International Cheer Union
 | |
| Founded | 2004 |
|---|---|
| Type | International Organization |
| Location |
|
Area served | Worldwide |
Membership | 110 National Federations |
| Mission | Serve as the World Governing Body of Cheerleading |
| Website | http://cheerunion.org |
The International Cheer Union (ICU)[1] was founded in 2004 and is recognized by SportAccord[2] as the world governing body of Cheerleading (also known as "Cheer") and as the authority on all matters with relation to it. Including participation from its 110 member National Federations reaching 4 million athletes globally, the International Cheer Union continues to serve as a voice for those positively developing cheerleading around the world.
World Governing Body of Cheerleading
Following a positive vote by the SportAccord General Assembly on 31 May 2013 in Saint Petersburg, the International Cheer Union (ICU) became SportAccord’s 109th member, and SportAccord’s 93rd International Sports Federation to join the international sports family. In accordance with article 6.a) of the SportAccord statutes, the ICU is recognized as the world governing body of Cheerleading and the authority on all matters related to this sport.
On 29 August 2012, Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), ICU and SportAccord signed a trilateral agreement[3] finalizing terms and conditions under which FIG supports the principle for the admission of the ICU into SportAccord.[4] The ICU is also fully applied to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and is compliant under the code set by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Objectives
The International Cheer Union is a non-profit international governing entity with the objectives to serve as an advocate for those dedicated to the advancement of Cheerleading, provide balanced input and governance based on the levels of development to all participating members and to train and further educate athletes, coaches and judges. The ICU is operated to act as the world governing body of Cheerleading and the authority on all matters related it and engages in various activities compliant with the ICU statutes in the promotion of Cheerleading.[5]
ICU's statutes[6] are approved by SportAccord, adopted by the ICU General Assembly, and the ICU is a fully democratic International Sports Federation ("IF").
Governing Council
The Governing Council[7] represents the various geographic areas in which cheerleading exists. The council consists of twelve (12) persons; eight (8) continent/continental regional representatives, one (1) At-Large Continental representative, one (1) USA NGB representative, one (1) At-Large Athlete representative, and one (1) non-voting IASF representative.
Council members are recommended by their reflective entities as authorized by the ICU statues, and elected by the ICU General Assembly.
The ICU General Assembly comprises ICU's 110 National Cheer Federations and National Cheer Provisional Federations. Each National Cheer Federation receives one (1) vote for all General Meeting election and voting processes. The ICU General Assembly last convened Wednesday 27 April 2016 in Orlando, Florida, USA, following the 2016 ICU World Cheerleading Championships.
The Officers of the ICU consist of a President, two (2) Vice Presidents, a Secretary General, and such other officers recommended by the Governing Council and elected by the General Assembly.
The Executive Committee consists of the following members:
- President
- Immediate Past President
- Both Vice Presidents
- Secretary General
- Treasurer
Organization
Membership in the ICU is available to all National Cheer Federations within accordance of the ICU statutes, and the ICU shall reasonably assist countries, National Cheer Federations, National Olympic Committees, continental and other regions to create opportunities for participation.
Open to all National Cheer Federations, only one (1) National Cheer Federation shall be admitted representing each country. Each Member Federation which is in Good Standing, as defined by the ICU Statutes, will have one (1) vote as a member of the General Assembly.
The ICU is one of the fastest growing International Sports Federations in the world. The ICU reached a milestone of 100 member national federations in 2011.[8] Today the ICU currently encompasses 110 member national federations with nations located in Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania.
Education
The ICU continues to administer educational and training programs for coaches and judges to better improve the ongoing growth and development of cheer programs.
The ICU provides coaches training and certifications on safety, rules, technical training and overall program development strategies. The training includes course work, practical application training and required field work.
The judges training[9] implements a greater understanding of cheerleading, as well as to promoting fairness and quality in all contests for the betterment of the world's cheerleading athletes.
Championships
The ICU administers championship cheerleading competitions around the world. These events include:
- Open Championships
- Regional Championships
- Continental Championships
- World Cheerleading Championships
Various championship locations include Vienna, Austria; Taipei, Chinese Taipei; Kingston, Jamaica; Bangkok, Thailand to name a few. The World Cheerleading Championship will be held in Orlando, Florida.[10]
References
- ↑ International Cheer Union
- ↑ "International Cheer Union and Federation Internationale de l'Automobile are new SportAccord Members". SportAccord. May 31, 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-31.
- ↑ "FIG, ICU and SportAccord sign Trilateral Agreement". The Olympic News. 2012-09-11.
- ↑ "FIG, ICU and SportAccord sign Trilaterial Agreement". Federation Internationale de Gymnastique. 2012-09-10.
- ↑ What Does the ICU Do
- ↑ ICU Statutes
- ↑ Governing Council
- ↑ "International Cheer Union Welcomes 100th Member Nation". inside Cheerleading Magazine. 2011-09-12.
- ↑ ICU Judges Courses-Europe
- ↑ "Olympic-Style Cheerleading Competition Draws Teams from 60 Countries to U.S.". PR Newswire.