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You probably know that cheerleaders appear at sporting events to cheer on their teams, but you might not know that cheerleading is a sport in its own right. Or that Winchester Cheer coaches volunteer to help girls and boys learn and compete in cheerleading.
Middlesex Street resident Erin Black is the president of the Winchester Cheer organization, which started in town 15 years ago.
“Maria O’Connor started it in 2015,” says Wilmington resident Brianna Daisy, who also volunteers, although she has no kids in the program but enjoys coaching.
“We accept kids from Winchester and from bordering towns,” Black points out. “We start practicing in August and go through December, if any of our teams qualify for competitions. It’s a fun competition and we compete against other town Cheer teams. This year, for the first time, all six of our teams qualified for the regionals.”
All six? Black explains that the teams have official names and also nicknames: the Mini Mavericks, aka the Tiny Mites is for kids 5 to 7; the Little Rebels (Mighty Mites) for 8 to 9; the Junior Rebels (Junior Pee Wee) 10 to 11, the Mavericks (Junior Varsity) for middle-schoolers; the Renegades (Bantams) for high-schoolers, and the Outlaws.
“The Outlaws,” Black explains, “is our adaptive team for kids with all abilities.”
She got involved when her daughter, Lucy, was on the Tiny Mites team back in 2019.
How did she become president? Daisy says, “We tricked her into taking the job.”
And how did a Wilmington woman with no kids get involved?
“My sister worked with a woman who knew about it,” Daisy says.
Check out the medal winners! COURTESY PHOTOS/ERIN BLACK
The teams practice for two hours three times a week, either at the Ambrose Elementary School gym, or at the Bay State All-Star Cheerleading gym in Woburn.
There are no tryouts, Black points out. And kids who are interested can try the cheer clinic.
“They’ll have so much fun,” Black says. “The kids are very welcoming.”
And Daisy says, “They gain confidence quickly.”
The local tournaments are at Woburn High School, league tournaments are in Methuen, and winners compete in Springfield. Judges look for overall performance and choreography: jumps, tumbling, gymnastics, stunts and dance.
“Our high school team won the nationals last year,” says Daisy. “Each team decides which level to compete at. The high school team has been at levels one and two, and right now they’re level three with the goal of getting to the top level of four in two years.”
She adds that it’s not about the skills.
“We focus not on the best cheerleaders,” says Daisy. “We’re about good people, building their confidence, helping them work with all different teammates. They learn how to communicate and how to support each other. It’s great seeing them develop. And they give back — we have some of the high school kids who become student coaches.”
“And it’s the family aspect,” adds Black. “The kids meet new families and everyone’s so welcoming — it turns into one big family, helping each other carpool, and even wiping away tears.”
Winchester resident Joyce Westner is one of the founders of Winchester News. She holds a degree in English and journalism from Northeastern University. If you have a suggestion for either a Meet the Artist or Helpers Among Us resident, email editor@winchesternews.org.
