Sunday, February 13, 2005

Main News

Holt cheer teams host competition

HOLT -
Cheerleaders from all over the area showed off their hard work and enthusiasm
at a recent cheer competition.

Holt hosted
almost 30 teams at the 2nd Annual CheerFest
Competition at Holt
High School on Feb. 6.

·  Holt Varsity Cheer Team took 5th place

·  Holt Junior Varsity Cheer Team took
3rd place

·  Holt Freshman Cheer Team took 2nd
place

·  Holt Junior Rams 8th Grade Cheer Team
took 3rd place

·  Holt Junior Rams 7th
Grade Cheer Team took 2nd place Varsity Coach Connie Martinez said the Holt cheer
teams got the chance to mingle with other teams.

"I
wanted to have it as a big high school type event so we could go out and meet
other girls," she said. "We had cheerleaders from Gobles and as far
away as Kenowa Hills... It is more about meeting everybody and bonding and
welcoming them into our school."

Freshman
Cheer Coach Janet Bannhard said the turnout has
increased since last year.

"It
was a really good turnout," Bannhard said.
"Last year we had 16 teams, this year we had 29 teams. We consider this
a success."

Martinez said people would
be surprised of the dedication the girls had to their sport.

"A lot
of people's perception is it is just being cute in our uniforms," she
said. "The girls put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into their sport. It
is a very physical sport."

Martinez said a popular
misconception is that cheerleaders are not athletes.

"They
practice, they train and there are injuries," Martinez said.

"We do
weight training and conditioning at most practices," Bannard
said. "A lot of our teams have gymnastics training every week and
tumbling. There is a lot more to it then wearing short skirts and yelling at
the game."

Brittany
Watson, a 10th grade Varsity Squad member, said her favorite part of being a
cheerleader is competing.

"To be
honest, it was very stressful," she said. "We had a lot of things
going on that day. I went out there and tried to give it my best."

Another
secret behind the cheerleaders' lifestyle is how active the parents are in
the sport.

"I
love our parents," Martinez
said. "They are awesome. There is no way it could happen the way it does
without them. They are such a big part. We depend on them."