Ellington

Ages 4 and up can tryout to be all-star cheerleaders April 9-10 at SportsBarn North in Hixson.

“In tryouts we teach them a dance, a cheer, jump technique and stunting technique,” said SportsBarn cheerleading programs and all-star director Richard Porter. “They perform some of what they learn in front of judges on April 10 and find out if they made a competitive all-star team. The competition season runs 11 months with April being the off month for tryouts.”

SportsBarn North coaches teach cheerleading, tumbling and dance Monday through Friday from morning to night.

SportsBarn Storm All-Stars 34 current competition cheerleaders recently brought home championship titles from the 2010 Opryland Cheer Nationals and the 2011 Spirit Solution National Championship.

The team members give their parents a taste of how to become physically fit twice a month by working out with them inside the cheerleading training facility.

“We do this to support healthy lifestyles in the family,” said Porter. “Choosing cheerleading, tumbling, dance and fitness over sitting at home and playing games is not just healthy for the cheerleader, it’s healthy for the parents too.”

During workouts cheerleaders and their parents participate in drills of crunches, pushups, squats, up downs, mountain climbers, bicycles, planks and toe touches.

“It shows the parents to be athletes the cheerleaders must be strong,” said Porter. “This brings in the parents to show them what it takes to be an athlete."

Porter said cheerleading also requires a lot of dedication.

“Individuals need to set goals,” he said. “We want to help them with goals through positive reinforcement. Through hard work and dedication, goals can be accomplished faster than one thinks.”