Zeeland West hopes cheerleading skill set
transfers from sideline

Sunday,
December 24, 2006

By
Steve Vedder

The Grand Rapids Press

Zeeland West coach Jessica
Carriker doesn't see a great deal of difference
between sideline and competitive cheer. If an athlete is adept in one, it's
not a huge leap to assume that talent can carry over to the other.

That's the hope for the
new Zeeland West competitive cheer team.

Carriker said the first-year program will
rely heavily on girls with experience on Zeeland's
sideline cheer team. When Zeeland split into
two schools, both opted to field competitive cheer teams this winter.

Carriker said the sideline experience
should provide the new team with a jump start.

"Last year we kind of
ran the program as competitive cheer even though we didn't compete," she
said. "We'll have to make an adjustment to be a little more athletic
because there are different stunts. But there won't be a drastic change. I
think they will become more athletic. It hasn't been a tough transition so
far. The kids have adjusted well."

The team opens its
six-meet schedule Jan. 11 at Mona
Shores.

There are 17 on the team,
but it will be young. There are seven freshmen and two sophomores, Carriker said.

"It means we'll have
kids around for a few years," she said. "But it's also nice to have
upperclassmen because they've cheered before. But competitive cheer is
competitive cheer and some have never done it before."

Among the more experienced
performers are juniors Megan Strik and Melissa Kamps, who have extensive sideline experience.

Carriker likes the idea of a shortened
schedule in the program's first year. But while there are six meets, the team
practices two hours a day five days a week. Zeeland West intends to have
three-hour practices over Christmas break.

"You don't want to overload
and turn the girls off," she said. "But we are putting a lot of
time and effort into it."