Staff Photo by Laura-Chase McGehee/Chattanooga Times Free Press/ Jan 15, 2011 – Katelynn Clark, right, has copious amounts of glitter applied to her eyelids by her sister and teammate Ashlynn Clark. Both girls compete for the High Fly, Trussville, AL based cheer team. The Athletic National Championship cheer and dance competition was held at the Chattanooga Convention Center on Saturday and continues through Sunday.It takes years to learn the moves and months to perfect the choreography for an explosive two-and-a-half minute cheer routine.
It’ll take just a few hours today for judges to decide who’s the best at the Athletic National Championship cheer and dance competition.
Chattanooga has been playing host to about 3,800 cheerleaders and their families from around the Southeast since Friday. After 12 hours of cheering Saturday and another 12 planned for today, only a few of the 93 teams will walk away with trophies.
“I’m getting kinda nervous,” said Grayson Maynard, a 15-year-old cheerleader for Chattanooga’s RAH cheerleading program.
The four-year cheer veteran said that when she started, it took about a year of two-hour practices two or three times a week to perfect all her moves.
“It takes a lot of time commitment, keeping up with grades and everything else,” she said.
Anna Lawson, Grayson’s 17-year-old teammate and a first-year competitive cheerleader, said it took her three years and a lot of bruises to perfect a whole slew of jumps, twists and handsprings.
IF YOU GOWhat: Athletic National Championship cheer and dance competitionWhen: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. todayWhere: Chattanooga Convention Center, 1 Carter PlazaAdmission: $15 adults, $10 ages 5-10Website: www.athleticchampionships.com
“It is dangerous, but it’s a lot of fun,” she said.
Amanda cheered for her school’s football team for four years before joining the competitive squad at RAH. She said she loves her new sport and plans to continue with it.
Lance Sawyer coached cheerleading for 11 years before becoming a head coach for RAH when it opened six months ago. He said coaching is always entertaining and he’s proud of the way his teams were performing Saturday.
“They’re athletes,” he said. “You’ve got to be smart, strong [and] have agility to be able to do what they do.”
Chelsea Mitchell, another one of RAH’s head coaches, said she hopes to inspire the girls when she and three other coaches put on a two-minute routine of back-to-back tricks today.
“It gives the kids something to kind of look up to and be like, ‘Wow, that’s what we can do,'” she said.
Brian Elza, brand manager of the championship, said he’s been impressed with the cheer routines he’s seen and expects a close competition.
“They all have certain elements that are unique to their teams,” he said. “It’s how they can put that on the floor and make themselves stand out.”
