Jenison's Nora Adams brings
international experience to cheer squad

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

By
Dean Holzwarth

The Grand Rapids Press

The
television set in Nora Adams' home country of Germany is where she first discovered
cheerleading.

The
2000 teen flick "Bring It On" first piqued Adams' interest. It was one of the
first movies she watched that depicted competitive cheerleading.

"We
have cheerleading in Germany, but it is a minority," Adams said. "I watched a lot of
American movies that had cheerleading and football, and I thought it looked
really cool. I wanted to do it."

Adams is getting her first taste of competitive cheer as a senior on Jenison's squad.

She is
a foreign-exchange student from Germany, and her host family is the VanderMeers. Marcy VanderMeer,
a junior on the team, encouraged Adams to try out.

"She
got me interested in trying out, and I figured I couldn't really lose, so I
tried out," Adams said. "I was so happy when I made the team. I was excited and it
was great."

Adams had no prior knowledge of competitive cheer, but does have a
background in gymnastics. She has competed in gymnastics for eight years.

"This
was my first time trying to do it," Adams said of cheer. "I can do
some jumps and tumbling, but everything else is totally new to me. It's just
a new experience for me."

Jenison coach Wendy Kenney could see Adams had raw talent, despite her
inexperience.

Kenney
gave her a shot, and currently has her competing in round three as a
back-spot.

"I
didn't know if I could put her in a round because she had no knowledge of
cheer as far as hand motions and the technical parts," Kenney said.
"I didn't know if I could use her right away, but she's in round three
and she's practicing for the other rounds. She has a good chance of being in
them by the end of the year."

Adams had the ability to do a few skills -- a standing back-handspring and
back-walkover -- but she had other qualities that helped.

"She's
strong, and she's a fast learner," Kenney said. "I thought she
would be a great asset to the team, and I thought it would be a great
experience for her and the rest of the team."

Adams had typical jitters in her first practice.

"I
was really nervous, but I tried my best," Adams said. "I think things are
going pretty good, but I know I have to work much harder than the other girls
because I don't know the basics.

"I
think I'm improving, and I'm working really hard to keep up with my
teammates."

Adams' teammates have accepted her, and are willing to lend a hand.

"They're
all encouraging," Kenney said. "They pull her aside and help her
learn. They're helping get her to where they're at."