Cheer Sport Sharks Orillia cheerleading club heading to Worlds

ORILLIA, Ontario — Cheer officially began in the late 18th century when Great Britain had students chanting and cheering for the extra-curricular athletic activities that the students had created in protest from the establishments hardened rules. In fact, most of the ‘cheerleaders’ of that time were male. The term “Cheerleading” itself was coined in 1897 at Princeton University, New Jersey.

In the 1960’s competitive cheerleading debuts where University Cheer teams battled for awards that were distributed by the International Cheerleading Foundation (now known as the World Cheerleading Association).

The very first year for the National team was 2009 where Canada represented at the International Cheer Union World Cheerleading Championships (ICU). The sport has been gaining popularity ever since with young competitors across the country.

Locally we have the ‘Cheer Sport Sharks Orillia’ Cheerleading club. Having gyms across Ontario and as far as New England. The team we are proud to introduce you to is the Cheer Sport Sharks Orillia. This team has been working hard this season and to fabulous success. The Cheer Sport Sharks Orillia competed for the first time this season at the Breath of Life competition in Guelph and came out glowing.

The final standings were:

• Baby Blue Sharks. – U8 prep level 1 – 1 st place
• Bamboo Sharks – U12 all-star level 1 – 1 st place
• Quick Fin Sharks – U12 prep level 1 – 1 st place
• Valley Sharks – U16 all-star level 2 – 2 nd place

These shining groups will proudly represent Orillia at the All-Star World Championships in Orlando, Florida in May this year.

A huge milestone for the local gym and a goal that the owner/head coach Teanna Larmand and her staff have been working hard to get to.

Cheer Sport Sharks Orillia  Head Coach Teanna has been coaching for 9 years; however, she has been in competitive cheerleading since she was 4 years old.

All the cheerleaders on the squad seem to have the same take away from their coaches – “It is key to work together and have strong communication in order to succeed,” recalls Avery Martynshyn (12 – Blackspotted level 3 all-star) of Guthrie public school.

This, among other strong lessons the Cheer coaches impress on these children are great lessons; work together, ask for help when you need it. Communication and always to have a positive mindset and of course have fun.

Team bonding is a great way for these larger teams to grow together, have open communication and a stronger sense of unison for a solid connection on and off the mat. “Team bonding is one of our favourite things!” says Coach Teanna. “With games, silly routine runs, singing Moana and other fun things, we ensure the cheer sister bonds that they will have forever.”

These girls work hard and train together often and many of them keep their eyes set high for their cheer goals. “I’ve always dreamed of going to Worlds and now that dream is coming true,” says Eilah Martynshyn (9 – Bamboo all-star level 1) of Guthrie public school.

These ambitious girls are always reaching for the stars, and it is amazing for them to have such success in competition. To watch the growth and bars raised by the coaches is inspiring as well. “They’ve gotten to see me grow not only as a young business owner but also as a person as well,” says Teanna. “I think for them, this is the best way for them to see that anything is achievable if you want it.”

As you can imagine cheer is a high energy, full of life sport. This carries these young competitors on and off the competition stage. “I love the energy at cheer competitions and how positive the sport is,” says Adelyn Bartlett (9 – Bamboo Sharks) of WR Best public school. “I love the endurance and strength, the stunting, the dance, and all the sparkle. I really thrive on preforming and bringing big energy to the mat.”

Cheerleading is challenging and requires a lot of practice, training, and comradery. Some of the skills can be a little scary and full of hurdles and of course sometimes some disappointment. When faced with disappointing losses Teanna makes sure to focus on the great parts of the routine and the success in the skills that the team did stick. “Not every routine can be the one we want. These times are the perfect coachable moments; a time to concentrate on the positives. Everything else can be worked on, practice makes progress,” wise words from the head coach.

Cheerleading encompasses a high calibre of competitors from across the province. The athletes command the floor and put out some of their strongest routines. The Cheer Sport Sharks are no exception and have proven their strengths of all levels on the competition stage.

Many of these athletes have brought trained skills from the past, such as dance and gymnastics, just as Paige Whynot (10 – Bamboo Sharks) of Forest Hill public school. “I used to be a competitive dancer and I love gymnastics,” says Paige. “Cheer is the perfect combination of the three sports.”

It is very common for cheer athletes to also be involved in other sports, as you can imagine cheerleading takes a lot of energy. Just like Paige who also plays volleyball, ski, skate, and of course spending lots of time with her friends.

These girls spend lots of time in the gym and with their experienced coaches, and some have ae already shown a goal to one day be a coach themselves. “One of the biggest lessons as a coach is that you could have a large impact on someone’s life and never know it,” Teanna says. “We’ve had athletes from all teams come to our gym and say how much they look up to their coach.”

Challenges in the gym are how these athletes grow and improve, as Tinley Jewer (10 – U12 all-stars level 1) of Forest Hill public school has while perfecting her back handspring. “I will work hard towards this goal until I achieve it. I try harder and harder every time I am in the gym.”

Cheer Sport Sharks Orillia believes in giving these athletes a strong foundation in the sport and the support they need to reach their full potential as athletes. Teanna is proud to say that the Orillia gym is safe place to many of the girls. “I am so proud that myself and our coaches can be a part of their experience, it is truly amazing!”

As Cheerleading grows across the nation, it’s clear that all levels of the Sharks will not be left in the wake. They are thriving as a team, a club and individual competitors.

Keep your eyes peeled in May to see them come hit the competition mat at the All-Star World Championships. GO SHARKS! GO, FIGHT, WIN!!

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