All Star Cheerleading Squads in the Southern New Jersey Area

As I stated in my previous post, there are All Star Cheerleading teams all over the US. Below are a few that I found in the Central New Jersey area and towards the South. Again, I have included some information that I believe is helpful when trying to find the right All Star Cheerleading team for you, or your child.

Hamilton Starz All Star Cheerleading is located in Hamilton, New Jersey. They offer teams ranging in ages from 5 to 18 and offer levels 1-5. Each teams practice schedule depends on what team the child is on.

Their goal is clearly stated on their website saying:

The Hamilton Starz All Star Cheerleading is in its 7th year as a competitive All Star Organization and the first ever All Star Cheerleading team in Hamilton, New Jersey. We pride ourselves on one major factor, that we are all one family, doing what we love to do best, CHEER!

For more information please visit www.hamiltonstarz.com or call 609-737-6900.

TNT All Star Cheerleading is located in Maple Shade, New Jersey. They offer teams from Tinys, to Youth, to Junior, & Seniors. Each teams practice depends on what team the child is on. Their website also gives information about their cheerleading competitions and past competition results, as well as fundraisers the teams do.

Their goal on their website states:

Our program not only stresses high athletic expectations and excellence, but leadership, responsibility and commitment to themselves, their squad, and the organization. In doing so, we strive to create extraordinary athletes which we hope will translate into extraordinary individuals.

For more information please visit www.tntallstars.com or call 856-273-8388.

Most All Star Cheerleading programs have a website that allows you to do some basic research, and offer you contact information if you'd like further information. I hope that the few teams I pointed out are helpful in finding a team that is the perfect fit.

All Star Cheerleading Squads in the Northern New Jersey Area

Since All Star Cheerleading is becoming so popular today, I decided to do a little research and find a couple teams located in the Central New Jersey area and up towards the North. Below is some vital information on each team, and I have also included the website and phone number if you are interested in finding out more detailed information.

NJ Cheer Force is located in Toms River, New Jersey. They offer teams like Minis, Juniors, and Seniors. The days their teams practice are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday, but the days depend on what team your child is on. The goal of this program is stated on their website saying:

New Jersey Cheer Force encompasses the idea of training individuals to become a well rounded and respected athlete in a sport that incorporates a competitive nature and a positive attitude. NJCF wants to offer the highest quality cheer program with the most knowledgeable staff at the most affordable rates.

For more information please visit www.njcheerforce.com or call (732) 240-5222.

NJ Heat is located in Edison, New Jersey. The teams they offer are Minis, Youth, Junior, and Senior Co-Ed. Their teams practice Monday through Saturday, but not every team practices every day it depends on what team your child is on. On the website it also shows fundraising opportunities, Sponsors of NJ Heat, as well as their competition schedule & results of past competitions. Their goal is stated on their website:

Our goal, both individually and through teamwork, is to gain physical fitness in a safe environment, to build self esteem and self-confidence as well as trust in each other, to instill good sportsmanship in our participants and most importantly, to have fun.

For more information please visit www.njheatallstars.com or call 908-769-8746.

There are a ton of All Star Cheerleading teams throughout New Jersey and the US, but I hope that these two will be able to get you started and give you and idea as to what you are looking for.

NCA vs UCA

In the cheerleading world there are two popular types of cheerleading associations. They are NCA, the National Cheerleader’s Association, and UCA, the Universal Cheerleader’s Association.

NCA was the first cheerleading association, founded in 1948 by Lawrence “Herkie” Herkimer. (Herkie is in quotations because this is a popular jump in cheerleading). The NCA continues to lead the way with new Camp curriculum, industry-leading Championships and Special Events that reward the hard-working, well-rounded cheerleaders in America today. NCA’s goal is:

Our commitment to the development of excellence is recognized as we teach leadership development, strong support of school athletic teams, pursuit of skills excellence and safety, and the always important teamwork. These core principles are the fundamentals necessary for each young athlete to act with integrity, inspire excellence in others, and become the leaders of tomorrow.

*Visit http://www.nationalspirit.com/ for more information.

UCA was founded in 1974 by Jeff Webb. In the associations first year they held 24 camps in the Midwest and the South during the summer of 1975. UCA is also the founding member of the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators. (This is the organization I was able to do a Q & A with recently). UCA’s goal is:

UCA wants to inspire leadership on and off the field. All of UCA’s material and programs are centrally focused on the traditional role of cheerleading. UCA believes that the primary purpose of a cheerleader is to support athletic programs and lead the crowd before and during games. Cheerleaders play an instrumental role in raising, leading and maintaining school spirit in and around their communities. In short, they are leaders in building general morale at their school!

*Visit http://uca.varsity.com/default.aspx for more information.

Both the NCA and UCA associations give cheerleaders around the world the chance to work hard, learn more, and participate in many camps and competitions.

Q & A with Mr. Jim Lord

Jim Lord, was a former cheerleader in college for Kentucky, and now works for the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators (AACCA). The AACCA is a non-profit educational association which provides safety certification and training for coaches. The website provides an entire page dedicated to “Cheerleading as a Sport”.

I recently interviewed Lord on his thoughts about “Cheerleading as a Sport”.

Q: What is the definition of a sport, for other people?

A: People believe the meaning of the word sport is when you are competing against another person or another team. On the topic of cheerleading, then competition teams would be considered a sport. But as far as cheering on the sidelines and leading the crowd in timeout entertainment for your school then that is not considered a sport because there is no competition. Although cheerleading is better than the term sport because it is athletic, you represent your school as leaders, and sometimes cheerleaders are more recognized on campus than the average athlete.

Q: Do you feel that cheerleading is a sport?

A: Not necessarily, because the term sport means different things to different people. To cheerleaders and coaches we’re athletes and cheerleading is extremely athletic. The physical demands of cheerleading are sometimes more demanding than some other sports. So in that respect cheerleading is a sport because they work just as hard and want the same recognition as all of the other athletic teams.

Q: What are the components of cheerleading, in order to consider it a sport?

A: Whether or not if the team is competing will decide if they are considered a sport or not. In just two minutes and thirty seconds, your routine has to showcase everything you have from stunts, to tumbling, to jumps and dancing. A cheerleader’s practice schedule is rigorous and demanding mentally as well as physically with the risk of possible injury at any time if one person is not focused.

Q: How has cheerleading changed through the years to make it considered more a sport?

A: There has been an increase in non-school cheerleading programs. Competition teams are attending more competitions and the competitive side focuses on athleticism, limited time, limited space, and restrictions for different teams on the mat. The purpose of a competition is to show case what they can do with the use of an entire mat for two minutes and thirty seconds.

Q: All athletes are required to train, what types of training are cheerleader’s mainly required to do?

A: In college cheerleading there is a lot of physical training involved. Cheerleader’s are required to train and lift in the weight room a couple times a week as well as attend practices. At practice cheerleader’s are require to stretch before practice as their warm up for stunts, jumps, and tumbling. And sometimes at the end of practice there is conditioning to help them build muscle and endurance even though they are tires. At practice the physical demands are high in order to prepare for games and competitions.

Q: On your website there is an entire page dedicated to “Cheerleading as a Sport”, what did you want to accomplish from this?

A: It was brought to our attention that cheerleaders really had no idea what the term sport meant, so we hoped that this would help to show what they were looking for. The term “sport” from a state standpoint does not give a cheerleading team everything they want. It gives you restrictions on when you can and can not practice, where you can go to compete, and there are even transfer rules for students who are transferring in and wish to be eligible to cheer. Cheerleaders should make sure they are doing their job first and not be so concerned with the term sport.

Q: Why do you feel it is important to defend cheerleading as a sport?

A: This question is easy on the surface, specifically regarded to title 9. Sometimes yes and sometimes no. Cheerleaders want recognition, support, and they want people to realize how hard it is to do what we do. Cheerleading takes hard work, dedication, and there are always safety concerns so you have to be alert at all times. The “sport” issue goes away if recognition is shown and support is given, the team has the same type of access to facilities as other athletes, they have experienced coaches, and they are given financial support. Cheerleader’s give the same amount of time and effort as other athletes do on scholarship.

Q: Do you feel that cheerleading has become more respected throughout the years?

A: Yes and no. More and more people are recognizing the athletic ability needed in order to participate in cheerleading. But there will always be people who see cheerleading as the stereotypes. This is helped by the media who portrays this in movies and television shows. It also can come down to what you knew growing up in high school. If you were or were not friends with people on the cheerleading team you then transfer that idea to every other cheerleader you come across.

For more information visit www.aacca.org or call 1-800-533-6583.

Competition Cheerleading

Competition cheerleading, like every sport, involves a lot of preparation, hard work, and team work in order to compete against, and hopefully beat, teams of your same level. As I stated before there are many parts to a competition routine, and if you are missing even one of them then you get a deduction on your score in competitions. The flyers' jobs are to be tight and hit their tricks, but also give the look of ease and that they are having fun. It is a requirement for flyers to be flexible in order to do most one-legged stunts like heal stretches, scorpions, and arabasques. The bases do exactly what it sounds like they do, they are the 'ground' the flyer stands on. It is important for bases to use their legs and not just their arms to muscle up the stunts, and their arms must also be locked out so the flyers are sturdy.

The pyramids require extreme team work because it almost always involves the entire team. This is where all the flyers connect and do stunts together. The cheer involves a lot of motions, that must also be hit hard in order to get the visual and for the cheer to look clean. The tumbling section is where the crowd can be amazed by running tumbling, like round off handspring tuck or full, as well as standing tumbling, like handsprings or tucks. The dance is the crowd pleaser where the team gets to have fun and give it all they got for the judges. Each section of the routine is scored separately. And like most sports, it is very likely that some teams are better in one areas then another.

The University of Louisville is probably one of the best examples of cheerleading as a sport! Watch the video, located on the side bar, and see for yourself.

The Controversy

The battle of whether Cheerleading is or is not a sport has been going on for years. Some may argue that because it does not involve a ball it is not a sport. Although the true definition of a sport is "an athletic activity requiring skill or physical ability and often of a competitive nature". No where in the definition does it state that a sport requires the use of a ball. What about boxing and karate for example?

Any cheerleader will tell you that this sport requires focus, dedication, and athleticism. Many high school and college cheerleaders practice just as much, if not more than some other sports. During practice they create routines for time outs when cheering at football and/or basketball games as crowd pleasers. Timeouts may include a cheer with motions, jumps, a pyramid or two, a bunch of one legged stunts, or a dance, not all in one of course. As for competitions the practice is much harder with more difficult stunts and tumbling passes to please the judges. In a competition routine there are one legged stunts, pyramids, jumps, a dance, tumbling, and basket tosses, which has to be done in just two and a half minutes! In order to do a routine you must have stamina to jump, tumble, and cheer throughout the whole thing, as well as strength to hold and throw people up in the air. While the three or four people (called bases) are holding the one (flyer) in the air, the flyer is required to do tricks while the bases can not move.
In some highschools there is something called powderpuff which is where the boys become the cheerleaders and the girls become the football players. Well every year after powderpuff was over, the boys who took part in it had a new respect for the cheerleaders and came to realize just how hard cheerleading really is. Many more people around the world are recognizing cheerleading as a sport as more and more young girls, and some boys, join cheerleading. There have been many articles written about this controversy throughout the years, but I found one in particluar that I really liked on msnbc's website.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26293199/


In highschool we had a saying, "Real athletes lift people, Not weights!" And although everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I think it is pretty clear that cheerleading is in fact a sport.