Cheerleading

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Cheerleading

Matalan Community Club – Jet Black

Jet black dance group has done a performance at the street race festival on Hulme high street and we also did a performance at Aquinas’s at their festival and we did a performance at the Barbados independence ball.

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Safiya Duncan:
I am part of jet black dance group and my job is to help do the registers and while doing that I have learnt some dance routines which I like because dancing is quite fun to join in with plus it’s a way for me to exercise. I am studying performing arts which dance is a part of sometimes so it helps me doing this with jet black.

Being part of something like this is good. It gives you a break from the everyday things because when I come here I have fun. Hopefully I will one day be able to be as good as Yosha .

Makisa Gilkes:
I am part of jet black dance group where we are a group which helps people learn different styles of dancing. I have quite a lot of experience in teaching dance as I have a qualification which is street cheer dance. In the class I help teach routines. One of my hobbies is netball and I have played for Manchester thunder, northwest regional and Tameside. Which I am very proud of because I’m very passionate about netball being able to be part of these teams gave me something else to be proud of. Another thing I do is athletics. Doing dance is very fun to me this is why I love being part of the Jet black dance group.

Chinaiyah Lauder-Bell:
I am apart of jet black dance group I enjoy doing dance routines with the group. I also have a qualification in street cheer dance. My main skills are gymnastics which I put into the routines and help others with in our group. I do rugby and we compete against other schools for matches.

Exciting News!

The European Cheerleading Association Annual meeting was hosted by UKCA in Manchester last weekend.

Revised Rules for 2014
Revised rules for 2014 were accepted and we are pleased to announce the inclusion of new categories to the European Cheerleading Championships 2014.
The following categories, in addition to the existing categories of Cheerleading, Group Stunt, Partner Stunt and Cheer Dance are:
Pom Dance
Transitional Street Cheer
Masters Age Division

Doubles Dance
We are also very excited to be hosting the first ECC to include Doubles Dance in:

  • Pom Dance
  • Street Cheer
  • Cheer Dance

As UKCA do not have Doubles Dance Categories in our National Cheerleading Championships, the selection of these entries will be offered to teams competing in the relevant categories at the discretion of the judging panel.

In view of this exciting development, we have now extended the entry deadline for the UKCA National Cheerleading Championships (15/16th March) to Monday 17th February. Allowing time for additional Pom Dance, Street Cheer and Masters entries.

Level 1 Cheerleading Leadership Award at Wright Robinson College

Last weekend, Wright Robinson College hosted our Level 1 Cheerleading Leadership Award course for UKCA coaches. The course teaches arm motions, jump technique, cheers, chants and choreography. As well as this it gives the skills to lesson plan and covers skills – including an introduction to cheerleading – necessary to coach at a basic level in schools and community clubs/groups.

The course is aimed at under 18-year-olds who want to gain some coaching/teaching experience the focus of this course is communication, motivation and safety. Success on the course awards participants with a Leadership Award that allows them to then go on and participate in our Level 2 Basic Skills Qualification.

Check out these pictures and tweets from the course:

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@UKCheerleading: “Busy leadership course underway this morning #coachesofthefuture”

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@UKCheerleading: “Dynamic stretching time at leadership course #coachesofthefuture”

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@brace_gaines: “Had a great day with @UKCheerleading and passed my leadership course!”

For information on what courses are available, please check out our course diary.

Congratulations to King’s School

The King’s school in Macclesfield flew out to Orlando, Florida last Friday to represent the UK at the World Schools’ Cheerleading Championships over the weekend. You can read here all about their journey and experience at the gathering of thousands of cheerleaders.

King's School

We received the amazing results from the UKCA National School Championship team this morning:

– Third in Group Stunt
– Fourth in Large Team Competition
– Second overall in the championships behind America!

A huge congratulations to Coach Rachael Burrows and the 30 strong team from Cheshire! We are proud of you, say we are proud of you!

It’s All About Confidence

The best way to have a great competition experience is to feel like you’ve performed at your absolute best. But performing at your very best doesn’t just involve wearing the best cheer uniform, getting all the stunts right and having slick choreography; you need to look and feel confident!

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No matter how experienced of a cheerleader you are – whether you’re just starting out or been at it for years – you can’t help but get those butterflies in your stomach before taking to the floor. It’s perfectly natural but can take over your mind and body. You can’t necessarily change this about you, however you can act and look like you’re confident by following some of these tips:

Tip #1 – Banish Nerves

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Before you take to the floor, it’s important to relax. Humming a slow song or visualising a calm scene in your mind can help your mind slow down. If your stomach is feeling funny, eating a banana will get rid of any nausea without making you feel full. Do a few stretches to relieve tension – roll your shoulders, take deep breaths, and stretch your arms, backs and legs.

If you have the time, find a quiet place to meditate – relax and concentrate on deep breathing. Avoid caffeine and any energy drinks as they’ll make you extra jittery.

Laughter is a great distraction from worrying. Chat with your friends, tell a couple of jokes

Tip #2 – Build Team Confidence

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In order for everyone to perform at their best, the whole team has to be confident and united. Team building activities is a great way to do some extra bonding with your squad. You could even do a team sleepover to get everyone excited and remind everyone that competitions are supposed to be fun.

Create various goals at the beginning of the competition season. As the season progresses, celebrate when you approach or surpass a goal! If you focus on winning at competitions, you’ll set yourself up for failure if you don’t always win first place. A good aim is to get a better score than you did in previous competitions.

After a competition, take some time as a group to share one thing each teammate did well during the performance. It will help maintain a positive attitude as we are proud of ALL of you, we are proud of ALL of you.

Don’t forget to like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter to keep up to date with all the UKCA news.

The King’s School in Macclesfield Represent the UK

This February sees one of the UKCA teams represent the UK in the group stunt event at the World School Cheerleading Championships in USA. The King’s School will be the first ever Macclesfield school to represent the UK in the competition held in Florida. The team of 30 girls qualified to represent their school and country in the prestigious event by winning numerous national titles at the UKCA School Championships. They are entering Cheerleading and Stunt Group categories.

UKCA Kings squad
Back row: Lucy Miller, Grace Pulley, Holly Brierley, Jessie Milton Edwards, Lauren Whitney, Rowena Moores, Kira Stevenson, Fran Robbins and Ellie Holder
Middle row: Fiona Cornish, Nikki Hughes, Tilly Stott, Emily Naismith, Evie Homer, Polly Cartwright, Lauren Kitchen and Eleanor Collett
Front row: Emily Underwood, Kelly Corcoran, Briony Phillips, Sophie Jackson, Antonia Bianchi, Olivia Moores, Jessie Krajewski, Izzy Stevens and Millie Turner
(Missing from photo but on the World Championships team are Ella Solomon, Mimi Stevens, Katie Fray and Beth Burrows.)

King School’s Cheerleading coach Rachael Burrows-Jarvis said: “This team of girls have worked hard at Cheerleading for many years to achieve this world standard with a large number now in their ninth year. Cheerleading involves stunts, gymnastics, jumps, dance and a cheer all choreographed together to create a dynamic, clean routine which is entertaining for the crowd and judges.”

The school will be competing in the International team event and the Group Event against countries from all over the world. This involves four girls throwing up numerous stunts for one minute to music, technique precision, fast transitions, team work, and crowd appeal. The four girls involved are Lauren Whitney, Bethany Burrons, Olivia Moores and Rowena Moores.

Rachael added: “The girls have worked hard at the routines and are striving to show the world what King’s and the UK can do. To make a cheerleading routine successful it is imperative that team members attend all practices as the sport relies heavily on all team members being present and practising together. For example, if one member is absent then the whole pyramid cannot be practised. It also builds up trust between members and improves strength and technique.”

“I am extremely proud of the girls and I am looking forward to their performance on the world stage and the great feeling of representing your country at something you really enjoy and have worked hard for.”

The girl will be wearing tracksuits and polo shirts which have been kindly sponsored by Lauren Whitney’s parents’ company TechTex and Richard Milner Developments.

We wish the team every success in the States and know they will do their best to make the UKCA proud!

Coaching Bursary

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There is a fantastic opportunity for female coaches from GreaterSport and Sport England. The aim of the coaching bursary is to increase the number of qualified female coaches in Greater Manchester. Before 31st March 2014 they aim to help 100 females in Greater Manchester achieve a coaching qualification in their chosen sport.

Females in Greater Manchester who are interested in completing a coaching qualification to enable themselves to work or volunteer at sports clubs as a coach are able to apply. To be eligible to access this bursary the sports club you coach at must be based in: Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford or Wigan.

The bursary is available for females to complete a sports qualification, recognised by a National Organisation of the sport, CPD courses and officiating courses. The bursary can fund up to 50% of the coaching course, up to a maximum of £200.

The closing date for applications is 14th March 2014. All successful applicants will be required to register on CoachWeb and undertake ten hours of volunteering once they have completed the coaching qualification. Successful applicants will also be required to complete an ‘End of Grant Form’ in order to evaluate the impact the coaching qualification has had on them as an individual, and their sports club.

For more information and to get your application form, visit the GreaterSport website.

Intermediate Tumbling at Wright Robinson College – 11/01/14

Last weekend, Wright Robinson College hosted our Intermediate Tumbling course for UKCA coaches. The course enables participants to coach handsprings and vertical rotations within stunts and basket tosses.

The course is aimed for participants aged 13 and up who hold the UKCA Cheerleading 2 Basic Stunts as well as Tumbling Level 2 Certificate. Success on the course awards participants with a Certificate of Qualification as well as the ability to become an Assistant Coach.

UKCA coach Karen Graham had this to say about the event:

Well done candidate coaches. We had a fabulous day of tumbling, very tired by the end but we certainly achieved much. We are proud of you!

Check out these pictures from the course:

Intermediate Tumbling - Warm Up

Intermediate Tumbling - Exercise

Intermediate Tumbling - Explaining Tumble

Intermediate Tumbling - Assisted Tumble

Intermediate Tumbling - Tumble

Intermediate Tumbling - Tumbling

Intermediate Tumbling - Tumbling

If you’re looking to enhance your cheerleading skills, check out our Course Diary now to find a course suitable for you.

Olympic Legacy Project in North East Northamptonshire

Chris Long, Sport Premium Officer at Prince William School in North East Northamptonshire is setting up an Olympic Legacy Project, with cheerleading a key component. The project is due to start next week and due to being let down by a coach, sessions in some of the schools are without a coach.

He is looking for a coach to take ‘Introduction to Cheerleading’ sessions for a five week block, developing a routine for competition on the 14th February in Kettering.

The schools needing a coach are:

Thrapston Primary School, Market St, Thrapston, Northants NN14 4JU. Tuesdays, 3.30-4.30.

and

Oundle Primary School, Milton Road, Oundle, Northants PE8 4AB Thursday 3.30-4.30

If you are interested in the position, email Chris Long at clong@pwschool.northants.sch.uk for more details.