Jeff Webb, entrepreneur and founder of Varsity Spirit, died last week at the age of 76 following complications from a freak pickleball accident.
According to an email from Varsity Spirit president Bill Seely, obtained by Cheer Daily, Webb was hospitalized after suffering a severe head injury from a fall while playing pickleball. After two weeks on life support, his family made the decision to have him removed on March 19.
“Varsity Brands is saddened by the passing of Jeff Webb, founder of Varsity Spirit and modern cheerleading,” a spokesperson for Varsity Brands said in a statement. “Jeff played a pivotal role in shaping cheerleading as it exists today and in building a community that has impacted generations of athletes, coaches, and teams. In recent years, his contributions helped grow the sport both in the United States and globally, including his work with the International Cheer Union, which achieved full recognition by the International Olympic Committee in 2021.”
Webb was also a mentor for the late Charlie Kirk after meeting him when the Turning Point USA founder was 24 years old, as reported by the New York Post. TPUSA mourned his passing in a post on X, calling Webb “a dear friend to Turning Point USA and Charlie.”
While talking about Kirk after his assassination on Real America’s Voice, Webb said “we may have a lost a future president.”
When Kirk was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Webb attended the ceremony at the White House.
