The 21-22 season is now underway, and hopefully this year will see the long-awaited return to competitions for the Cheerleading community. For Adaptive Abilities (AA) teams this season is groundbreaking, with AA categories included in the SCUK divisions grid for the first time.

As exciting as this news is, it can be daunting for AA teams preparing to compete this year. In previous seasons it has been at the discretion of each Event Provider (EP) on whether they offer categories for AA teams, and for many EPs they were only able to provide a showcase opportunity as there was little to no guidance on how to score effectively. The inclusion of clear categories is a great step forward in making Cheer more inclusive, but it does mean a lot of research for coaches on what the new categories are, what rules to follow and how these may differ to other Allstar Teams.

Divisions Breakdown

So before delving into the competition opportunities and the rules to follow, it’s worth having a look at the divisions available in more detail.

Beginner – The beginner AA category equates to a Level 1 team. This can be entered as ‘Adaptive Abilities’ for ages 5-14 or ‘Adaptive Abilities Senior’ for ages 10+ (please note that at least one athlete must be 15+). There is no split at this level between All Girl (AG) or Mixed (Co-Ed) teams

Novice – The novice AA category equates to a Level 2 team. This can be entered as ‘Adaptive Abilities’ for ages 5-14 or ‘Adaptive Abilities Senior’ for ages 10+ (please note that at least one athlete must be 15+). There is no split at this level between All Girl (AG) or Mixed (Co-Ed) teams

Median – The Median AA category equates to a Level 3 team. This can be entered as ‘Adaptive Abilities’ for ages 5-14 or ‘Adaptive Abilities Senior’ for ages 10+ (please note that at least one athlete must be 15+). There is no split at this level between All Girl (AG) or Mixed (Co-Ed) teams (This is different to conventional All star categories who usually split at Level 3)

Advanced – The Advanced AA category equates to a Level 4 team. This is commonly the most well known category as it is the level our national teams compete in at ICU Worlds. Advanced is the only level in the current grid that splits teams between AG and Co-Ed. This means there are four entry options – Adaptive Abilities All Girl (Ages 5-14), Adaptive Abilities Co-Ed (Ages 5-14), Adaptive Abilities Senior All Girl (Ages 10+ with minimum one athlete over 15) and Adaptive Abilities Senior Co-Ed (Ages 10+ with minimum one athlete over 15)

It’s worth noting that each of these divisions are based on a ‘Unified’ AA team. This differs from ‘Traditional’ AA as it includes athletes with or without disabilities.  ICU define this as ‘Teams          consisting of 1% to 99% Athletes with disabilities per team’, but there is a minimum requirement of 25% of athletes with a disability to compete in this division (This is based on ICU Worlds requirements but may differ between EPs in the UK).

            Welsh Adaptive Abilities Coalition training in the park at Future Cheer Internationals 2021

Competition Opportunities

While it is great news that these divisions have been included on the SCUK grid this season, it doesn’t guarantee all competition providers will be offering them. We reached out to as many UK EPs as possible to confirm whether they will have divisions available to enter both competitively or as a showcase performance.

Future Cheer – Confirmed they will be offering AA Divisions at all of their events for the 2021-2022 Season

Cheer City – Confirmed they will be offering AA divisions at all of their events for the 2021-2022 season. They will be offering a competitive or showcase option

Legacy Cheer and Dance – Confirmed they will be offering AA divisions at all of their events for the 2021-2022 season. They will be offering a competitive or showcase option. ICU Rules will be followed, but the ‘chant’ section will not be compulsory.

BCA – Confirmed they will be offering AA divisions at all of their events for the 2021-2022 season. ICU Rules will be followed, but the ‘chant’ section will not be compulsory.

ICC – Have been contacted for comment (this information will be updated once available)

UKCA – Have been contacted for comment (this information will be updated once available)

ICE – Have been contacted for comment (this information will be updated once available)

CheerSport Wales – Have been contacted for comment (this information will be updated once available)

DC12 – Have been contacted for comment (this information will be updated once available)

Allstar World Championship– Confirmed they will be offering AA divisions.This is a really exciting opportunity for Allstar AA teams to compete internationally. 

Phoenix Allstars Cheer showcasing at ICC Welsh Open 2019

 Rules to be aware of

In the interest of safety, there are a number of rules applied to Adaptive Abilities that do not always align with traditional All-star rules. Baskets are not allowed in any level, and cradles cannot be caught by a base that does not have sufficient mobility in their lower body (i.e Wheelchair users). While traditional rules state that cradles should be caught by the base that has initiated the skill, this rule is waived in AA if the original base is unable to catch. Any bases catching cradles or release skills must also have at least one arm extended past the elbow to safely assist with the skill. This also means cradles can potentially travel if necessary (this is considered illegal in traditional all-star). Wheelchair users must have all wheels in contact with the performance surface while basing stunts, and wheelchairs must be fitted with an appropriate anti-tip attachment. If wheelchair users are flying in a stunt, they must also have a seatbelt.  Mobility devices (wheelchairs, crutches etc) may be used to assist a flyer, for example a flyer can step onto a wheelchair while loading into a stunt). More information and specific requirements can be found here.

*Please note that these are the general requirements for all AA teams as provided by ICU. Individual competition providers may have their own safety specific rules, and it is always worth checking with the specific provider at the point of entry.*

                                           Yorkshire Martyrs Dancer at BCA Competition

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