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Wednesday, Nov. 04, 2009

Bonaire Middle takes both county cheerleading titles

Bonaire Middle School swept the cheerleading county championships at the middle school annual event Oct. 24.

In the seventh-grade division, Bonaire finished first, Feagin Mill Middle School finished second and Perry Middle School finished third.

In the eighth-grade division, Bonaire again finished first, with Mossy Creek Middle School in second place and Huntington Middle School in third.

Pamela Hillstrom, an honors language arts teacher and coach of the seventh grade Jaguars, said Bonaire picked up wins in two preliminary competitions as well as the Middle Georgia Cheer Classic hosted by Houston County High School.

Cheerleaders were judged on their tumbling passes, cheers, dances and even crowd participation.

Being able to tumble is mandatory for cheerleaders nowadays, and, Hillstrom said, back handsprings, back tucks and full twists are routine.

Cuts are part of the process, but Hillstrom said it wasn’t something she took lightly.

“I have a daughter, and I know how it would feel if she didn’t make something that she wanted to do,” Hillstrom said. “I always try to teach and coach like they were my own child.”

Although cheerleaders support the football team, Hillstrom, who is in her first year as cheerleading coach at Bonaire, said competitions are the main concern.

“That is their sport, competition cheering, and they practice for it very hard,” she said.

But academics take first priority at Bonaire. Cheerleading coaches for both teams recently canceled practice for finals week.

Eighth-grade coach Renae Sleeth said she also relates to her job as a teacher and coach to her own children.

“You think about their moms. How you would feel as a mom. In the classroom and in cheering,” she said.

Cheerleading has changed over the years, and, Sleeth said, skills have changed as well.

“Girls are starting earlier with their tumbling and increasing their abilities,” she said.

A coach for seven years, Sleeth was in the position of coaching the seventh-grade team last year and moving up with the girls this year.

“It was a real advantage. You know their weaknesses, their strengths, their personalities,” she said.

Sleeth said her team was able to build on skills acquired cheering together as seventh-graders.

“We didn’t have to start at the beginning. With a year of experience, they were able to pick up things quicker as well,” she said.

“They still have to work, or they would become stagnant, but they were dedicated to always striving for more.”

The team was dedicated to finishing in first after finishing in second place as seventh-graders. That commitment also carried over into the classroom.

“They had a commitment to their academics as well,” Sleeth said.

Contact Alline Kent at allinekent@cox.net or 396-2467.