Killarney’s Scorchers All-Stars share their journey in search of sponsorship and funds towards dream of competing at the The Summit Cheerleading Championships in 2018.
For the first time in history an Irish cheer-leading team has won the offer to compete at the The Summit Cheerleading Championships at the ESPN Sport Complex in Orlando, Florida, in May 2018. They’re looking for the communities help to make it there.
Margaret Dineen, the Scorchers All Stars’ Fundraising Co-Ordinator will be sharing their journey with IrishCentral’s community over the coming months. In seeking out sponsorship and raising funds Dineen said herself, “We can’t allow finance constraints to stop this talented team from competing at these championships.”
Cheer-leading is a new, but fast-growing, sport in Ireland and our club, Scorchers All Stars in Killarney County Kerry, one of the best here in Ireland… if we do say so ourselves. The club is in the south west of Ireland, in County Kerry, and we have athletes from Kerry and Cork in our club.
What is Cheer?
Cheer is a combination of acrobatic stunting, pyramids, gymnastic tumbling, and highly choreographed routines where synchronicity and difficulty are essential to a winning routine.
At Scorchers, we compete competitively at level one up to level five. We also have recreational classes. Earlier this year, we participated in Jamfest Europe in Liverpool, in the United Kingdom, and it was from this competition that the level one team earned their “fully paid bid”. We also participated in the Irish National All Stars and other Cheer competitions, including Treasure Island, 21CC in Ireland and the Worlds, in 2016, for the first time.
Killarney Scorchers All Stars at the Jamfest Europe in Liverpool, in the United Kingdom.
European champs & paid bid winners
Our team are European champions and paid bid winners. This means they have received an invitation to compete in the USA (which is required to compete at this level of competition) with paid accommodation and competition fees – however we need to fundraise for their flights and competition, and training uniforms.
This is the first time ever that an Irish team has won such an offer and we can’t allow finance constraints to stop this talented team from competing at these championships.
It was our level one small co-ed seniors team that won the paid bid to The Summit. We have fabulous kids taking part that are just oozing personality and fun and are a joy to watch.
Our level five team were preparing to go to Worlds, but our club had to decide on which championships we could afford to go to - it costs in the region of $1,788 (€1500) to send each athlete. This is a lot of money for athletes to fundraise and for families who wish to support their child at international competition it can be a huge deterrent.
The amazing talent of the Irish Scorchers All Stars.
Due to the paid bid - the club decided to go with The Summit which meant some very ecstatic children but also some disappointed children on our level five team who will have to wait another year to go Worlds.
The team practice in their own gym but also travel to other gyms from time to time. We have a number of coaches.
The club was setup by Hayley and Danny who are now married to each other and expecting their second child. Hayley is Irish, and Danny is Hungarian and are the driving force behind cheerleading here in Kerry.
We have 20 athletes in our team for The Summit ranging from our younger athletes aged 10 to the older ones aged 16 and 17.
This is a huge event for all of them. For some it will be their first time in the USA and performing at an international event, an amazing achievement for any 10-year-old from a cheer club in Ireland where the majority of their friends are on the local Gaelic football team.
European Champions
Our athletes are dedicated, talented, driven, committed, proud, and focused young people that are the ideal Irish ambassadors. The team is made up of athletes from our Killarney Club - Scorchers All Stars and are National and European winners - many members previously competed at Worlds in 2016 and in Liverpool Jamfest in the UK. We have a squad of 20 athletes who will be competing in the International Open Small Co-Ed Senior category.
Prestigious international competition
We are currently seeking to secure sponsorship and raising the necessary funds to assist us to send our 2018 Cheer Squad to the USA to compete in The Summit Cheerleading Championships at the ESPN Sport Complex in Orlando, Florida in May 2018 and are working hard to get sponsors on board.
This is an international competition with over 40 countries competing with television and online coverage. The 2018 Summit Championships is the Worlds competition for athletes ranging from 10-18 years and will be televised on networks in the USA with Online Coverage and live streaming. Cheerleading will be part of the next Winter Olympics so its importance as a sport worldwide is expanding rapidly.
If you think you can help the Killarney Scorchers All-Stars email Margaret Dineen, their Fundraising Co-Ordinator at margaretdin@gmail.com. For more information visit their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter.
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