Cedar Springs
cheer learning the nuances

Thursday,
January 05, 2006

By Jeff
Chaney

The Grand Rapids Press

There have been a lot of changes in
the sport of competitive cheer since Jennifer Langlois
last competed.

Langlois competed for Kenowa Hills 11 years
ago.

Now, as the second-year coach of
Cedar Springs, Langlois is learning the new nuances
of the sport.

"When I competed, it was a
totally different sport," Langlois said.
"The (Michigan High School Athletic Association) making it a varsity
sport has changed everything. So, I'm learning with the girls. The gymnastic
part has been the biggest change."

That is something the Red Hawks,
who are only in their third year of having a competitive cheer team, must
improve on if they hope to compete with some of the area teams that have been
cheering competitively for years.

"I am pleased with where we
are at," Langlois said. "It is hard to
get a program like this going because the teams we are competing against have
been doing gymnastics for years, and our girls are just beginning that.
Gymnastics is a key to a good team, and we are behind in that area."

But Cedar Springs is working hard.

"We have improved in our
gymnastics," senior Samantha Foley said. "We went to gymnastics
last year and started to improve, and that is really helping. I don't think
we can beat any teams if we didn't have gymnastics."

Other team leaders include seniors
Anna Lise and Kelli Schuitan
and juniors Katelyn Nance and Courtney Loper.

Last year the team finished in last
place in the O-K White Conference. But Langlois is
hoping for improvements.

"We are doing well this year,
the girls are working really hard," Langlois
said.

The team gets its season started
Saturday at the Byron Center Invitational.