Rockmart’s cheerleaders looking for return to state in 2017
Rockmart's cheerleaders are back and ready for the kickoff of their fall season and all the t umbling, pyramids stunts, and rooting for the school's athletes that goes with it.
Under the guidance of returning coach Jean Marie Tibbits, the cheer squad began conditioning over the summer where they underwent various exercises designed to increase strength, flexibility, and stamina.
Conditioning serves as an important basis for any stunt, and the ons l aught of exercise helped the girls who attended a camp dedicated to teaching the squad a new routine. Mandatory cheer practice began Aug. 1, and the season for the Lady Jackets competition cheer squad will start in September.
All of the cheerleader's training was in preparation for both the football season and the cheer team's own competition season.
Accompanying the football team during their games to help lead fans in cheers from the sideline, the squad can always be found on the sidelines helping boost morale.
But beginning next month, the cheerleaders will face off against other schools and demonstrate the effort and hard work in the form a routine combining difficult stunts and skillful teamwork.
While Rockmart's routine isn't quite public yet, Tibbits shared that the girls would be “doing high level stunts and tumbling during the competition routine.”
Tibbits also shared they do “different training for the competition side of cheerleading.
"The level of difficulty for competition is much greater than it is for football," she said.
She said the team's main goal was “to get in the top four at region which would advance us to the state competition.”
Rockmart is already in a region packed with powerhouse competition cheerleading on all levels. State champion Cedartown is just a 15 minute drive away, and not far from them is perennial favorites in teams like Coosa, Pepperell, Darlington, Rome i n Floyd County, not to mention others like Gordon Lee, Chattooga, Trion, Sonoraville, Calhoun and more, just to name a few.
Going up against these schools in region competition will be the focus of Tibbits squad in the coming weeks, with Friday nights as a nice break from the daily routine of ensuring their performance is perfect when it comes time to face the judges.
That's why Tibbits said she was focused more on the week- to- week improvement of the squad.
"All competitions are important. In our region, each school is extremely talented," she said. "We work to perform better each week.”
While yet to secure a championship in cheerleading, Rockmart is no stranger to the state level competition.
In 2009 the Rockmart cheerleaders banded together and performed and at the state level, and once again reached the state level in 2012.
The cheerleaders don't need to win at the regional level to qualify for state, but the group must place very well for the privilege.
The team's first time on the floor begins with competition Sept. 9 at Coosa, and will follow with weekends at Cartersville on Sept. 23, Rome on Sept. 30, Calhoun on October 14, Adairsville on Oct. 21, North Paulding on Oct. 28, and the region competition will cap their regular season on November 4. State competition in Columbus will be held on the following Friday and Saturday, Nov. 10 and Nov. 11.
The girls will first step into the Friday night lights when they cheer on Rockmart's football players during the Rockmart vs. Cedartown game on Aug. 18 before providing morale for the remainder of the season.
“We love the positive environment this sport provides for girls who l ove being part of a team,” Tibbits said. “We are working to build relationships with these girls that will help them to be better students, cheerleaders, and people. Most of all, we want these girls to be successful when they leave Rockmart High School."