Cheerleading isn't just about rooting for the home team any more. They are the home team. Competitive cheerleading is about gymnastics, music, dancing and more. And it's coming to Hailey tomorrow.
The Soldier Mountain All Stars competitive cheerleading squad will host a regional cheerleading competition Saturday at the Community Campus, 1050 Fox Acres Rd. in Hailey.
About 300 cheerleaders from around the state are scheduled to compete in individual and team competitions at Saturday's Altitude with Attitude Cheer and Dance Challenge, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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The cheerleading routines will include tumbling, stunts, dance and jumping.
"This is an all-inclusive sport," said Amanda Norton, founder and head coach of the Soldier Mountain All Stars. "Teamwork is huge in this. Cheerleading helps to develop kids mentally, physically, emotionally and morally."
Norton attended West High School in Salt Lake City before graduating from Wood River High School in Hailey. While in Salt Lake, her squad was chosen as one of 10 in the country to travel to the Team Cheerleading World Championships in Tokyo in 1993.
"We took third place at the world competition," said Norton, who graduated from the University of Idaho and began coaching cheerleaders at Camas County High School in Fairfield. Four years ago she founded the Soldier Mountain All Stars, partnering with the Blaine County Recreation District to form a non-competitive cheerleading program. Norton offers competitive and non-competitive cheerleading classes through the winter at 4031 Glenbrook Dr. in Hailey. She hopes to register new students at Saturday's competition.
"We started in Fairfield, but so many of the kids were from Hailey we eventually began training here," said Norton, who coaches and manages up to 53 boys and girls each week at the All Stars' Woodside gymnasium. The cheerleaders range in age from 3 to 13. These kids work hard at individual, duo, trio and team routines.
The Soldier Mountain All Stars' instructors include tumbling coach Heath Norton (also a member of the squad that took third place in Tokyo in 1993), head dance instructor Kassidy Brice, assistant coach Julie Brown, preschool coach Alyssa Obland and administrative assistant Kathleen Wilson.
Four Soldier Mountain All Stars teams will compete on Saturday; the 3- to 5-year-old Tiny team, the 6- to 11-year-old Silver Star Team, the 6- to 13-year-old Black Diamonds, and the 6- to 9-year-old Dazzling Dancers. Squads will receive awards and trophies, based on their levels of expertise.
Tickets for the competition can be purchased at the door; $8 for adults and $5 for children.
All proceeds from ticket sales and the sale of food and refreshments on Saturday will go toward travel expenses to send the Soldier Mountain All Stars to the National Team Cheerleading Competition in Anaheim, Calif., in March.
For more information about the Soldier Mountain All Stars and the world of team cheerleading go to www.smascheer.blogspot.com
Cheerleading competition
About 300 cheerleaders from around the state will at Saturday's Altitude with Attitude Cheer and Dance Challenge, Community Campus, 1050 Fox Acres Rd. in Hailey. from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Soldier Mountain All Stars founder and head coach Amanda Norton consults with the Black Diamond squad during practice Wednesday in Woodside.
