It’s a sport that has gained in popularity in recent years, thanks to programs such as Netflix’s documentary Cheer.
Now a team of cheerleaders from Canberra are hoping to achieve great things on the international stage.
Last year, the Canberra Sirens, based in Mitchell, won a bid for their co-ed team, Anthem, to take part in The Cheerleading Worlds, which run from April 21 to 24 in the US state of Florida.
The Cheerleading Worlds see more than 500 teams from 18 different countries come together to compete every year.
In 2021, the title was taken by Melbourne’s Southern Cross Lady Reign, in a virtual version of the tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Anthem squad are now hoping to replicate the Melbourne team’s success.
The rise and rise of cheerleading
Anthem team member Hugh Dawson couldn’t be prouder of what the Anthems have achieved.
“This really is my second family. It’s my found family,” he said.
“And it means the absolute world to represent our country and represent our club.”
Cheerleading was recognised by the International Olympic Committee in 2021, making it eligible to be considered for inclusion in the Olympics.
The 2028 Games in Los Angeles are now seen as the most likely opportunity for the sport’s Olympic debut.
While the Anthems believe that step is motivating, cheerleading is still not recognised by most as a serious competitive sport.
“They consider it a performing art, so we don’t get a whole lot of support in terms of extensions and certified leave from education,” Mr Dawson said.
“People kind of just see you as a supportive sport, like you’re cheering on other people,” team member AJ Jackson added.
What goes into an elite cheerleading routine?
Preparing a routine for the world championships is a considerable task, with Anthem training three times a week, some sessions running as long as three hours.
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Judges assess squads based on three categories: building, tumbling and performance.
The first two relate to how well athletes work together, to lift and spring someone into the air, and how smoothly they catch them on the way down.
When it comes to performance, competitors are judged on the overall creativity of the routine, and how well they engage the crowd.
Scorecards will start at zero, with minor deductions issued for any noticeable flaws in technique, or synchronicity.
“There is so much work that goes into this sport,” Mr Dawson said.
“We’ve got flips. We’ve got tricks. We’ve got stunts. We need to lift a lot but, on top of that, we’ve got to do it all with a smile on our faces.”
No room for error
Coach Belinda Dawson said the margins between the top teams would be very small.
“It does, a lot of the time, come down to 0.01 or 0.1 on the score card,” she said.
However, she said, competing at the world championships was not just about winning.
“To see them actually have the dream in the first place — and to be able to provide them a vehicle to live their dreams — it’s why I do what I do,” Ms Dawson said.
“All the things that people learn through elite sport, it sets them up for good things in life.”
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