The days of cheerleaders being restricted to waving pom-pons on the sideline of football games are long since passed. Today, the popularity of competitive cheerleading is sweeping the nation, just as its amateur championship swept Baltimore?s Inner Harbor over the weekend.
In the first-ever Nation?s Leading Cheerleading Companies Final Destination at 1st Mariner Arena, 261 teams from 27 states competed hoping to claim the top spot in the eight categories determined by age and level of competition.
“I think it?s just so wonderful for people who have this image of cheerleaders as cute girls in short skirts to really see the level of excellence that these teams displayed,” said American Cheer and Dance Academy President Cathy Stamper.
The event, which Stamper said exceeded all expectations, featured competitors from ages 3 to 38.
“It was our dream to bring together a true championship that would represent a large portion of the United States,” she said.
One of the unique aspects of the event is that six of the biggest cheerleading companies in the country, most of which are in direct competition with each other, came together to create Final Destination: American Cheer Power, AmeriCheer, Eastern Cheerleaders Association, American Cheer and Dance Academy, Spirit Unlimited, and Cheer America.
“I think [Final Destination] takes competitive cheerleading to a whole new level [of exposure],” Spirit Unlimited CFO Tina Simijoski said. “It?s acknowledging all levels of competition.”
Each company has five qualifying events nationwide, and the highest-scoring teams receive a Final Destination bid.
Two companies had all of their teams qualify.
One was a local team from Millersville, Cheer Thunder.
“It?s pretty exciting, since we?re one of two companies to have every team qualify and all the parents can come to the event,” said Mary Talbot.
Talbot is the coach of the 12-14-year-old team and a competitor for the 17-and-up team.
Her mother, Jodie Talbot, is the coach of the junior prep team and the coed open team.
She agreed the weekend had been very exciting and said the fact that the event is so close to home only sweetens the deal.
The best feature about participating in this cheerleading competition, according to American Cheer and Dance Academy co-owner Mike Stamper, who is Cathy?s husband, is that those teams proven to be among the best now have a chance to see where they stack up nationally.
“For years, cheerleaders didn?t have any avenue to show how good they actually are,” he said.
Portions of the profits were given to St. Jude?s for children with cancer.
