FCI Staff Writer Sacramento 
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April 28, 2020,
National treasures endure thus becoming extremely valuable and precious over time.
Sometimes far more competitive as well.
We’ve seen and read about the symbolic arms race in men’s NCAA football where millions of dollars are being invested in training facilities to lure top high school prospects.
It is not surprising that its partner in entertainment, cheerleaders, are essentially involved in a competitive arms race themselves.
According to activenetworkrewards.com, “This year more than 3.3 million Americans will participate in cheerleading, and 1.3 million of these enthusiasts will cheer more than 60 days. Spirit sports have become much more than pom-poms and sideline cheers, and they attract young, passionate, committed athletes who are influencers among their peers.”
The silver screen has made that abundantly clear to us with some vibrant reality TV series.
Presented by Netflix, Cheer is a gripping docuseries that follows the ups and downs of Navarro College’s competitive cheer squad as they work to win a coveted national title. In the small town of Corsicana, Texas, hard-driving head coach Monica Aldama demands perfection from her squad of competitive college cheerleaders.”
Indeed she does. The dedication required seemed to absorb every aspect of both the male and female cheerleader’s lives.
That was in America.
Netflix also brought a cheerleader series from Canada.
Cheer Squad is a Canadian reality television series that debuted on ABC Spark on July 6, 2016, and in the US on Freeform on August 22, 2016. It follows the Canadian cheer team the Great White Sharks as they work together on the road to world championships.
They share at Netflix, “Follow the Great White Sharks, a world-champion cheerleading squad, as they juggle the pressures of training, school, work and relationships. The world-champion Sharks enter the finals determined to repeat their win. Coach Ali looks toward next year to keep the momentum going for the team.”
We watched the series and loved it. The girls are young, ambitious and incredibly skilled.
All Reality TV series seem to have drama. Much of it is encouraged and orchestrated. Here the challenges are honest and intriguing.
Speaking of national treasures, the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders certainly qualify for that honor. They have a reality TV show as well.
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team is an American reality television series that premiered in 2006 on Country Music Television.
The series follows the auditioning process and the forming of the annual Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders squad.
The series features DCC director Kelli McGonagill Finglass and choreographer Judy Trammell (both of whom are former DCCs from the 1980s), and former Army drill sergeant Jay Johnson (who is the founder of “Boot Camp Fitness” and is responsible for the conditioning drills each girl must perform for testing).
Hundreds of young women audition each year and are put through the DCC “training camp” system before being cut down to the final 36 squad members for the first home football game of the Dallas Cowboys‘ preseason.
Making the squad is incredibly hard. We watched so many talented, athletic and beautiful girls tearfully get sent home.
The days of just being popular and cute to qualify as a cheerleader is gone.
The popularity of competitive cheer continues to soar and given what it takes in modern times to make a squad is worth honoring.
Please continue reading.
2020 National High School Cheerleading And Dance Team Championships Honor Top Teams From Across The Country
More than 25,000 cheerleaders and dancers from around the world competed for top honors at the Walt Disney World® Resort in Orlando
MEMPHIS, Tenn., Feb. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The 2020 National High School Cheerleading Championship and National Dance Team Championship took place the past two weekends, celebrating more than 25,000 of the country’s top high school cheerleaders and dancers. The events, produced by the Universal Cheerleaders Association and Universal Dance Association, both Varsity Spirit brands, celebrated the power of school spirit, community, athleticism and talent, and took place at the Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida.
“It is indeed an honor to highlight these amazing student-athletes at this championship,” said Bill Seely, President of Varsity Spirit. “They spend over 90% of their time focused on building strong school spirit in their schools, and this is an opportunity to highlight the invaluable contributions they make in their communities as well as their remarkable athleticism.”
The two events showcased 25,000 athletes across 1,270 teams from 36 different states. Internationally, 62 teams from 12 countries also competed. Cheerleading teams are judged on their crowd leading abilities, stunting and tumbling skills and overall performance. The dance competition is judged on choreography, technique, execution and overall effect. All teams competing in the championships had to qualify at a regional event or camp in order to participate.
New this year was the Game Day Live Division, which allows a high school’s cheerleaders and pep band to perform together to recreate the excitement of a true game day atmosphere.
Varsity Spirit live-streamed both championships on Varsity TV, a website dedicated to exclusive live coverage and video libraries of Varsity Spirit cheer and dance competitions. The championships will air on ESPNU and ESPN2, beginning in late March. Viewers can check their local listings for air times.
Cheerleading Super Varsity winners included:
- Super Varsity Division I: Oak Ridge High School |El Dorado Hills, CA
- Super Varsity Division II: Bullitt East High School | Mount Washington, KY
- Super Varsity Game Day Division I: DeSoto Central High School | Southaven, MS
- Super Varsity Game Day Division II: Liberty Christian High School | Argyle, TX
Cheerleading Large Varsity winners included:
- Large Varsity Division I: Hagerty High School | Oviedo, FL
- Large Varsity Division II: Live Oak High School | Watson, LA
- Large Varsity Coed: Bartow High School | Bartow, FL
- Large Varsity Game Day Division I: Bloomington Jefferson High School | Bloomington, MN
- Large Varsity Game Day Division II: Purvis High School | Purvis, MS
- Large Varsity Coed Game Day: Summit High School | Fontana, CA
Cheerleading Medium Varsity winners included:
- Medium Varsity Division I: Eaglecrest High School | Aurora, CO
- Medium Varsity Division II: Rocky Point High School | Rocky Point, NY
- Medium Varsity Coed: Brother Martin High School | New Orleans, LA
- Medium Varsity Game Day Division I: Aloha High School | Beaverton, OR
- Medium Varsity Game Day Division II: Bowling Green High School | Bowling Green, KY
- Medium Varsity Coed Game Day: Downingtown West High School | Downingtown, PA
Cheerleading Small Varsity winners included:
- Small Varsity Division I: Boone County High School | Florence, KY
- Small Varsity Division II: Marple-Newtown High School | Newtown Square, PA
- Small Varsity Coed: Strawberry Crest High School | Dover, FL
- Small Varsity Game Day Division I: Montgomery High School | Skillman, NJ
- Small Varsity Game Day Division II: Sardis High School | Boaz, AL
- Small Varsity Coed Game Day: Archbishop Shaw High School | Marrero, LA
Dance Team Large Varsity winners included:
- Large Varsity Hip Hop: Coral Reef High School | Miami, FL
- Large Varsity Pom: Millard North High School | Omaha, NE
- Large Varsity Jazz: Coral Reef High School | Miami, FL
- Large Varsity Game Day: Teurlings Catholic High School | Lafayette, LA
Dance Team Varsity High Kick winner:
Varsity High Kick: West Fargo High School | West Fargo, ND
Dance Team Medium Varsity winners included:
- Medium Varsity Hip Hop: Seton High School | Cincinnati, OH
- Medium Varsity Pom: St. Thomas More Catholic School | Lafayette, LA
- Medium Varsity Jazz: St. Thomas More Catholic School | Lafayette, LA
- Medium Varsity Game Day: Los Alamitos High School | Los Alamitos, CA
Dance Team Small Varsity winners included:
- Small Varsity Hip Hop: Peters Township High School | McMurray, PA
- Small Varsity Pom: St. Ursula Academy |Toledo, OH
- Small Varsity Jazz: Los Alamitos High School | Los Alamitos, CA
- Small Varsity Game Day: Station Camp High School | Gallatin, TN
Nearly 80,000 attended the national championship events, with performances at six venues within the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World® Resort, including The Arena, the first facility in the world designed specifically for cheer and dance competitions.
The Universal Cheerleaders Association and Universal Dance Association are dedicated to the safe and responsible practice of cheerleading and dance, and all teams participating in the National High School Cheerleading and Dance Team Championships comply with the USA Cheer Safety & Risk Management guidelines.
Media Contacts:
Sheila Noone
Varsity Spirit
snoone@varsity.com
901-251-5959
Samantha Coulombe
Rubenstein PR
scoulombe@rubensteinpr.com
212-805-3081
About Varsity Spirit
Memphis-based Varsity Spirit, the driving force behind cheerleading’s dynamic transformation into the high-energy, athletic activity it is today, is the leading global source for all things spirit, including cheerleading, dance team and performing arts. A division of Varsity Brands, Varsity Spirit is a leader in uniform innovation, as well as educational camps, clinics and competitions, impacting more than a million athletes each year. Focused on safety, entertainment and traditional school leadership, Varsity Spirit’s 5,000+ employees have been dedicated to celebrating school spirit through its brands since 1974. For more information about Varsity Spirit or Varsity Brands, please visit varsity.com or varsitybrands.com.
About Varsity Brands
With a mission to inspire achievement and create memorable experiences for young people, Varsity Brands elevates the student experience, promotes participation and celebrates achievement through three unique but interrelated businesses: BSN SPORTS, a Varsity Sport Brand; Varsity Spirit; and Herff Jones, A Varsity Achievement Brand. Together, these assets promote personal, school and community pride through their customizable products and programs to elementary and middle schools, high schools, and colleges and universities, as well as church organizations, professional and collegiate sports teams and corporations. Through its 8,600 dedicated employees and independent representatives, Varsity Brands reaches its individual and institutional customers each year via catalog, telesales, e-commerce sites and direct sales channels.
SOURCE Varsity Spirit
Related Links
OPENING PHOTO fcielitecompetitor.com fciwomenswrestling2.com articles, femcompetitor.com articles, Netflix photo credit
http://www.activenetworkrewards.com/AssetFactory.aspx?did=356
https://www.netflix.com/title/81039393
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheer_Squad
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_Cowboys_Cheerleaders:_Making_the_Team
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