Valley ICE Placements

Valley ICE Placements
By Mike Butler

If you’ve been reading the local newspapers lately, you would have seen quite a bit of press regarding the Integrity Cheer Empire or ICE All-stars organization as they’ve jumped, clapped, and cheered their way through many competitions this year and come out on top of a very successful pyramid.

Chris Cunningham, or coach Chris as many call him, is All-star director and program manager at Integrity Cheer Empire and he’s super excited for this time of year because the ICE placements are coming up for new members to join the team.

This has been a very busy year for Chris and the team: “The program has changed and grown immensely this season,” he says, “and we now offer cross programming: cheer, tumble, and gymnastics. As far as our All-star cheerleading program, we have seen an increase in our coed program, bottom to top. A lot of this has to do with having a balance of both male and female cheer and tumble staff. We have seen a large increase in elite level skills, with a focus on great technique and commitment to safety and execution. And lastly, I think there has been a mental shift. One of my favourite quotes is ‘if you do what you’ve always done, then you’ll get what you’ve always gotten” and I think these kids have openly embraced change. It’s been a great, competitive season for us!”

Do you know a budding young cheerleading enthusiast just waiting for the right team and time to shine? Well, ICE has their All-star placement dates coming up on June 2 and 3, with prep clinics taking place the week of May 29, and then a free open gym on May 31. Placements are the time of the season where ICE welcomes new athletes and families, and builds teams for next season, which will be the ninth for the organization. Athletes are evaluated on basic jump, tumble, and movement skills and ICE offers teams for all ages, levels, and experiences, so anyone can come by and be successfully placed. The best part of this whole experience is that everyone makes a team, which is why they no longer call them tryouts but placements. ICE believes in finding a home for everyone in our sport!

ICE has quickly grown into a staple of the community for youth sport. Chris says, “I really enjoy marketing and managing our brand. As a staff, we did a lot of work this season on our brand image, our logo, and trying to tell our story. With the more frequent use of our social media accounts, community outreach and getting out in the Valley areas and journals, we have seen a new flow of public interest in our program and our sport and it’s very rewarding”

Check out the ICE website and social media accounts, and feel free to email Chris at info@integritycheerempire.com for more information about the placements. Who knows, you could be the next lucky cheer-person on top of the pyramid!