What can you do in two minutes and 30 seconds?
That might not sound like a lot of time, but more than 6,000 cheerleaders coming to Chattanooga this weekend can tell you it’s enough to make you sweat.
“I’ve played just about every sport there is and done just about everything there is to do, but a two-minute-and-30-second routine can just really, really wear on your body,” said Andy Quattrochi, manager and head instructor at United Cheerleading Inc. in Hixson.
This weekend, United Cheerleading is sending one of its squads to the Chattanooga Convention Center to compete alongside the 174 other teams vying for a top spot at the Athletic Championships cheer and dance competition.
Athletic Championships is a Knoxville-based cheerleading and dance company that holds 15 national championships each year.
“Chattanooga is always one of our larger events,” said Brian Elza, brand manager for the company. “The city really rolls out the red carpet for us.”
Cheerleaders, friends and family members in town this weekend also are expected to bring an estimated $3.2 million in revenue to the city, according to the Chattanooga Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Candace Davis, marketing and public relations manager for the organization, said the competition is one of the city’s larger events. With more than 7,500 people estimated to attend, many local hotels are booked and restaurants are preparing for big crowds, she said.
“It’s going to be great for us,” said Richard Pauley, director of sales and marketing for The Chattanoogan hotel. “Sitting right beside the Convention Center really helps. This is a great piece of business we always count on in January, which is a low-occupancy month. It hits at the perfect time.”
Local restaurant owners and managers also are gearing up for the multitude of visitors.
“We’re anticipating a tremendous amount of business,” said Gary Haworth, general manager of City Café Diner, located a block away from the Convention Center.
sport or not?
Julianne Wilson, a senior at Girls Preparatory School in Chattanooga, said she wrote her college entrance essay on why cheerleading is a sport. She said it requires as much strength and athleticism as any other sport, and cheerleaders have the same goal as any other competitor: Winning.
“Our guys have to do the same workouts that any other sports guys do,” said the 17-year-old, who cheers for the Blue Crew, a co-ed team made up of GPS and McCallie students. “They have to have the strength to lift girls above their heads.”
Renegade Athletics, a cheerleading gym in Calhoun, Ga., is sending two of its five all-star teams to the competition this weekend. Melanie Evans, coach of the gym’s special-needs team the Shooting Stars, said the teams prepare by putting in extra hours practicing the week before a competition.
“They’re ultra-competitive,” she said of the 10 team members ages 9 to 21 who make up the Shooting Stars. “Disability-wise they run the gamut from Down syndrome to autism. They are all amazing athletes.”
FAST FACTS/ELEMENTS* A sign stating “No body glitter spray allowed in facility” is posted inside the Chattanooga Convention Center.* In the U.S. alone, there are an estimated 3 million cheerleaders and 70,000 cheerleading coaches.* Cheerleading has caused more catastrophic injuries in high school students than ice hockey, baseball, basketball and lacrosse.* With new uniforms, shoes, warm ups and competition fees, cheerleading can cost as much as $1,500 to $2,500 per year.* There were 2,147 male high school cheerleaders in 2006.Source: American Association of Cheerleading Coaches & Administrators; United Cheerleading Inc.; National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury ResearchIF YOU GOThe event is open to the public. A one-day pass costs $15 for adults and $12 for children and seniors. A two-day pass costs $25 for adults, $20 for children and seniors. Children 4 and under get in free.Athletic Championships is asking that those planning to attend print a schedule of events before coming to the convention center. Several schedules will be posted in and around the center, but all others will be sold for $1 at the admissions desk.For more information or to print the event schedule, visit www.athleticchampionships.com.
The varsity cheerleaders at Walker Valley High School in Cleveland, Tenn., are among the few high school teams performing in this weekend’s competition, the only school team championship in the Athletic Championships series. Although there are separate divisions for high school and all-star teams, the disparities in rules between the two can be an obstacle for high school teams.
“There are different rules we have to hold to,” said Walker Valley cheerleading coach Erin Rains. “A lot of the stunts the all-stars put on are illegal for us.”
The American Association of Cheerleading Coaches & Administrators sets forth safety rules for high school and college cheerleaders and doesn’t allow high school teams to do some of the high-flying or flipping stunts that give the audience — and judges — more of a “wow factor.”
But even with strict safety guidelines, competitive cheerleaders often suffer injuries such as torn-up knees, broken wrists or knocked-out teeth.
Miss Wilson said she broke her hand cheerleading about two years ago.
“Just like with any other athletic activity, there’s always that chance (of injury),” she said. “It’s nerve-racking to be upside down in the middle of the air doing flips and twists. There’s not that many other sports where you’re relying on other people to catch you.”