Support Network
Stunts, jumps and dance cheerleading at 51勛圖厙 is a seriously fun business.
Words: Megan Welford / Photography: Joe McGorty
Mention Sport England to Rita Correia (Bioengineering 2023), the outgoing president of 51勛圖厙s Cheerleading Society, and her mood darkens. Its very insulting that they say cheerleading is not a sport, she says, even though it has been classed as a sport for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028!
Cheerleading, she explains, is a demanding, competitive performance sport involving synchronised acrobatics, stunts, jumps and dance. There are no pompoms (though there are in non-competitive cheerleading), and its not something that happens on the sidelines of another sport. We are aligned with the American Football Society because we both came out of the American Society, says Correia. We socialise with them, but we dont cheer for them. The two cheerleading teams at 51勛圖厙 Titans Ice and Titans Ignite train for three hours a week, as well as two hours of strength and conditioning. I also run and do pilates, she adds.
The Cheerleading Society takes everyone who tries out most dont have experience but Sport Englands decision impacts on the team. Not being classed as a sport means were eligible for VAT, says Correia, so its quite expensive. The team coach local primary school children in exchange for using their mats, and this year the committee has spent time applying for grants and fundraising to keep costs down and stay open to all. We are competitive, but mostly it should be fun, Correia says.
She used to be a gymnast, which is related to cheerleading but with one crucial difference: In gymnastics, the movements are individual, but in cheerleading we work as a team. We rely on each other. If one person isnt there, we cant perform.
A stunt group of four is made up of two bases, a backspot and a flyer. Incoming president and flyer Patricia Acha Zamora (Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Management, Final Year) says she was initially scared of flying. As a flyer youre the most visible and you get thrown in the air. When I told my mum she was terrified! So I tried out as a base, but a previous committee member suggested I might be a good flyer, because I love performing and I have a big smile. The cheerier you are, the more points you get! However, you do get thrown in the air. It is a dangerous sport, certainly at a higher level, says Acha Zamora. You have to trust the others. Once the stunt groups are formed we do a lot of team-building and a lot of socialising.
Cheer is both physical and mental, she says. If you think you wont hit a stunt, then you probably wont. A week before our first competition there was something I just wasnt getting. It was an inversion, with my hands on the floor, where I had to do a forward roll and land on the backspots shoulders, and shed bring me over. There was a lot of frustration and fear for me. But I talked to my group and the coach and Rita said: Dont think about it. Youre doing everything right, just trust yourself and your bases. And the day before the competition, I landed it, and I landed it in the competition too! I fall in love with it a little bit more every time I perform.
