Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Hundreds head for Bethel for cheerleading clinic
Hundreds of cheerleaders are expected to converge on Bethel Township Monday for a day-long Universal Cheer Association cheer and stunt clinic at the Maplezone Sports Institute, hosted by Garnet Valley’s award-winning varsity and junior varsity squads.
As of Saturday, 301 cheerleaders were registered to attend the indoor event, according to Garnet Valley Varsity Coach Lisa L. Garman.
Any cheerleader worthy of a bid to UCA Nationals in Orlando, Fla., knows this is H-U-G-E for the Jag Nation, and the Delaware County cheer community overall. And the promotions flyer promises, it’s going to be a “hot” event.
“We are fortunate that we can work in partnership with UCA and offer this to the cheerleaders,” said Garman. “This area is a hotbed for cheerleading, and we are happy to be a part of it.”
Garman, a two-time All-Delco Cheerleader for the former St. James High School, both in 1978 and 1979, coaches the team along with Abby Lucking and Paige Garman, Lisa’s daughter. Junior varsity coaches are Sarah Ristine and Bryn May Lynch, both Garnet Valley alums.
Jenna Komosinski will be serving as the UCA head instructor at the event, with assistance from 16 UCA support staff.
Komosinski said the clinic was shaping up to be one of, if not the largest one-day event she’s led in the Northeast region in her 13 years with the renowned organization.
It’s an exciting but challenging day for the athletes as well as the instructors, she said. Instructors will not only be demonstrating cheers and stunts, they’ll also be clarifying rules and safety protocols.
The event also offers an opportunity for the athletes, many of whom are friends as well as rivals, to reunite and mingle without the demands or distractions of competition.
“This most likely is the beginning of the season for the teams,” Komosinski said. “The goal is for some of them to make it to our national championships. This clinic gives them a good foundation.”
Participants registered for Monday’s clinic represent 18 schools or organizations, both local and as far as Quakertown in Bucks County. In addition to Garnet Valley, teams from Delaware County participating include Academy Park, Chichester, Marple Newtown, Ridley, Strath Haven, Upper Darby and Sun Valley high schools, as well as Haverford Heat and Brandywine youth clubs. Teams from the Upper Merion All Stars, as well as a team from Souderton High School, both located in Montgomery County, will also attend.
“We are so excited to be bringing five stunt groups to the UCA clinic. We will probably be one of the only all-star teams attending, but that won’t stop us from learning some new skills and polishing up our technique for the upcoming season,” said UMAS Cheer Director Alexzandria D’Aulerio.
“We love kicking our season off with this camp. UCA staff is the best-trained staff I think in the country,” said Nichole Romesburg, who is in her 19th year as head cheerleading coach for Upper Darby High School. “I know the instructors have their best interests and safety at heart.”
Romesburg will be bringing 46 varsity and JV cheerleaders to the event, as well as her three varsity and four JV coaches. She was looking forward to Monday as much as the team members, both for the education prospects as well as simply hav-
ing a good time.
“I’m excited. I didn’t lose a lot of seniors,” she said, referring to the 20182019 team members. “It’s a young squad … we will be building upon what they have already learned.”
Haverford Heat Head Coach Danielle Foster will be accompanying 16 cheerleaders between the ages of 10 and 14 to the clinic. Among her goals is for the members to improve on their technique, increasing the difficulty of their competition routines.
“The legalities for stunts change every year, and we want to make sure we are current,” she said.
Through Lisa Garman, Garnet Valley began lobbying to host the prestigious clinic in February.
“This sets the bar for all the teams in the upcoming season,” she said of the event, which will serve in part as a fundraiser for the school’s cheer program.
Garnet Valley Varsity is coming off a stellar year, beginning at UCA cheer camp last August when the team earned Top Banana title. Chosen by the UCA staff, the designation goes to the team having fun, polite to all, hustles, helps and is making strides in learning the difficult stunts.
Between cheering at 14 football games, all home basketball games for both boys and girls and monthly community service projects, the squad went on to take four first-place competition rankings last year: District 1 Championship, topping 42 other teams and taking home the first coveted banner in school history for the cheerleading program. The banner will be hung in the school gym when students return in September; UCA Garden State Championship – the benchmark competition for the tri-state area; locally, at both the Haverford and Downingtown West high school competitions; the team also took two third-place awards, one at the PIAA Spirit Championships and the other at the Central League Championships – both of which are the highest ranking for the cheer program in its league.
The team, battling through preliminaries, semis and finals, placed eighth at UCA High School Nationals in February.
The JV team placed 11th in the nation at UCA Nationals, and placed third in the Central League competition.
Garman would like to acknowledge Garnet Valley Football Coach Michael Ricci for organizing the players to assist in preparing for the event, including moving more than 50 mats, which were borrowed from Penncrest, Sun Valley and Springfield high schools, Aston AA and the BYC.
Invoking Ricci’s motto of “#oneness,” Garman said, “This Garnet Valley sports program all support each other.”
She also acknowledged the continued support from Seth Brunner, the school’s athletic director.
The clinic runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and participants are asked to bring their own lunch or can purchase from snack bar provided by Garnet Valley team parents.
Walk-in teams are welcome. The cost is $35 per athlete; $5 for each participant will go toward Garnet Valley’s cheer coffers, to be used primarily for competition travel. Maplezone’s indoor facilities are located at 1451 Conchester Highway, in the Boothwyn section of Bethel Township.