The team and coaches holding their championship plaque!
There was so much talent there - ALL of the teams were amazing! There were ten schools represented at the competition. The tumbling was fantastic, the dance routines were fun, and the stunts were very impressive! If you haven't seen a cheerleading competition, you might not realize what athletes these cheerleaders are.
I was very glad that I didn't have to be one of the judges and decide who won. There is a whole lot that goes into the scoring of a routine. The number and difficulty of various stunts and tumbling routines is a very big part of it. And there are deductions for all kinds of things, many of them safety related. Dangerous stunts result in big points losses, for obvious reasons. If a cheerleader steps off the mat during the routine, more points deducted. Of course they are also judged on how well they perform something, and a wobble or a dropped stunt costs points. But even things like losing a hair ribbon or bobbie pins on the mat, or wearing jewelry of any kind can mean deductions. In order to be successful, you need a big routine that's worth a lot of points, performed well, with no points lost over the stupid things like forgetting to take off your rings or wristband.
We have been VERY fortunate in coaching we've had, with a special shoutout going to Coach Ali. She has that rare combination of knowledge, experience, creativity, passion, and an incredible ability to relate to and motivate a bunch of teenage girls to work together as a cohesive unit. She truly has been an amazing coach! THANK YOU, COACH ALI!!!
April and her coach Ali
Getting ready!
A big stunt during their routine
April and Krystal afterwards
April and Dad
