Cheerleaders can now go pro: Varsity Spirit's new league offers pay

Varsity Spirit is starting a nonrecreational cheerleading league that promises to wage athletes, joining the crowded niche sports marketplace that already includes softball, volleyball, 3-on-3 basketball, lacrosse, indoor shot and much clamoring for some fans' attraction and their dollars.

Pro Cheer League is billed arsenic the archetypal nonrecreational cheerleading league for athletes 18 and older designed to springiness cheerleaders the accidental to support competing aft college.

Bill Seely, president of Varsity Spirit based successful Memphis, Tennessee, sees plentifulness of accidental for each these sports to succeed. This cheer league's vantage comes from the sport's maturation since the 1970s on with Varsity's ain instrumentality basal done its cheerleading, creation squad camps, events and shows.

“That’s going to assistance america truly benignant of physique this retired successful a mode that is sustainable and volition proceed to turn not conscionable domestically but globally," Seely said.

Varsity Spirit has had much than 80,000 radical be its events. The Pro Cheer League volition effort to pat into that instrumentality basal by competing the aforesaid nighttime of different events starting successful January successful Indianapolis erstwhile contention begins.

The league volition diagnostic 4 teams stocked with 30 antheral and pistillate athletes based successful Atlanta, Dallas, Miami and San Diego. Teams volition beryllium selected from tryouts starting successful September led by gym owners. Practice begins successful November.

After Indianapolis, 5 much events are planned successful Houston, Atlanta, Anaheim and capped by the title successful Nashville astatine the extremity of March oregon commencement of April.

Each lucifer volition diagnostic 3 periods of contention with 2 focusing connected cheerleading skills, stunts, handbasket tosses and tumbling successful bracket-style rounds. The last play volition diagnostic choreography and music.

“We anticipation a media deal, which we’re moving connected close now, volition assistance benignant of span beyond the existing instrumentality base," Seely said. “And we’re trying to physique thing that entertains families, friends and gives everyone conscionable a large amusement that they privation to travel retired to."

Best for the cheerleaders volition beryllium wealth for their athleticism. Compensation volition see pay, wealth for travel, lodging and uniforms on with bonuses and prizes.

Seely noted stunt is connected way for NCAA title status for women by outpouring 2027 aft being designated an emerging athletics successful 2023. The International Olympic Committee recognized cheerleading arsenic a athletics successful 2021.

They've already had involvement from would-be competitors from crossed the U.S. with immoderate from Canada and adjacent a mates from Europe.

“We conscionable felt similar it was the close adjacent measurement for the enactment and to truly benignant of magnify it to assistance animate young radical to enactment successful it,” Seely said.

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports