Organized cheerleading has touched down in the Town of Bonnyville with the arrival of Premier Academy Cheerleading and Tumbling.
Shortly after moving into the area, local resident Melissa Kirkendall realized there were no options for cheerleaders in Bonnyville, and decided to do something about it.
“When my family got transferred here for work, we realized there was no cheerleading program. I talked to Premier Academy in Red Deer, and they offered to bring theirs here to start a group for all of the athletes in the Bonnyville area,” explained Kirkendall.
The Bonnyville academy offers two classes for kids between the ages of five and 12, with the hopes of expanding in the future.
Students will participate in a variety of both physical and mental exercises, which will help build a wide-range of skills.
“We do a lot of stunting, and tumbling, but we also like to educate our students on all aspects of cheerleading. We add a lot more than just your average cheerleading group. We'll also spread competitions out throughout the year,” said Kirkendall.
Practices began in early September, with teams being introduced to the idea of competitive routines. One month into the program, the athletes are excited for the unique opportunity ahead of them.
Some participants even switched sports to be a part of the environment created by performing in a team setting.
“I was in gymnastics for six years, but it's not really a team effort so I was hoping some sort of cheerleading team would come here. When I learned about Premier, I asked my mom, and I'm so grateful that she let me because I get to be a part of a team effort,” said Mya Lorensen youth team member.
The teams practice twice a week in the gymnasium at Duclos School, with Kirkendall handling coaching duties.
Registration is still open for the mini team, but early popularity within the community has lead to the youth team filling up fast.
“We're pretty full, but we have a couple of openings on our mini team. We had a great registration and there has been a lot of interest in the program, which is great. Unfortunately, because I'm the only coach, we have had to limit it to two teams this year,” Kirkendall.
If the program continues to enjoy a successful inaugural year, Kirkendall could expand the available divisions as early as next season. Eventually, she hopes to be able to offer the program to youth of all ages.
“It's a great sport that the children can grow with from five years old right to over 18,” expressed Kirkendall. “We're hoping next year we'll be able to offer all divisions right from five to 18.”
