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East Celebrity Elite

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East Celebrity Elite @ NCA

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Cheerleading may seem pretty simple to the average person. Most people think cheerleading is all about chants and pompoms.  But most people have no idea that todays version of cheerleading doesn’t require pom poms or a football/basketball team to cheer on. 

I started competitive cheerleading when I was 4 years old and at that exact age, my life changed forever. You know the saying, "eat, sleep, breath ______ "? Well thats exactly what I did. I practiced 20 hours a week, not including the extra 6 hours in private training and the non stop practicing I did in front of my mirror at home. At this point, cheerleading became my drug and I was addicted. Training in a world known gym meant I had to work extremely hard to earn my skills but knowing I got to wear the name ECE on my uniform, made it all the more exciting. Not to mention, there wasn't a day I didn't love being the only girl in my kindergarten class that could do a back-handspring outside at recess.

With being part of such an honorable All Star organization, I learned what it was like to feel under pressure at a very young age. Most parents sign their kids up for REC or youth cheerleading, so they can experience the fun of being part of a team. Well for me, I was taught it's only fun if you win. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed every minute of it and my passion for cheerleading remained strong, but the world of All Star cheerleading made me one of the most competitive athletes, especially at such a young age.

Yes, I just called myself an athlete. The people who say cheerleading is not a sport, are the people who are the least educated about what we actually do. To be a competitive cheerleader, it takes an enormous amount of skill and body control. You need to be physically and mentally strong and I am so happy I learned that when I did. With the right coaching and mind set, I advanced quickly. At the age of 7, I was throwing elite skills that are preformed at high school level.

By the age of 13 I was competing on a Junior level 5 team. Level 5 is the most elite level in All star cheerleading. At this point, my passion for cheerleading was full blown. I spent more time training in the gym than I did at home. My parents would use their lunch brakes just to pick me up from school and drop me off at the gym, even if my practice didn't start for another four hours. I would sit and watch all the older cheerleaders and learn from their practices. I was a gym-rat.

In all star cheerleading, theres no actual chanting: no words, just the ones in your music. You preform a two minute and thirty second routine loaded with jumps, stunts, tumbling and my personal favorite, the dance.  It's a routine where basically we risk our safety to entertain the crowd.

Another big part of all star cheerleading is being an entertainer. I’ve known how to do my makeup since I was 6 years old. I learned to self apply my fake lashes and always carried around my lipstick back stage. Theres been a lot of back lash in all star cheerleading concerning the way others that aren’t involved in the industry view toddlers in 2 piece uniforms, with big fake hair and makeup. However if they focused more on the talent kids are showcasing on the mat and less about what is being warm, I believe they would find a new appreciation for the sport.

All Star cheerleading is extremely competitive and theres one goal that everyone shares; to be the best. We start training in July and compete EVERY WEEKEND from December to April. I lived on an airplane every weekend from the ages of 6-18 years old. I've traveled to places like Florida, Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, New Jersey, California and many more. I have even traveled out of the country to perform a two minute and thirty second routine.

You compete every weekend for a chance to win a Paid Bid to the Cheerleading Worlds. Worlds is the Olympics of All Star cheerleading. Teams from all over the world compete against each other. And I am lucky enough to say I come from the World Champion gym, East Celebrity Elite, in Tewksberry, MA. There is no better feeling than knowing you trained every day of your life, to be able to call yourself a World Champion.

Winning worlds performance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU9m9x2kH8o

I am more than thankful that my parents have given me the opportunity to be part of something so amazing. They work so hard to allow me to be able to participate in this sport. Just to be apart of this organization there is a tuition yearly fee. They also have to pay for every custom uniform I've worn, every flight i've ever had to take, every private training lesson i've ever attended, plus things like hair and makeup, cheer sneakers and hotels.

Cheerleading has brought me so many opportunities and I couldn't imagine my life without it. Because of cheerleading, I've been a part of a WORLD CHAMPION team, I've been in music videos, The movies now available on Netflix called Nfinity Champions League and even offered a reality tv series by MTV following my busy life of cheer.

No one actually realizes this side of cheerleading. The dangerous and crazy side of what we do. We ARE athletes and train harder than most people you may know. Throughout this whole process I have learned so many things about being part of a team, dedication, perseverance, loyalty, time management, hard work and so many more life lessons. But most of all I learned what it's like to have passion and how far hard work can get you.

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when you win worlds 

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ORANGE CRUSH

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