As athlete numbers increase across Canada, so does the need for Certified Cheerleading Judges at competitions.
Judges are a crucial part of all cheerleading competitions. Cheer Canada has created a new set of score sheets for implementation in the 2019-20 competitive season. Cheer Canada has plans to certify judges in all provinces and territories with the new nationally standardized scoring systems, in collaboration with the SCA in Sask.
Two judging certification clinics will be held in Saskatchewan: Oct. 26-27 in Regina and Nov. 2-3 in Saskatoon. The clinics are open to athletes, coaches, teacher advisors for school cheer teams, ex-athletes, and ex-coaches. Anyone who attains the certification at the SCA events will be listed on the Cheer Canada list to be contracted for competitions all across Canada.
Being a cheerleading judge gets you the best seat in the house for all competitions. The training sessions will expand everyone’s knowledge of the sport in ways other than being an athlete or coach. There would be opportunities to travel across Canada to judge at events.
The scoring system for cheerleading is complex, as there are slightly different formats for the range of divisions in the sport from Novice Divisions up to the International Global division. The score sheets reflect safety rules at each level, and the level appropriate skills for tumbling and pyramids.
Most people are familiar with “pyramids” in a cheerleading routine, where athletes lift up the “flyers” and make a human structure. There are rules for how high the “flyers” can be lifted, if they can be thrown, etc. The rules are complex and points are added or deducted as each team performs their routine for the audience and the panel of judges.
For more information about taking the Judging Certification in Saskatchewan, please visit the SCA website, www.sca.ca/judges-certification/?
Stay tuned for more updates from Cheer Canada as the season unfolds.
