Middle Schoolers Battle In Cheer Tournament
Author: Karsyn Sangray, Broadwater High School Student Intern
Middle Schoolers Battle in Cheer Tournament
Karsyn Sangray
Broadwater High School Student Intern
On Tuesday, January 28 the Townsend Middle School Cheer Camp put on two performances. During the halftime of the two varsity games the camp danced to a clip from “Glorious”, and during the games they had spots in the student section to cheer for the basketball teams. With fourteen girls, three coaches, and only six days of practice, they danced their hearts out and did an incredible job
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Although there is no winter cheer program for high school, some of the fall cheerleaders spent one or two nights helping the group. They helped with the arm sequence and basic movements and stunting. In the last three practices, they were able to go through stunt progressions and successfully got several prep groups. They did not get the opportunity to showcase their new skills, but they did form new bonds and friendships. The middle schoolers are all closer now than ever before. During lunch some of the new cheerleaders did their performance, just to do it one more time together.
Louie Parr, who has a background in ballet and dance, led the group. Her leadership skills and willingness to help went a long way in preparing the team. She remained positive and practiced every night to get the dance perfect. She was strong in everything she did and was phenomenal in her stunt groups. Whether it was a flyer, base or even a backspot, she could be put in any spot and fulfill her duties. “I loved cheer, it was a way to express what I can do with dance. I loved learning the dance by amazing coaches and the roar of the crowd after we finished. It was a great moment for all of us. The coaches Karsyn Sangray, Mrs. Lampman and Ms. Holly, gave us an opportunity to express our inner selves.”
The fourteen girls all improved tremendously by working day and night. Molly Hall was one of the hardest-working girls. Molly would come to practice with a new story of how her practice went. She would perform wherever she could and ask for tips and help frequently. Molly said, “I loved cheer camp. Going into it I was nervous because I hadn’t done anything like it since I was little. On the first day,all of the girls were so nice and the coaches were amazing. In less than a month we became a family. It was cool to watch us all support each other and help each other.”
At the end of each practice as a coach, I would lead them in stretching and talking. They would go over their roses and thorns-one thing good in their day and one thing that could have gone better. Being able to talk about their days and communicate with each other made the bonds grow stronger and faster. I am so proud of the girls and how much work they put into their performance. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to help them and I’m excited to watch the cheer program continue to grow.
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PhotoCredit: Karsyn Sangray BHS News Photographer
Image 1 Caption: Middle School cheerleaders relax after a practice session last week.
Karsyn Sangray BHS News Photographer
