Soddy-Daisy High School cheerleader Tava Hill stands with the team’s banner for their NCA championship victory. Hill was on last year’s team that won the championship as well.The Soddy-Daisy High School cheerleading squad recently returned from Dallas, Texas, as back-to-back National Cheerleaders Association champions in their division. The team outperformed 10 other schools for the win. Teams from all over the country, including Hawaii competed in the championship.
“We’re practically a year-round sport, so the girls didn’t get much of a break last year after they won,” said SDHS cheerleading coach Anita Newsom. “I’ve seen teams sit on their laurels once they’d been a national champion, but we just believed the work was worth it.”
Cheerleading has, by far, the highest rate of injury for participants of any high school sport, according to the Washington Post and the United States Sports Academy. Newsom she was especially proud of her team for dealing with injuries and illnesses while maintaining their skill and GPA throughout the school year.
They will be looking for a three-peat next year, she added.
“In the end it’s 100 percent worth it,” said Newsom. “We just keep our eyes on the prize.”