Trading Sweat for Strength

Red Devils Cheer and Dance Teams

The Allen Community College Cheer and Dance Teams pose for a picture in uniform.

Ke'Voughn Manning, Sports Editor
January 17, 2018

The Allen Community College Cheer and Dance team is led by head coach Chelsea Jackson. On March 11t 2018 the team will compete at the Region VI conference competition held at Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, Kan.

The team prepares every day by practicing elite skills such as pyramids, basket tosses, and complex group and co-ed stunts. The cheer team also works on conditioning so that they can show energy in their cheers, jumps, and transitions. For the dance team, halftime routines are preparation for competition and Jackson makes the techniques more difficult for each performance.

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Never take a moment here for granted, you have an opportunity to be a part of something at the collegiate level and to be surrounded by people who have the same passion as you for this sport.

— Coach Jackson

A normal practice consists of warm up, sprints, HIIT warm up, and deep stretching for both cheer and dance. The cheer team furthers its warm up by practicing co-ed stunts, group stunts and tumbling, and with extra time they work on jumps and cheers, while the dance team focus on new techniques and routines.

This year Jackson feels that her team has more elite stunts and tumbling skills than in her previous years of coaching.

“They are more athletic and came in with more technique and talent,” said Jackson.

The Cheer and Dance team gains it’s performing energy from the crowd’s engagement during performances.

“I wish there were more crowd involvement with cheering,” said Jackson. The team’s overall goal is to teach the crowd how to follow along with chants.

There have been injuries on both teams consistently for the past few years.

“When a teammate is injured teammates are always shocked at first, then they come together to comfort their teammate,” said Jackson. During the games the team always try to involve the injured teammate.

In order to be a part of the cheer team, an individual must have high school cheer experience, gymnastics training is preferred but is not required, and flexibility is required. In order to be a part of the dance team, an individual must have dance experience, and studio technique training.

Coach Jackson has high expectations for the members of both teams both physically and academically. Study hall is mandatory for two hours a week. Negative ESP’s result in disciplinary action after the first time. For the first time, Jackson and the individual student will talk with teachers to figure out tutoring.

Disciplinary actions for the team are based on the severity of the situation. A troubled athlete’s disciplinary actions may consist of missed games, community service, punishment workouts, or uniforms being taken away, and the individual will have to earn them back.

“Wearing an Allen uniform is a privilege,” said Jackson. “Never take a moment here for granted. You have an opportunity to be a part of something at the collegiate level and to be surrounded by people who have the same passion as you for this sport.”