A group of sparkly acrobats in purple is about to make a landing at a national competition in Oregon.
On Nov. 23, Whidbey Island Aerial Athletics’ all-star youth and junior cheerleader teams, also known as the Flyers, competed at the JAMZ Bid Challenge in Anaheim, California, sassily cartwheeling their way to the American Northwest Portland Nationals.
According to Cheer Director Kerstin Cornell, the teams needed a score of at least 70% to make the cut and earn the opportunity to prove themselves this Saturday at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland.
The juniors, a team of seven girls aged between 11 and 16, passed with a 78% score. The youth team, nine girls aged 7 to 11, passed with 86%.
WIAA co-owner Tina Provoncha pointed out the athletes had less time to prepare than other competing teams, which usually start practicing as early as May, whereas the Flyers’ cheer tryouts were held in August.
At the end of last year, Provoncha and cheer coach Amy Fallick took over the gymnastics center previously known as Rise Academy of Arts, which was suddenly announced to close.
Since then, the two co-owners rebranded the center — which is located at 275 Southeast Pioneer Way in Oak Harbor — and hired Cornell, who started the all-star cheer program and turned the preexisting cheer class into a preparatory course for kids interested in competing, as well as other instructors.
Whidbey Island Aerial Athletics is the only gymnastics center that offers all-star cheer training on Whidbey, Provoncha said. Unlike sideline cheerleaders, whose purpose is to hype up the crowd during a sports game, all-star cheerleaders hype themselves up and compete with other cheer teams, she said.
While some of the athletes have previous experience with sideline cheerleading and were enrolled at Rise, Provoncha said, none of them had ever cheered competitively.
On top of the limited experience and different skill levels, the juniors had approximately six nonconsecutive minutes to make emergency changes to the choreography they had practiced for months, Provoncha said. A member of the team was in fact found to be too old to participate in the competition, so she couldn’t get on the stage.
“We could have been very easily disqualified,” Provoncha said. “Instead, (the girls) got a nationals qualifying score on their very first time.”
Memorizing and executing a choreography can already be challenging, said Aubree Blanchaid, 12. When she realized the junior team had successfully overcome the hurdle and qualified for the nationals, she let out an internal scream.
Fallick commended all the athletes for their adaptability, which she said is one of their greatest strengths. When they first joined the brand new all-star cheer program, she recalled, they were just a group of very different girls who were trying to find their place on the team. Over a short period of time, they became a united group.
It isn’t a sport for those who get easily dizzy, as athletes perform cartwheels, lifts, jumps and pyramids to the sound of upbeat music. The coaches make sure the girls are physically and mentally prepared before assigning them more difficult stunts, Provoncha said. Regardless of their role in the team, she added, the students have become visibly more confident.
Twelve-year-old Abbigail Bliss, for example, used to be lifted into the air back when she was a recreational cheerleader, but now prefers to stay on the ground after a scary fall. This fear however hasn’t stopped her from striving to improve her other stunts. Last month, she learned to cartwheel.
Cheer also requires lots of dedication. The Flyers in fact practice for 10 hours every week on top of attending school, Cornell said, which would explain the progress made in a short period of time.
Because of space limitations at the gym, the Flyers have been practicing at North End Fitness Center, located at 2800 North Goldie Road in Oak Harbor. Eventually, Provoncha and Fallick hope to open a larger gym where they can offer more programs to give the children of Whidbey the same opportunities they would find in a big city.
Currently, Whidbey Island Aerial Athletics offers cheer, trampoline, tumbling and dance classes.
For more information, visit app.iclasspro.com/portal/wiaaflyers or search “Whidbey Island Aerial Athletics” on Facebook.
Low-income families may qualify for the WIAA General Assistance Program scholarships, which rely on community donations. To make a donation, visit givebutter.com/wiaa-gap or follow “WIAA General Assistance Program” on Facebook to get updates on fundraising opportunities.
(Photo by Luisa Loi) Mads Hettenbach, Maci Walker, Ambria Provoncha, Aubree Blanchard, Jade Garcia and Abbigail Bliss hold Adalyn Watson.
(Photo by Luisa Loi) At left, Jade Garcia, Maci Walker, Ambria Provoncha, Abbigail Bliss and Mads Hettenbach rehearse their choreography.
(Photo by Luisa Loi) At left Abbigail Bliss, Ambria Provoncha, Jade Garcia and Aubree Blanchard practice a lift in a fast-paced two-and-a-half-minute choreography.
