Pigtails, pompoms and pumping fists—oh my! The cheerleaders are coming.
By Sarah Klein
Photograph by Katherine Bish
The excitement in the America’s Center this January will be about as thick as the hard candy that some girls will exchange with little notes that trill “Good luck this year!” Parents and fans dressed in bright colors and equipped with large signs will fill the center, shouting out encouragement. Clusters of tumblers will gather in circles before taking their turns in front of the crowd, praying on their knees or jumping and clapping.
Yes, teams of cheerleaders, pommers and hip-hop aficionados will yet again come from all over to compete at the American Spirit Championships Northern National Finals, January 19–21. This will be the 13th ASC competition in the River City—and for one St. Louis team, the championship will be a chance for a couple of archrivals to bury the glittery, tasseled hatchet.
Cheer Legendz combines what used to be St. Louis Extreme and Spirit Elite. But now that the two teams are working together, cold stares and the silent treatment have been replaced with supportive cheers.
“ASC is a great competition for us,” says Stephanie Travis, one of two Cheer Legendz head coaches. “It’s our hometown, so we bring in a lot of support. It’s kind of like when the Cardinals are at home.”
That support will help. The advanced teams must complete tumbling moves perfectly, and even the most minuscule of mistakes—a bent leg, less-than-rigid arms, a rogue hair bow—will result in lost points.
“There are some tears and anxiety ... and a few throw up,” says Travis. Good thing they’ve got those bows to hold their hair up, huh?
