Cheerleading empowering all

IT is one of the newer sports in Barbados, however, the interest is growing as more youth train and perform in the sport of Cheerleading.

On Sunday, a large group of cheerleaders performed for children with and without disabilities at the Barbados Physical Therapy Association (BPTA) “Inclusion for All” Fun Day in the Dome Mall car park.

Director of the Twisterz All Star Gym Barbados Cheerleading club, Denise Bynoe, told The Barbados Advocate that she started her cheerleading group in 2014. Their Facebook page stated that the gym currently has a roll of 47 cheerleaders. Ms. Bynoe mentioned that the students practising in cheerleading range in age from 7 to 30 years and over and they can receive basic to advanced training in the sport.

The junior Cheerleading team consists of students from various primary and secondary schools such as the Ursuline Convent, Queen’s College and the Christ Church Girls’ School. According to the coach, cheerleading, which is practised by both genders, may be costly in the initial stages as all students must be equipped with the appropriate training gear and pay monthly club fees. Ms. Bynoe indicated that the girls in the junior group have been training for the last year and a half and their training entails tumbling, stretching and education about nutrition.

“Everything to do with a healthy lifestyle comes in Cheer. It is like training for football and basketball,” said Ms. Bynoe.

As a coach, Ms. Bynoe said that her interest in cheerleading began when she saw her relatives and friends in England participating in the sport. To develop her skills in the field, she eventually travelled to Canada and the United States before returning to Barbados.

She is the founder of the Barbados Cheerleading Federation and she has been in the cheerleading business for ten years. The squad’s accolades include winning the stunt group division of the National Cheerleading Championship in 2014 and they also competed in the UCA All Stars Champion-ship in Orlando, Florida.

Public Relations Officer of Twisterz, Ms. Keisha Nicholl, explained that cheerleading is more than competing, travelling abroad and having fun as the members are taught core skills like discipline, respect, team building and being community minded. She expressed that the group was proud to participate in the event hosted by the BPTA and revealed that Twisterz is exploring the idea of forming moves which can be performed by anyone, including those with disabilities.

In 2018, the club will be making a trip to Disney Orlando, Florida to take part in the Universal Cheerleading Association’s All Star Championship where they will be competing in both Levels 1 and 2. (KPB)