Cheerleading set to become Galway’s latest craze

A RECOGNISED and major sport in the United States, with an estimated 1.5 million participants in its all-star discipline, cheerleading is now beginning to capture the imagination of young people in growing numbers this side of the Atlantic Ocean.

While the sport is not officially recognised in Ireland, it has been brought under the umbrella of British Gymnastics in England. Tuam woman Fiona Collumb, who is affiliated to United Kingdom Cheerleading Association and who runs Ace High Cheerleading in the city and county, believes it may not be long before Ireland follows suit.

“They (Irish Gymnastics) are talking about it, but it will take time for it to be recognised,” says Collumb. “It will also take coaches time to come through; coaches who can teach it properly. You will always get coaches who will teach it, but if they are not qualified, there is a huge amount of stuff they will miss.”

Indeed, from logistics to health and safety, there is a huge volume of procedures for a coach to consider, but Collumb says once good practices are put in place, the art of cheerleading can be one of the most enjoyable disciplines any young person will experience.

This was brought home to Collumb and her students when they attended the inaugural All-Ireland & International Cheerleading Championships in Dublin last month. “We brought the squad up to see it. Now, we didn’t compete because we are just newly formed, but the energy was absolutely astounding.

“I think what struck me the most was that every club cheers for the other club. There was such a comradeship, even among rival clubs. It was absolutely fabulous. There is a real spirit about it. It was fantastic.”

For most Irish people, their cursory knowledge of cheerleading comes from what they have seen from American TV programmes and movies, which have, for the most part, created two stereotypical characters. One, the pretty, size-zero blonde with an annoyingly bubbly, in-your-face persona or, two, the stunningly beautiful blonde with a downright nasty, spiteful streak in her. However, Collumb says the reality of cheerleading is far different.

“There are quite a portion of kids involved who are very heavy. They are overweight. Even when our kids went to Dublin to the competition, they were expecting to see the stereotypical cheerleader. They had that person in mind.

“Oh my God, though, it couldn’t have been further from the truth. There were kids in all shapes, all sizes, all colours there and they were part of a team, part of a troupe. And they weren’t shoved down the back either, as you would normally see (with some productions).”

As for Collumb, herself, she first became interested when her two children – Conor (14) and Aoife (12) – got involved in a local gymnastics club in Tuam two years ago. They were quite successful, taking home medals from competitions as far flung as Switzerland, and just like any excited parent, Collumb wished to learn more about the sport.“I wanted to become a qualified coach. I wanted to do my Level One,” continues the instructor, who, as a result, began to make the five and a half hour trip to Coleraine in Derry to attend her training course. “There is quite a strict regime to become a coach and you do a lot of assessments.

“So, I did that, my Level One, and I am qualified now. When I completed the course, I then looked around and I said I want to bring something different to gymnastics. Tuam already had a gymnastics club without me setting up, but I still went ahead anyway. I now have 50 registered members in my club, so I must be doing something right, considering I am only open since mid September. I am delighted with that, but I have to give a mention to all the parents. They have been great.”

Initially running classes out of Tuam Scout Hall and Body and Soap Clinic on the N17, Collumb subsequently set up classes in a number of venues throughout the county, including Claregalway Community Hall and the Raheen Woods Hotel, Athenry. She is also about to commence classes in Galway City at two locations, Mervue Community Centre on Wednesdays (afternoons and evenings) and in Shantalla Community Centre every Saturday afternoon. In addition, Collumb is teaching cheerleading in various national schools around the city and county – taking in schools in Tuam, Headford, Gort and Merlin Park – and she hopes at some stage to expand her operation into secondary schools.

All in all, though, she insists the main objective of promoting cheerleading is to keep girls involved in a sporting activity for as long a period as possible.

“Out of all the studies about young people getting involved in sports, they all show that a lot of girls, even as early as fifth and sixth classes, are dropping out of sport, unless they are heavily involved in camogie, Gaelic, basketball, badminton or whatever. In time, though, that interest also fades, particularly in outdoor sports.

“They just get into their make-up, they get into their hair, and they don’t want to get into outdoor sports because it just doesn’t suit their image as they get older,” says Collumb, who highlights that cheerleading offers a very viable and energetic alternative.

Indeed, she reiterates that the movement, chanting, dance moves and music make it an attractive proposition for any young person. She adds: “It is hugely high powered and high spirited. Some routines are up to three minutes long, depending which competition you are in. So, it is a great discipline for girls to get involved in – and it is mostly for girls.”

That said, it is not exclusively a sport for the fairer sex, with boys also needed to execute some of the more daring moves, such as stunting. “You need lads for holding up the girls,” says Collumb. “They may not be doing the pompons – they don’t do pompons – but they will be doing other moves, such as tumbles. There is a lot they can be doing within the troupe, and within the routine.”

No doubt, Collumb – who also hopes to hold cheerleading classes for the more mature ladies, if the demand is there – is excited about her new venture. Having spent most of her adult life in office jobs, it is as if the bird has finally been released from its cage.

“People love the idea of dancing and the music for cheerleading is really good stuff. The special mixes you get are fantastic; you have to have four or five tracks mixed into each other because you have to have different formations and different levels of routine. So, the music, even if you didn’t want to, it just makes you want to get up and do something.”

For further information on Ace High Cheerleading, contact Fiona on 087-9894060. The cost of membership for the year is €20, while the cost of each class is just €5.