“Five, six, seven, eight!” Dress rehearsal this Wednesday at the Valérie-Garnier multipurpose hall in Valletta. In their white, blue and yellow sequinned outfits, the young cheerleaders take positions and try to carry and hold one of their own in the In less than three weeks, the 7-11 year olds of the Cannon Cheers will compete in their first national competition. They will have to present a “routine” (choreography) of 2’30 – no more, no less.
The gestures are still hesitant, the stability uncertain, but the essential is elsewhere. “We’re having so much fun! And I love the team spirit”, smiled Maud. The famous “cheer spirit”, which unites the group. Inasmuch as “grande” and because she has “muscular arms”, Maud occupies the position of carrier (“back”): the one who helps the two “bases” to hold the flyer. She is therefore not safe from taking a few hits…
“Cheerleading builds pain. It also develops the mentality and confidence of practitioners. assures Aurore Juanico, her trainer, who gives “sweetheart” to his protégés. “You need a lot of endurance, cardio, flexibility and strength trainingshe continues. And also the desire to surpass oneself because we fail a lot before succeeding in a “stunt” (figure). »
The famous “cheer spirit”.
“The more boys we have, the better”
“We develop all of that with the team. We have to be complete”, supports his assistant, Meg Améri, who mentions borrowings from tumbling and even weightlifting. Also a member of the Cannon Cheers senior team, a club with 70 members founded by her father and her sister Lorrie, she fell into the discipline when she was little. At first she “n’aimai[t] not too much”. Today, she can no longer do without this way of life, where kindness and solidarity are essential. The famous “cheer spirit”, once more.
A spirit that is reborn in Nice, where Lisa Frauenhoffer relaunched the cheerleading section of the Red Eagles just under two years ago. There are therefore only ten adults preparing for the French championships. Including… only one boy. “It’s complicated to have them because we think it’s a girls’ sport, when it’s not at all. It requires a lot of strength, and the more boys we have, the more beautiful “stunts” we have.” »explains the Niçoise, whose accent betrays her Narbonnaise origins. “The discipline was created in 1980 in the USA by men. At the beginning, girls were prohibited”adds Varoise Aurore Juanico,
For both clubs, two challenges therefore appear: diversity and retention of practitioners. “The goal is to keep our young people and help them progress”explains the Cannon Cheers coach, before shouting in the gym: “We’re staying close as friends… Stretch your legs and tuck your butt in!” See you on March 24 in Villefranche-sur-Saône to measure progress.
Without pompom or stick
Do not call them “cheerleaders” and even less “cheerleaders”. And for good reason, the cheerleaders (literally “encouragement leaders”) evolve without pompoms or sticks. They will remain forever associated with sports and culture in the USA, where their presence at the edge of the field is made from a very young age (Lisa, from Nice, evokes the influence of High School Musical on her passion). But those who watch their choreographies with a smirk have no idea the amount of training they involve. Year following year, cheerleading has become a sport in its own right, recognized by the Olympic committee. Still confidential in France, it depends on the French American Football Federation.
Resurrected two years ago, the Red Eagles of Nice bring together ten cheerleaders (senior players).(Photo DR).
There are only two clubs affiliated with the French American Football Federation (FFFA) in the region: the Cannon Cheers in Valletta (res.: Lorrie Améri 06.09.09.91.99.) – backed by the Cannoniers de Toulon – and the Red Eagles in Nice (contact: Lisa Frauenhoffer 06.74.97.84.46.). Furthermore, the Monaco All Stars cheerleading represents another federation and regularly participates in international competitions.
