Advertising Advice
We have heard from Coaches that they are having difficulty with advertising teams and getting enough of the responses they want to create a team that’s worthwhile. While we feel that at present, with the ParaCheer divisions in such early stages, that there is an element of what we refer to as “field of dreams” where you have to create the teams so people see they exist and want to join, rather than to assume athletes will know what to expect from the team without seeing it in action, “if you build it they will come”. That said, below are some content guidelines for adverts you might want to create for your social media and for leaflets around your local area which may help people better understand what the sport entails and why they should get involved. We have a download link at the bottom of the page with photos that can be used to advertise ParaCheer teams free of charge. We have a wealth of additional photos, please get in touch if you wish to discuss that with us.
A successful tryout advert stated the following:
“This team will be a combination of disabled and non-disabled athletes performing cheerleading stunts, tumbles and dance. For current cheerleaders, or disabled athletes/performers with some previous physical practice.”
Other options you could use to say the same thing are:
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“This is a fully inclusive team for disabled and non-disabled people to work together towards a shared goal of participating in cheerleading competitions”
“This is a cheerleading team for those with and without disabilities to work together to do stunts, tumbles and dance and to compete against other similar teams at events around the country”
“Are you a disabled or non-disabled athlete or cheerleader? Come to our training and join our new team!”
“We are looking for disabled and non-disabled athletes who are interested in working together inclusively in this new and growing division. Please note, non-disabled athletes must have experience in [the level or division style you’re looking to compete in].”
We also suggest that you think about defining which category of disability you are looking for. We usually refer to ParaCheer teams “having a focus on those with physical, intellectual, and sensory disabilities”. You may want to wait until after the tryouts are done to see who you get coming along and then decide weather your team is best suited for ParaCheer or Special Olympics categories.
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Remember to ensure your pictures are described and you have appropriate clear fonts as described in our media advice sheet available to download with our start-up pack if you're a 'Great for Teams' Friend of ParaCheer international.
We suggest displaying your adverts on social media and tagging us so we can share them within our networks. Also look for local council and disability community groups to advertise to directly. Facebook groups like ‘dance for change (the inclusive dance network)’ and Activity Alliance, here in the UK, and other such groups worldwide may also be good sources to share your information with too, as they have networks of active disabled people looking to try new things.
