DeKalb Youth Football League cheerleading squad heads to nationals

DeKALB – The DeKalb Youth Football League Jr. Barb Junior Varsity Cheerleading Squad is headed for warmer temperatures in sunny Florida later this month.

After winning in regional competition, the team has qualified to compete at the next level in the Pop Warner National Championship from Dec. 7 to Dec. 14 in Orlando, Florida.

DeKalb resident Aaliyah Randle, 11, said the team trip out of state will make for a first for her, as she’s never traveled that far aside from with family.

“It’s really exciting,” Aaliyah said. “We get to be together, all together.”

Connie Storey, the team’s cheer director, said she is excited to see how the team’s hard work has paid off.

“We’ve been continuously building every year,” Storey said. “This year, we have 70 girls in cheer. Our varsity team has been small the last few years. We started the season with 14. We ended up with 12 that are going to nationals. It’s very exciting that for the first time we went to regionals, we qualified to go to nationals. This is the biggest competition we’ve ever gone to.”

Storey credits the team’s success over the course of the past season to all-around effort.

“We have had amazing coaches, and the families of all these girls have been super supportive and ready to help out, do whatever is asked this year,” Storey said. “We’ve definitely given them more work and challenged them more than, I think, we ever had because we had new coaches coming that had really high hopes for them, and they set the bar saying we’re going to nationals this year. That’s our goal the whole season. Then, they made it. So, the girls are just thrilled.”

One highlight of the team this past season has been its performance of “Can’t Stop Us,” which Storey said encapsulates the essence of the team.

“This year, we’ve really made a lot of changes,” Storey said. “Over half the team is either brand-new to this level or brand-new to our league in general. Only half our team was actually returning girls. That’s amazing that we’ve done as well. That’s really been their motto is ‘out with the old, in with the new.’”

Allyssa Randle, 11, also of DeKalb, said her favorite part about being on the cheerleading team is doing stunts with her friends.

“It’s very fun with my teammates because they’re funny and they’re my best friends,” Allyssa said.

When asked if she finds any challenge in directing a team that is a mixture of both new and returning cheerleaders, Storey said she’s had some help with managing it.

“My returners love stepping up, being leaders and teaching the new girls,” she said. “They’re always fighting over, ‘Can I lead today?’ ‘Can I be in charge?’ Like they love helping out.”

Storey said she’s proud of everything the team has accomplished. She said she doesn’t want to put too much pressure on the team as they prepare to compete in nationals.

“I don’t care if we place,” Storey said. “I mean, that would be amazing if we could place to get a trophy, but I want them to do their best. That is every competition. That is all we’ve said is, ‘We just hope you all do your best’ – that they hit all their stunts, nobody falls, nobody makes any silly mistakes, and everybody just does their best so that we represent ourselves the full of our ability.”