Three cheers for the cheerleaders.
Kids ages five to 18 leapt and tumbled and clapped while trying out cheers at the Snowleopards Cheerleading clinic Sunday in Orillia.
“I like it,” said Sophie Hoy, 11. “It’s really fun. People here are really happy and joyful and that spreads to you and you get to be less shy.”
The Oro-Medonte girl decided to come check out the clinic because of her friend, Addison Ayers, who is on the team.
“It’s fun,” said Ayers, 11. “You make bonds with all the kids on the team.
“It makes me more outgoing,” added the Orillia resident, “and it makes you stronger.”
That’s because the cheerleaders are put through rigorous training, explained trainer Teanna Larmand.
“We always practise high endurance and high cardio, so they do a lot of burpees and push-ups, and they always have to run,” she said.
Other than that, Larmand said, she likes to make sure team spirit is central to the experience.
“I really like to provide the team atmosphere that's kind of lacking nowadays,” she said, adding the kids learn motivation, independence and teamwork.
“I've been cheerleading since I was four,” said Larmand. “It has definitely taught me to be supportive of everybody and to always try your hardest. It's one of those sports that beats you down a little bit, but you learn to get through it.”
She said kids coming to try cheerleading at the clinic could then come back for tryouts on May 26, and that’s when they try out for a team.
Cheerleading works for kids of various abilities, Larmand said.
“You don't have to have any experience; you don't have to be flexible,” she said. “We train (the kids) twice a week. One training (session) is 45 minutes spent on flexibility training and conditioning.”
For more information, visit the Snowleopards Cheerleading Facebook page.
