Setting a new European record, over 3000 cheerleaders competed at the Elite Championships in Germany May 30th-31st. London's Ascension Eagles Cheerleaders (AEC) joined teams from Scotland, England, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Sweden, Austria, Poland, Netherlands and Germany to compete in this major European event.
“When we go to Worlds, we are always looking out for the Elite European teams. We wanted the younger members in our program to experience European cheerleading for themselves,” said Natalie Baptiste, Lead Coach for AEC's Junior team. “Ever since we first competed at Movie World back in 1999, we've always loved to compete with other European cheerleaders. The standard of the competition as a whole has vastly improved even since the last time that we competed here in 2007, and it is an amazing feeling to be part of the development of cheerleading throughout Europe under Elite's leadership.”
Mel Brown, Lead Coach for AEC's Youth team agreed, “I remember when I competed in Germany when I was 11 years old and never imagined that I would be leading a team of girls of that age who have progressed so much and who are setting the bar for cheerleading in Europe. We were delighted to win Bronze in the Youth division. It is a feeling of achievement, and is a great reward for the hard work that goes into coaching the teams.”
Fellow AEC coach Lisa Poblicks was impressed with the camaraderie among Elite teams. “By supporting the other teams you acknowledge the fact that they have worked all year round for this competition, just as we have, and have put everything into their routines. Cheerleading is a sport that requires dedication, commitment and hard-work and it is amazing to be able to congratulate teams for their efforts and their achievements.”
AEC Coach Leonie Small noted, “The only downside to the event was the difference in rules. We go with the IASF guidelines, but Europe has their own interpretation. One day it would be great to see the same set of rules being followed worldwide, so that cheerleaders could compete with confidence knowing that rules remain consistent regardless of the country.”
Grace Long, age 8, is a first year Ascension Eagle member. Grace said, “I thought that the Polish and German teams were very good. I though the standard of the competition was really impressive. I tried to talk to other teams to tell them how good they were, but they didn't understand me. But I felt excited, especially when I got to compete. I had a great time.”
AEC's Sherelle Sotonye, 10, said, “Travelling with my friends and going on the rides at Movie World and competing with so many European teams made this a great weekend. I was especially impressed with the Slovenia Frogs – they were amazing! Overall, we spent a lot of time with our AEC family which helped us build good relationships, and that's an important part of being a team.
AEC's Jeannine Peterson, 10, agreed, “It was fun staying in the hostel in Dusseldorf. I liked that all the Ascension family stayed together in one building because it's like we all lived together and shared things with each other. The rides were fun at Movie World, and competing was great. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.”
Rheanne Nurse, 10, reflected, “I was impressed with the Wildcats and the Dolphins, as they hit all their stunts and were so sharp. I felt very proud of AEC, because of how hard we all worked and the effort we put in to prepare. I made new friends on the trip, and tried to set a good example for our younger members. I want to say thank you to our coaches for taking time to teach us and make us great, and to my team members for sticking their stunts on the day and having good attendance throughout the season so we can grow as a team.”
Rheanne's Mum Uma agreed, “I am so proud of all the AEC squads; you could see all the hard work and dedication paying off when they hit the floor. The standard of competition was higher than I expected, and in the face of some very, very strong contenders, AEC held their ground and their performances will have left an imprint on Europe. We are so proud of our AEC family.”
Eight year old Jaiden Odle said, “We had 19 teams in our division, and have never competed against that many other teams at once before. It was cool to see all the guys involved in European cheerleading, and it was fun to ride all the rides. My whole family loved it, including my sister Nia (5) who competed for the very first time.”
Also representing the UK were Aviator Allstars, Scottish Bluebells, Premier Star Cheerleaders and the Sussex Tornadoes. Sussex Tornadoes have competed in more European competitions than any other UK cheer team.
