, half the time is spent as a tumbling class with drills and the second half is routine building slowly. We try to keep the cost no more than a regular tumbling class we offer so as to not outprice our parents. And our parents love it! Right now we are gearing up for our On Deck invite day and cannot wait to get started with year number three. USASF Novice tier can do more than strengthen your bottom line with younger athletes, it can help build your program from within while allowing you to remain competitive across your other divisions.


John Moore is a USASF Connection Leader from Empire Athletics in the Pacific Northwest.