Tuesday 18 March 2008

It’s a Cheer World, and We Just Don’t Know It

As far as cheerleading goes, there have always been two camps. One camp says that cheerleaders are vapid, empty-headed, silly girls who bounce around and shake their pom-poms, hoping desperately for a glance from the quarterback or captain. The other camp knows the truth. Cheerleading is a demanding sport that takes hours of practice, dedication, talent and focus.

If you’re wondering why I’m on a cheer-high, well, it’s because Fluffy and I took a road trip to Queen’s University in Kingston to watch the Ontario Cheerleading Federation’s 2008 Eastern Regional Cheerleading Championship.

That’s a mouthful, ain’t it?

When Fluffy invited me a few weeks ago, so many memories from my school career came flooding back. I was a cheerleader in middle school. I was also a member of the dance team in high school. When I hit university, I had to be the mascot. So I’ve got about 6 years of cheer and dance embedded in my memory banks. When Fluffy asked me to go and watch her friend’s daughter perform on the Kingston Elite National Co-ed Cheerleading Team I was completely cheercited.

Even though I had to wake up at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, I couldn’t wait to feel all that energy again and see how well the teams moved together. The thrill of the competition, of checking out every other team’s moves. . . bring it ON!

The Queen’s University stadium was filled to the brink of a cheersplosion, and when the first cheer team hit the floor (the ever adorable Barracuda Youth squad), Fluffy was hooked, and I was drawn in like a stage mom to a hair and makeup session. Looking down the list on the program, I was even happier to see a team from Smiths Falls participating in the competition! Lanark County was representin’!

Then the thump of the bass hit the stadium as the deejay started the second team and I forgot about the program.

As the teams progressed on and off the floor with their impressively choreographed jumps, tumbling, pyramids and hip-hop dancing, the teams grew better. The older the group, the more experience. By the time the Kingston Elite Nationals team hit the floor, the crowd was pretty pumped up. And this was Jillian’s team, so it’s like I was 2-degrees-from-cheer-mom, sending a river of chills across my skin.

From the first step Jillian’s team took, my mouth fell open. I believe the entire stadium was caught up in the absolute perfection that their team displayed. I wish you all could see a video of how well each moved was choreographed, timed, tumbled, tossed, shook, jumped and thumped.
It was beauty and excitement at its height for all of us. You’d change your opinion on cheerleading.

When it was over, we were all on our feet. It was no surprise when Jillian’s team took first prize in their division, as well as the top prize, Grand Champions of the competition. Yes, they’re that good.

I was SO never a cheerleader of that calibre. I may have jumped and wiggled, but I couldn’t gymnastics my way through a paper bag. You should hear me yell, though.
Fluffy and I have already reserved our rooms for provincials and nationals. We’re officially cheer-groupies. Fluffy is even talking about wearing team-coloured metallic red wigs at the next competition.

Help us.