Sparta Cheerleaders to compete in nationals
SPARTA — Last week Sparta High School’s Varsity Cheerleaders were notified that they received two bids to the 2014 National High School Cheerleading Championship (NHSCC). The NHSCC — the most prestigious cheerleading championship in the country — is held Feb. 8 and 9 at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla., and nationally televised on ESPN and ESPN2 to more than 100 million homes and 32 countries nationwide each year.
The Sparta HS elite team will perform in the Medium Varsity division and the full varsity team will perform in a new category called “Game Day,” which highlights the team’s sideline cheering at a football game.
“Our team works so hard and are in awe that they qualified and earned the opportunity to compete with their peers throughout the country,” said Jennifer Macones, Sparta HS cheerleading coach. “The excitement during the weekend and overall experience will be something that each team member will remember for the rest of their lives.”
Some of the team members attended last year’s NHSCC in the Super Varsity Co-ed division and were ranked 18th in the nation.
Qualifying hurdles
Sparta HS cheerleaders almost didn’t get the opportunity to receive a bid this year because the first qualifying competition in Toms River fell on Nov. 23, the same day as the SHS varsity football team’s first championship playoff game.
“The cheerleaders felt that their first priority should be to cheer for their High School football team," said Michelle Hertzberg, Sparta HS cheerleading coach.
The second qualifying competition fell on Dec. 14 and a snow storm prevented the team from driving to Long Island to attend. The last and final option was to video tape the routines, send them to the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) and hope that would be enough to secure a bid.
“It is difficult to perform the routines without the excitement of the audience that you get at a competition,” said Hertzberg. “The team did a great job, the videos were strong and we felt confident that both routines would be selected.”
Raising funds
To raise funds to support the trip to the NHSCC, Sparta High School Cheerleading Booster Club will be hosting its first annual “Spartan Snowball Cheerleading Competition” on Sunday, Jan. 5 with doors opening at 11 a.m.
Teams from schools in Sussex, Passaic, Morris, Hudson, Bergen, Hunterdon counties and Delaware Valley, Pa. will be competing with cheer and dance routines. This is an opportunity to be entertained by an athletic group of individuals as many of the cheerleaders have advanced tumbling skills and the routines demonstrate military-style coordination as they move through their routine.
These participating teams are highly skilled and getting ready for regional competitions and the NHSCC. Admission is $7 for adults; $4 for students and children under 3 are free. Cheer gear and refreshments will be available to purchase.
This competition is judged by the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA), the premier organization in the country for judging competitions and the host of the NHSCC. Many of the teams will be using the competition as a warm up for Nationals.
High School Cheerleading squads throughout the country include both men and women and size of squad range 8 to 30 students. This year the Sparta High School varsity team has 23 students. Many of the colleges offer scholarships for cheerleading and as of now Sparta graduates are cheering at Northeastern, Villanova, Monmouth and Rowan universities.
“Through competitions, cheerleaders have the opportunity to show their supporters how athletic and competitive this sport really is,” said Hertzberg.