October 6, 2004
WSH clinic something to cheer about
108 elementary girls attend Junior Cheer Clinic hosted by West cheerleading squad
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
The gym of Traverse City West High School hummed with enthusiasm Saturday as 108 elementary age girls learned the basics of cheerleading.
Members of the West High School cheerleading squad hosted the Junior Cheer Clinic, led by both varsity and junior varsity cheerleaders. The West cheerleaders demonstrated some of their cheers and stunts before dividing the attendees into groups by grade level. Each group rotated among a series of stations where members of the West squad taught different cheers, dances and jumps.
Many of the younger girls had stars in their eyes as they watched the older cheerleaders and tried to recreate their moves.
"I want to be a cheerleader," said Sarah Kyser, 7, a second-grade student at Norris Elementary School and a first-time attendee of the clinic. "It looks like fun."
Clinic participants will present a cheer Thursday night during the junior varsity football game between West and Petoskey High School at Thirlby Field.
"About 108 of them will go outside on the big football field to cheer," said Erin Sannes, coach of the West High School cheerleading squad. "We do it during the junior varsity game because you get more parents and are promoting the junior varsity team. They [the girls] seem ready."
Some of the current Titan cheerleaders got started at the Junior Cheer Clinics. Sam Niedzwiecki, an 11th grade student at West High School, attended one when she was in elementary school. Now cheering for the Titans, she remembers how she admired the 'big girls' and their cool cheerleading outfits and moves.
"When I came here I know I looked up to the cheerleaders so much," she said. "It's cool to be a role model."
Bailey Ankerson, a senior at West High School and member of the varsity cheerleading squad, attended the Junior Cheer Clinic in the sixth grade.
"I've always wanted to be a cheerleader," said Ankerson, who brought her three little sisters to the clinic. "Now it's neat to come here and see all the little kids, we get really cute questions."
Six members of the Pop Warner football program cheerleading squad arrived late to the Junior Cheer Clinic, coming after their on-field duties ended late that morning. Despite their experience, these cheerleaders were eager to learn more.
"I hope to learn some new things," said Morgan Swartout, a fifth-grade student at the Grand Traverse Academy. "Cheerleading is a lot of fun, it's exciting."
The Titan cheerleaders host the Junior Cheer Clinic two times a year, drawing elementary age girls from around the region. Sannes, a former West cheerleader, said the event keeps girls interested in and aware of the sport of cheerleading as well as promotes school spirit in general.
"I'm hoping to accomplish more community involvement as far as getting kids involved and increasing school spirit in all the elementary schools," said Sannes, a 2000 West High School graduate. "I'm looking forward to when they get to high school they might want to cheer."
"I know my nieces are in elementary school and they just think it is great they can do something like this," she noted.
Sannes said that at this time, the Titan Junior Cheer Clinic is the only one of its kind in the area. She begins planning for the clinic months ahead of time and her cheerleaders help choose what they will teach the younger girls.
The goal by the end of the clinic is a one-minute routine to present at Thursday's game.
"It is a broad range of what they learn," said Sannes. "Especially now that cheerleading has become more competitive - it is more of a sport, not just standing on the sidelines."