Head Varsity Cheerleading Coach

The Head Varsity Cheerleading Coach leads a safe, organized, inclusive program that strengthens school spirit, game-day performance, scholar-athlete development, and the grade 6-12 cheerleading pathway. The coach teaches progressive cheer skills, prepares athletes for approved school events, and develops the program toward competition readiness within two program years. Success is measured by safety, skill growth, participation, culture, communication, compliance, event readiness, and completion of the two-year competition-readiness pathway, not trophies or competitive placement alone. Reports to: Senior Athletic Director or designee. Hours: dependent upon practice, competition, and event schedule as designed by Athletic Director. Assignment: SY 26-27. Exempt status: Non Exempt. Campus: High School.

Responsibilities

Establish the varsity program philosophy, annual plan, team standards, skill progression, performance calendar, and development pathway in alignment with athletics leadership; Coordinate with the Head Middle School Cheerleading Coach on shared terminology, safety standards, fundamental skills, athlete transitions, and grade 6-12 program alignment; Supervise assistants and volunteers and ensure every staff member satisfies Foundation Academies and applicable New Jersey requirements before working with athletes; Promote equitable participation, multisport involvement, leadership opportunities, school pride, and transparent program information; Plan progressive practices covering motions, jumps, voice, dance, conditioning, flexibility, tumbling foundations, stunts, pyramids, transitions, synchronization, crowd leadership, and performance confidence; Teach only skills appropriate to athlete readiness, staff qualifications, available spotters, approved surfaces and mats, and current safety rules; Conduct safe, equitable tryouts using transparent criteria; Make roster and performance-role decisions using documented evidence; Set one development focus for each scholar-athlete, provide midseason feedback, and document a next step at season closeout; Develop captains and emerging leaders; Reinforce eligibility, attendance, punctuality, respectful behavior, appropriate social-media conduct, and healthy team habits; Review school-issued eligibility information and complete assigned athlete check-ins or support referrals within three school days; Hold a preseason scholar-athlete and family meeting; Ensure no scholar-athlete participates until registration, eligibility, medical clearance, and documentation are confirmed; Review the emergency action plan, AED access, and evacuation procedures before practices, games, and off-site events; Inspect floors, mats, equipment, and practice areas before use; Require approved progressions, trained spotters, and documented readiness before elevated skills; Follow concussion, sudden cardiac arrest, heat illness, injury-response, and return-to-play procedures; Immediately notify athletics leadership of serious injuries, threats, misconduct, hazing, discrimination, boundary violations, and other reportable incidents; Coordinate game assignments, call times, warmups, music, scripts, travel, supervision, and dismissal procedures; Maintain a two-year competition-readiness plan; Enter exhibitions or competitions only with prior Athletics Department approval; Maintain attendance, roster, skill-progression, evaluation, uniform, equipment, music, and closeout records by deadline; Manage uniforms, equipment, and props and target at least 95% return of issued items; Maintain current music and routine documentation using properly licensed or school-approved content; Perform other related duties assigned by athletics or school leadership

Requirements

Embrace Foundation Academies' college- and career-readiness mission and core values; Lead with patience, energy, inclusion, accountability, sportsmanship, body-positive coaching, and a safety-first developmental mindset; Teach cheerleading through approved progressions, qualified spotting, purposeful repetition, clear feedback, and age-appropriate expectations; Communicate professionally, protect confidentiality, maintain appropriate adult-student boundaries, and work effectively with scholar-athletes, staff, families, event personnel, and the community; Appointment and approval by the local educational agency and a valid New Jersey teaching certificate or instructional substitute credential (substitute credential requires at least 30 semester-hour college credits); Current adult CPR/AED and Basic First Aid certification through an approved provider, including an in-person skills component when required; NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching completed before first employment as a coach, unless an applicable NJSIAA exemption applies; Annual NFHS Concussion in Sports and Heat Illness Prevention training; One-time NFHS Implicit Bias and NJSIAA BeNice training, plus all school-required safety, medication-response, mandated-reporting, and emergency training; Completion of criminal-history and employment-authorization requirements and ability to maintain credentials throughout the assignment; Complete school-approved cheer-specific safety and risk-management training, including performer readiness and proper tumbling, stunt, and pyramid progressions, before independently supervising those skills

Nice to have

Previous cheerleading coaching, competitive cheer, sideline cheer, dance, gymnastics, teaching, or advanced youth-development experience; Demonstrated knowledge of current cheer safety rules, skill progressions, spotting, tumbling and stunt readiness, choreography, conditioning, and risk management; Ability to lead an inclusive school-spirit program while building toward appropriate scholastic competition readiness without compromising safety or athlete development; Strong organization, communication, music and routine planning, digital-platform, record-keeping, and relationship-building skills in diverse school communities

Benefits

Stipend of $4,500