Cheer: No longer a sideline show

Originally published February 1, 2007

By Jeff Theisen

NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Novi head cheerleading coach
Emily Parker was on her way to the Michigan Cheerleading Coaches Association
state finals 13 years ago.

The routine Parker's
team performed at state, she said her current team could probably learn in a
day.

Parker said in
1994, her team thought it was cool if they could perform back walkovers. In
1997, the entire team could do back walkovers. In 2004, the whole team could
do backhand springs and they could all do backhand walkovers.

Now, the team
can perform backhand tucks, springs and walkovers.

"It's
very quick how it's happening," Parker said. "It's not just our
school. The programs all over the state are growing like crazy."

MHSAA takes over

Competitive
cheer has exploded with changes since her time at the 1994 state meet. The
MCCA is still around, but it no longer hosts a state finals. The Michigan
High School Athletic Association has taken over the state meet and brought in
a clear set of rules — one of many things that have changed the
cheerleading world.

"I was like,
'Yea! We got first place.' But I wasn't sure why," Parker said. "I
never understood why we scored what we scored. I don't think the fans
understood.

"Now,
there are very clear, specific guidelines. I can look at a team and say they
got this many deductions. I can on my own figure out the score. It's not
based on opinion anymore. It's a lot like gymnastics."

While a clear
definition of how meets are scored has changed the sport for the better, the
routines are a far cry from Parker's days in Novi
green and white.

"I went
to the state meet twice, and the hardest stunt we did my freshmen can do
now," Parker said. "It's called a cupie,
and they're up in the air with their feet together. We thought that was so
exciting that we did that at the state meet.

"Now my
girls can shoot through the air. They can twist. We're allowed to do so much
more than we ever were."

Parker said
the biggest reason for the girls getting better and better is they come into
high school with a lot more skill because of the feeder programs.

Novi has cheerleading in the middle schools, and the coaches
there are teaching the same basic maneuvers as the high schools. The skill
level is much lower, but they know the basics at an early age. This allows
Parker and the other high school coaches to teach at a higher level once they
arrive as freshmen.

"There
was no competitive middle school cheer (in 1994)," Parker said. "We
have worked very hard to be a seventh (grade) through 12th program.

"This
year, our middle school teams competed six times. They have two tryouts. They
have a sideline team for fall (football). They retryout
again in November, just like we do. They do the same format, just like we do, only our middle school teams only have two rounds.

Seeking state

Parker became
the coach at Novi in 2004 — the last
time the Wildcats have been to the MHSAA state meet.

The lone
holdover from the 2004 team is senior Tori Roney, who was then a freshman.

"It was
really great," Roney said. "You see a lot
of amazing teams. I wanted to go back every year."

Novi has not
made it back since, but Roney believes her Novi career will end with another trip to the biggest
stage.

"We're
going to make it to states," she said. "We have amazing tucks.

"I have
one (state) patch on my one (varsity coat) arm. The joke is I need another
one so I can even it out. It would be really special."

To qualify, a
team has to be one of the top two teams at the regional meet. Novi has already faced several teams from regional and
will compete against some others before it really counts.

Parker knows
her team will have to earn it, but she thinks this team has what it takes to
make it.

"We have
not qualified the past two years," Parker said. "This year, we're
going for it again. They are better than they've ever been."

The rise of
cheerleading as a competitive sport is very exciting for Parker. But she
hopes the team stays in Novi hands when she
is ready to hand off the program.

"I hope
that one of these kids that I coach right now will take this program and do
things so that when I come back and come to competitions one day with my kids
and say 'oh my gosh. I can't believe what they can do,'" Parker said.
"