Quick answer: All Star cheer is competitive cheerleading for teams based at private gyms rather than schools. Teams exist purely to compete - not to support another sport - and they compete at a numbered level (1 to 7) in age-based divisions, following rules set by the U.S. All Star Federation (USASF) in the US and the International All Star Federation (IASF) internationally.
All Star vs School Cheer
| All Star cheer | School cheer | |
|---|---|---|
| Based at | A private gym | A school or college |
| Main purpose | Competing | Supporting school sports, often with some competitions |
| Who can join | Anyone who joins the gym and tries out | Students at that school |
| Rules | USASF/IASF All Star rules | School or college rule sets |
| Season | Most of the year | Usually tied to the school sports calendar |
Some athletes do both - cheering for their school and competing for a gym - but the two follow different rules and schedules.
How All Star Teams Are Organised
An All Star gym (often called a "program") usually runs many teams at once, each defined by:
- an age group, such as Tiny, Mini, Youth, Junior, Senior or Open, set by athletes' birth years on the age grid;
- a level from 1 to 7, which sets which stunts and tumbling the team can perform;
- a tier - Elite (the traditional full program), Prep (shorter routines, no tosses) or Novice (an entry tier where teams are rated, not ranked);
- whether the team is all-girl or coed.
Athletes are placed on teams after tryouts, and a single gym might field a Level 1 Mini team alongside several Senior teams at higher levels.
What a Season Looks Like
Most All Star seasons start with tryouts in late spring or summer, followed by learning a new routine (usually from a choreographer) and practising several times a week. Competitions typically run from late autumn to spring, ending with end-of-season championships such as The Summit and, for top Level 6 and 7 teams, The Cheerleading Worlds. A team performs essentially the same routine all season, refining it as it goes.
A Short History
All Star gyms grew from the 1980s as competitive cheer became more technical. As the number of gyms grew, US event producers founded the USASF in 2003 to set common rules and levels, and the first Cheerleading Worlds followed in 2004 - see History of All Star Cheer.
If Your Child Is New to All Star
Start with Cheer Levels Explained to understand how teams are grouped, and the Parent's Guide for costs, commitment and what to ask a gym before joining.