Schools

JFK squad cheers their way to Orlando

JV cheerleaders make first appearance at national championship

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For the first time in Kennedy High School’s history, the junior varsity cheerleading team participated in the National High School Cheerleading Championship in Orlando, Fla. After taking part in a regional competition and hosting a series of fundraisers, coach Linda Leonardo said that it was a relief to finally see the freshmen and sophomores perform their routine at the event.

“You’re adrenaline gets you through it,” said Leonardo, of the work it took for the Kennedy Cougars to get to the competition on Feb. 11 and 12 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World.

Each year cheerleading teams across the country must qualify for the NHSCC by showcasing their routine at a regional competition and earning a bid from the Universal Cheerleaders Association. This December was the first time the Kennedy Cougars performed at the Empire Regionals and attempted to advance to NHSCC. As soon as Leonardo heard that they had qualified, she began preparing the team for the contest.

This year also marks Leonardo’s first year coaching cheerleading at Kennedy High School. Previously, Leonardo, who also teaches business at Kennedy and Mepham High School, coached cheerleading at Herricks High School and Nassau Community College. She brought the NCC Cheerleading Team to the college equivalent of the NHSCC and said that she understands how much work it takes to train for a national competition. “Any coach that does it deserves a medal,” she said.

The athletes practiced for two hours after each school day, and participated in a series of weekend competitions. While co-captains Jessi Grossman and Carly Surkis said it was stressful, they agreed that a shared enthusiasm for the sport brought them to the Empire Regionals. “We all became friends,” said Grossman. “Everybody started listening to each other.” Surkis nodded and added that this year, “We worked better as a team.”

Throughout January and February the teammates held multiple fundraisers to afford the trip to Orlando. They sold chocolate-covered pretzels from Chocolate Works in Bellmore and custom-made T-shirts, and held raffles during school sporting events. The team also held a cheerleading clinic, inviting students from grades K-8 in the district to Kennedy’s gymnasium and teaching them various routines.

The team traveled to Florida with the Mepham High School Varsity Cheerleading Team, which has competed in the NHSCC multiple times. They competed in the Non-Tumbling Division at the tournament and placed 12th out of the 15.

“They hit that routine better than ever before,” said Leonardo. “Seeing that was enough.”