Future Cheer Accepted Coaches
Qualifications

If you hold a qualification other than the qualifications listed below, or are based outside the UK and hold a cheerleading qualification local to your region, please contact us via the contact form (select coaches info) for more information.

Enhanced DBS Required
we request for an upload of your certificate as well as a DBS number. 

All coaches aged 18 years and older should hold a clear Enhanced DBS check. This includes coaches of University or Adult only teams. It is best practice for your Enhanced DBS to be redone every three years. In order for Future Cheer to issue a coaches pass, you will need to provide the DBS check number for an Enhanced DBS check taken within 3 years of the date of the event that you wish to attend as a coach.

// COACH TYPES

1. Team Lead coach

The main coach responsible for the team and for all other coaches present with the team. For CHEER: Team Lead coach must have a level appropriate qualification (level 4 team, level 4 qual). For DANCE: Team Lead coach must hold an accepted dance qualification.
Any Team Lead coaches will be asked during their registration to provide a valid DBS-check.

2. Assistant coach

Any adult coaches under the supervision of the Team Lead coach, this includes cheer coaches, tumble coaches and dance coaches. These coaches must hold an appropriate qualification for their role, but are not required to be at the level of the team (i.e. cheer assistant coach can have a level 3 qual for a level 4 team, a tumble coach can have a british gymnastics qual). The role of assistant coach allows for cheer coaches-in-training to gain experience working with a higher level team before they qualify to lead, and it allows specialized coaches to come in and assist teams in whatever their specialty is.
Any Assistant coaches will be asked during their registration to provide a valid DBS-check.

3. Junior coach

Any coach aged 12-16yrs assisting under the supervision of the Team Lead coach. Must have a Junior coaching qualification as listed: either BGU, BCQ, UCC, or Dance Leaders (dance only). Junior coaches are only permitted to accompany teams up to Level 2. (clarification: a junior coach under the supervision of a qualified Team Lead coach may not assist a level 3 or above team into warm-up)

// ACCEPTED QUALIFICATIONS

Cheer Level 1

  • BGU Level 1&2
  • BCQ Level 1-3
  • United Cheer Credentials level 1&2
  • UKCA Foundations Tumbling Skills + UKCA Foundations Stunt Skills (must have both)
  • ICU Black (Coaching Skill Credentials) for minimum Novice + previous qualification. Note ICU qualifications are ONLY accepted as a renewal on a previous non-ICU coaching qualification from this list.

Cheer Level 2

  • BGU Level 1&2
  • BCQ Level 1-3
  • United Cheer Credentials level 1&2
  • UKCA Foundations Tumbling Skills + UKCA Foundations Stunt Skills (must have both)
  • ICU Black (Coaching Skill Credentials) for minimum Novice + previous qualification. Note ICU qualifications are ONLY accepted as a renewal on a previous non-ICU coaching qualification from this list.

Cheer Level 3

  • BGU Level 3
  • BCQ Level 1-3
  • United Cheer Credentials level 3-5
  • UKCA Advanced Cheerleading Skills + UKCA Intermediate Stunt Skills (must have both)
  • ICU Black (Coaching Skill Credentials) for minimum Median + previous qualification. Note ICU qualifications are ONLY accepted as a renewal on a previous non-ICU coaching qualification from this list.

Cheer Level 4

  • BGU Level 4-5-6
  • United Cheer Credentials level 3-5
  • UKCA Advanced Cheerleading Skills + UKCA Intermediate Stunt Skills (must have both)
  • ICU Black (Coaching Skill Credentials) for minimum Advanced + previous qualification. Note ICU qualifications are ONLY accepted as a renewal on a previous non-ICU coaching qualification from this list.

Cheer Level 5

  • BGU Level 4-5-6
  • United Cheer Credentials level 3-5
  • ICU Black (Coaching Skill Credentials) for minimum Elite + previous qualification. Note ICU qualifications are ONLY accepted as a renewal on a previous non-ICU coaching qualification from this list.

Cheer Level 6

  • BGU Level 4-5-6
  • ICU Black (Coaching Skill Credentials) for minimum Elite + previous qualification. Note ICU qualifications are ONLY accepted as a renewal on a previous non-ICU coaching qualification from this list.

Cheer Level 7

  • BGU Level 7
  • ICU Black (Coaching Skill Credentials) for minimum Premier + previous qualification. Note ICU qualifications are ONLY accepted as a renewal on a previous non-ICU coaching qualification from this list.

Tiny Novice divisions

Dance Divisions

  • BGU Pom & Jazz
  • BGU Hip Hop
  • ICU Black Pom + previous qualification **
  • ICU Black Hip Hop + previous qualification **
  • ICU Black Jazz + previous qualification **
  • ICU Black High Kick + previous qualification **
  • IDTA Diploma

** note ICU qualifications are ONLY accepted as a renewal on a previous non-ICU coaching qualification

// ADDITIONAL ACCEPTED QUALIFICATIONS for JUNIOR and ASSISTANT coaches

Junior coaches

Assistant coaches

If a team registers for an event with cheer teams/stunt groups and they have at least one coach who has an accepted cheer qualification, we also allow additional coaches to have a warmup pass if they hold a British Gymnastics qualification in the following discipline:

  • Men’s/Women’s Artistic Gymnastics
  • Acrobatic Gymnastics
  • Tumbling
  • TeamGym

Rhythmic Gymnastics and Trampolining qualifications will not be accepted.

// OTHER INFORMATION

Renewals

The following certifications will be accepted as a valid renewal on an existing accepted qualification; proof of the existing [expired] qualification must be provided alongside the certification, and the renewal must be completed within 3 months of the existing qualification’s expiration date.

  • BCA CheerCRED all levels
  • BGU Renewal
  • United Cheer Credentials

The following certifications are not accepted as valid qualifications or renewals.

  • Legacy TCI CheerLEAD Level 1&2

If your qualification was completed at level 5 before the level 5-6 split, please contact your qualification provider to check whether your qualification can be updated to reflect these changes.

If the qualification you hold does not have an expiry date and it was taken over 3 years ago, we strongly recommend renewing your qualifications. If your qualification does not have an expiry date and is more than 6 years old, we require you to renew your qualifications with one of the providers listed above. This is in recognition of the changing nature of the sport and to ensure safe coaching and continued professional development.

If you only hold a temporary pass you cannot be a Team Lead coach.