It feels like it was just yesterday –I was waiting outside the red brick middle school building, seated on a bright blue park bench. It had been hours since my middle school tryout had ended and an anxious group of girls hovered outside the glass doors where the results were promised to be posted. Some cartwheeled around and chatted, while others watched nervously from their seats. And like magic, a white sheet of paper had appeared out of nowhere with the results of the tryout. Screams and cheers were soon to follow - announcing the success of the girls in front of me. I made my way through the crowd to see the results for myself. I scanned the list over and over again, expecting to see my name. It wasn’t there.
Read MoreYesterday was our last day of full practices here at the hotel before leaving to go see Mickey at the All-Star Music Resort! Practices have been going great for both Coed and All Girl and the routines are finally set. Coed has been going strong and we’re finally to the point of trying to be perfect with every motion, stunt, pyramid and basket!
Read MoreThe time has come for our “Super Friends” to meet again! My name is Anthony Reisch and I’m so happy to be able to represent our country at the 2013 ICU Championships with Team USA Coed for my third year. There’s a lot of new faces and great talent on the team this year and I couldn’t be more pleased to get to work with all of these athletes.
Read MoreI can’t believe it is already April and I am back in Orlando training for Team USA! This will be my third year to have the opportunity to represent my country and I am thrilled to be back! Even though I’ve been here before, these next two weeks are a little bit different for me because this year I tried out for the All Girl team instead of Coed. I am looking forward to this change and getting to work with and learn from the most talented cheerleaders/coaches in the country.
Read MoreSeverely injured in a car accident a few months ago, All Star cheerleader, Micah, decided to respond to his adversity with ambition and an unwavering sense of hope. At the bottom of a very crowded goal list Micah added - “go to Dallas for Cheer Competition.”
Read MorePierce Athletics is hosting an open gym where they will be conducting a pop-tab, aluminum can and NEW toy drive for the Ronald McDonald House of Eastern Wisconsin and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin! The drive is going on now until the big event on April 22 from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m.
Read MoreIt’s time to start seeing cheerleaders differently. Sarah Cronk created The Sparkle Effect to help break through stereotypes and demonstrate the power of peer acceptance. She grew up in Bettendorf, Iowa watching her older brother struggle to fit in because of his disabilities. After seeing how one act of kindness changed his life, she decided that she needed to spread some cheer of her own
Read MoreIf I could make a list of the top 10 things I love about cheerleading, trying out would NOT be one of them! We all know that nervous feeling we get when we try out, but who says you can’t walk into your tryout prepared and confident? No matter what kind of cheerleading team you’re trying out for, here are some tips for you to enter your tryout with confidence and leave with no regrets!
Read MoreFirst, we traveled to where we will be staying - which is within walking distance of the Olympic Village-- Michael Phelps and Gabby Douglas are soo close! After settling in we headed to pick up our Olympic Credentials; while getting our ID's made, we were not allowed to smile in our pictures, which was not easy for any of us due to all the excitement!
Read MoreThe Sparkle Effect has been hard at work touring the nation’s largest cheerleading and dance camps, and we’re having an absolute blast! So far, we’ve hit up camps in Colorado, Texas, Illinois, Florida, Missouri, and Arizona with our new Are you IN campaign. The welcome has been incredibly warm. UDA staff members at Tan-Tar-A resort in Missouri even rocked our Are you IN t-shirts during their opening demos!
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