Athletics: Director of Spirit Squads

Position Title: Athletics: Director of Spirit Squads

Department: 8917|Athletics Spirit & Traditions

Responsibilities:

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics Department is seeking a qualified Director of Spirit Squads. This position will report directly to the Deputy Director of Athletics/SWA. This is a professional position in which the incumbent directs the activities of Ragin’ Cajuns Cheerleading and Ragin’ Jazz Dance Team.  Work involves developing promotional materials, making travel arrangements, coordinating game day activities, scheduling public appearances, maintaining equipment, advising, coaching and training student spirit groups, directing fundraising activities, and managing the budget and spirit squad’s foundation account transactions.

- Plans, coordinates, and supervises the activities of Ragin’ Cajuns Cheerleading and Ragin’ Jazz for all designated athletic, alumni, University and community events.
- Responsible for hiring and supervision of coaches (temporary part time and volunteer) to assist in training and implementation of game day initiatives and traditions, ensuring that the coaches are USA Cheer Safety & Risk Management certified as required by the NCAA.  
- The spirit squad director must also maintain up to date USA Cheer Safety & Risk Management certification.
- Meets with cheer and dance coaches regularly to update on scheduling, community service opportunities, program needs, expectations, short- and long-term goals.  
- Assists coaches as needed in practices and game situations.  
- Run practices and manage games when coaches are unable to be present.
- Edit music and videos as needed for games, appearances, social media, events, and competitions.
- Updates information detailing recruitment strategies, try-out criteria, and other policies and procedures, all while enforcing NCAA, Sun Belt, USA Cheer Safety Rules and University guidelines.
- Coordinates strength & conditioning schedules with strength coach.  
- Meets with cheer, dance, & strength coaches throughout semester.
- Demonstrate fiscal responsibility by creating the yearly budget with the assistance of the athletics business manager for spirit squads and remain within the assigned budget parameters
- Monitors expenditures and follows athletics and University purchasing procedures
- Prepares all paperwork relating to financial aspects of the Spirit Program.
- Performs administrative duties associated with making travel arrangements, purchasing, responding to correspondence and maintaining records.
- Monitors academic performance by working with Student Athletic Services Staff.
- Ensures all assigned tasks are in compliance with University, Sun Belt Conference USA Cheer Safety and NCAA rules.
- Works with athletics marketing to design promotional items to recruit high school and college future prospects.  
- Visits with potential members and their parents.  
- Develop and maintain professional relationships with area high school coaches, advisors and counselors to recruit potential members to the University.
- Assists athletics marketing & promotions staff as needed with the promotions and the development of pre-game, half time and post-game logistics for spirit/athletics events.
- Manages logistics and scheduling for summer spirit camps held on campus (UCA, UDA, SCA), serving as liaison between university and the spirit companies.
- Support the educational mission of the University and the professional obligation to enhance intercollegiate athletics by providing opportunities to educate students interested in this field.  
- Provide broad based and specific experience to students through internship opportunities and student worker positions.
- With the assistance of coaches, selects the cheerleading and Ragin’ Jazz representatives on SAAC.
- Conduct bi-weekly meetings in semester with the leadership team consisting of the captains from each squad and the SAAC representatives for the purpose of aiding in the development of leadership skills of the student leaders, assisting the student leaders addressing areas of concern and keeping the student leaders informed of upcoming events, commitments, and deadlines.
- Be committed to the compliance process and assist with rules-education.
- Serve as an ambassador of the University and its Athletics Department to all public entities.
- Performs administrative tasks as they relate to athletic spirit activities.
- Assists with the design and implementation of promotions involving spirit squads.
- Monitors and enforces NCAA, USA Cheer, Sun Belt and University guidelines and updates departmental manuals as needed.
- Serves as liaison for spirit groups and other campus areas.
- Coordinates, markets, and directs team selection processes, youth spirit camps and recruiting clinics.
- Coordinate spirit squad’s schedules for purposes of community services, outreach, and public appearances.
- Coordinates spirit squad’s schedules for purposes of Ragin’ Cajuns athletics marketing, University community, and RCAF.
- Purchasing and maintenance of equipment, uniforms and supplies.
- Maintains/updates information on spirit squads’ websites and social media including content creation of graphics and media.
- Ensure that the spirit squads are actively engaged in on-campus and off-campus community involvement/service activities during the academic year.
- Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:
- Exhibit excellent written and verbal communication, organizational, public relations, interpersonal, customer service, and supervisory skills when working with student-athletes, faculty, staff, coaches, and administration.
- Ability to multi-task and work cooperatively with others; commitment to working with multi-cultural populations.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite
- Basic working knowledge with Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premiere or similar applications
- Have strong work ethic and be a person of high integrity and character who shares a commitment for knowing and complying with NCAA, Conference, and Institutional rules as they apply to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics program.

Job Ad# (req2077)

Salary : $45,000 - $57,000