Pom pom and circumstance

Eleanor Burke of Dal's power cheerleading squad. (Nick Pearce Photo)

Michelle Weger arrived for her first year of study in health sciences last September with the idea of joining a cheerleading club. The only problem was there was no such club at Dalhousie.

So she did what any enterprising 18 year old in a new city would do—formed her own. Ms. Weger, a member of the Black Widow Cheer Gym in Ottawa, started a Facebook group to recruit people and in no time had 75 applications. After tryouts, that number whittled down to 30.
 
“I actually considered going to Waterloo just for cheerleading,” explains Ms. Weger, “but I decided that Dal would be a better fit for me academically, so I decided to bring cheerleading to Dalhousie.”
 
Cheerleading has evolved over the past 20 years with the introduction of many safety guidelines and other regulations. Combining elements of gymnastics, fitness and dance, it is now a globally recognized sport with national and international competitions.
 
The Dalhousie club is divided into four stunt teams, each with five members, as well as a 10 person dance squad. Ms.Weger says she’s impressed with how far the group has come in such a short a time.
 
“The majority of the club really had no experience so they did whatever we told them to and now it’s become a very close group with a lot of trust, which is usually the hardest part to get.”
 
Trust was backed up with the knowledge that both Ms. Weger and her friend Warren Oskani are certified level-two coaches. They are permitted to teach any stunts with open hand rotations, but not with any twists.
 
Like any start-up enterprise, the biggest challenge is finding money. The group is currently completely self-funded and members have already shelled out $250 each for uniforms.  
 
The team practices at Dalplex, but without a full floor they are forced to split the group up and use the climbing wall crash mats to work on stunts.  Raising money to purchase proper training equipment is Ms. Weger’s long-term goal, but she understands that a full training floor which costs about $20,000 may be a long way off. The team will be engaging in some fundraising activities to help offset their costs.
 
The benefits of having a cheerleading club on campus are numerous – health and fitness, school spirit, enhancing Dalhousie’s public image. Jenna Day, a third-year psychology major, believes it may ultimately help the image of athletics at Dalhousie as a whole, “because cheerleading is not something that Dal has had, so the exposure the club generates should benefit Dal sports in general.”
 
Ms. Day’s fellow club mates echo her sentiments, adding they’re grateful for the club’s formation for more selfish reasons. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and I was very excited when I found out about the club (and) I jumped at the chance to join,” says Brittany Tozer, adding that “it’s a great way to stay in shape.”
 
The future looks bright in Ms. Weger’s eyes, she believes that the club will be able to strongly compete in and win competitions over the next few years. “Our ultimate goal is to win everything we enter,” she says with a smile. Of course, after coming this far so fast what would you expect her to say?