Another Charger Welcome.....and more comments & tips

A big CLA Charger welcome to Joelle Svendsen! Joelle will be a junior this year at CLA. We are thankful for her cheerful and enthusiastic spirit and look forward to her being a great addition to our squad!

As everyone slowly returns from summer vacations, cheerleading practice is well underway and we are gearing up for our first football season at CLA! Let's get those old cheers reviewed so we can move on and learn some new ones!

Mr. Rowland visited practice today and told us of his plans for volunteer time with the Booster Club activities and a little of his philosophy as the new AD. We look forward to a great year. Start thinking of what you would like to help the Booster Club with. Perhaps you can get your time in at Homecoming.

We worked on a toe touch drill today.
Here are some drills for perfecting your toe touches:

• Start off by stretching out. Make sure you are warmed up before you actually throw any jumps to avoid pulling or straining muscles.

• Next do 3 sets of leg lifts: sit in a straddle on the floor, hands are behind you for support (hands should be on the floor, under or near your tail), slightly lean back and lift both legs (about a foot off the floor), keep your legs STRAIGHT, WITHOUT your legs touching the floor lift them 10 times, release, count to 10 for a breather and repeat. Do a total of 3 sets. Leg lifts are hard but it will strengthen your legs and improve the height of your jumps!!!

• After leg lifts we do side high kicks: arms in a T motion, with right leg kick 5 times, breather for for 5 seconds, switch to left leg 5 times.

• Ready to begin: Throw your toe touch, count 5-6-7-8, throw another, then repeat 10 times.

When you are throwing your toe touch:

1. Make sure you have a good prep (feet and legs together, bending knees, keeping your back straight). Really concentrate on using the muscles in your legs when prepping, after all that is how you get off the ground in the first place :).
2. When you are in your toe touch position (in the air) DON'T reach for your legs. Arms should be in a 'T'. Bring your legs to your arms, not arms to your legs!
3. Keep your legs straight. Bent knees make a toe touch look sloppy.
4. POINT YOUR TOES, and when landing, make sure your feet are together...
   
5. DON'T FORGET TO SMILE!! :)
   

Don't forget to call me if you can't make practice - we need you there - we have a lot to learn!

Coach *\0/*

Something to Cheer About...

Great First Practice Cheerleaders!
I thank the Lord for you all and for your good spirit and dedication! The Lord has blessed us with a great group of cheerleaders this year and I look forward to the year ahead. Captains Susanna and Katie L. are already the leaders I had hoped they would be and

A big welcome to Anna de la Cruz, a new 9th grade student to CLA this year! We look forward to getting to know her and are thankful for her wonderful spirit and desire to be a CLA cheerleader.

Some cheerleading goals to embrace:

• to give our Lord Jesus Christ pre-eminence in all we do
• to teach "state of the art" cheerleading techniques, material and methods while maintaining Christian standards ... being "contemporary without compromise"
• to promote and require academic excellence among cheerleaders as well as other athletes
• to develop, advise and educate cheerleaders on safety guidelines and techniques
• to recognize cheerleaders as the athletes they are
• to encourage and promote creativity and enthusiasm with a "be the best you can be" attitude
• Build PEOPLE Before PYRAMIDS
  
• boost school spirit
• promote good sportsmanship
• develop positive crowd involvement
• provide encouraging, enthusiastic team support
• create a cooperative, loyal, spirit withing the student body as well as with alumni, parents, fans, and faculty
  

"And whatsoever things ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ." (Colossians 3:23-24)

Cheer Practice Starts Tomorrow!

Looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow and meeting the new girls that want to be on the team. Read through the previous post for what to bring. In addition to that, don't forget any paperwork that I sent to you in the mail and your own Cheer Books from last year - new cheerleaders I will have a copy for you.

See you tomorrow.
Coach*\O/*

"I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected." Phil. 1:5

Practice Starts August 12th

Varsity Cheerleading practice starts Tuesday, August 12th at 12:30PM in the Grace Gym Loft.

• We will practice every Tuesday and Thursday from 12:30PM to 3:30PM until school starts.

• If you did not give me your permission forms, I have sent them to you to complete and return to me on Tuesday, August 12th. Your testimony also needs to be completed on page 4.

• Our new Athletic Director, Mr. Steve Rowland, is asking for your Sports Exams to be done ASAP. Please bring them with you Tuesday, if you have already had it done. If not, please give me a date when they will be completed, so I can let him know.

• Come ready to practice! Eat a light lunch so you don't get sick during practice. Bring a water bottle and/or Gatoraide or a vitamin drink. It will be hot, so dress appropriately AND "non-conspicuously". We will be working on conditioning and learning cheers for the football season.

• Each cheerleader should try and find or make up a new cheer. Look at your cheer books and find something new. Football cheers are needed since this is our first year for football.

• Accountability is key to our success this season. It is your responsibility to let me know when you cannot be at a practice.
  

Looking forward to seeing you this Tuesday!
Go Chargers *\O/*

Welcome to the 2008-2009 Cheer Season!

Welcome to the CLA Varsity Cheerleading Blog. We had such a great season last year. I hope you are looking forward to this season as much as I am! Keep up to date by checking this blog often for announcements, encouragement, perhaps some inspiration, advise at times, etc...
Let's have a great season! Coach Nancy
"He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along." Psalm 40:7


My reflections from our first Cheerleading Candlelight Ceremony:


"Coaching cheerleading this year has been a wonderful and rewarding experience for me. Thank you, Linnea, for thinking of me when a coach was needed for the Varsity team. I have known some of you since you were little girls in school with Vince, so it has been fun to spend this time with you as your coach. Parents, thank you for sharing your daughter with us this season. Senior parents, you know these four years have flown by. You gave us your little girls and now we have in front of us the young ladies they have become. Freshmen parents, you will be amazed at how quickly these years pass. Enjoy this time with your daughter.

Cheerleaders, your Light is your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and He unites you and serves as your guiding light in times of challenge. Never be afraid to shine bright. God has given all of us a light that He wants displayed with pride. Remember that at the end of today, when the candles are blown out, your light will still be burning within you, and the flames of truth, love, and service will never die.

It is not always easy for us to shine as Christians. There is no doubt that some days are better than others, yet we strive for a ‘constant’ walk and a constant shining. Called and chosen by God, we will uphold our savior and will not be trodden underfoot. We will persevere and last when others faint and fail simply because God has chosen us in Christ from the foundation of the world, and none of His shall be lost. We may not have much confidence in our own ability to last the course, but we should be absolutely and fully persuaded of the Lord’s Will to save His own.

It is with the confidence of knowing that we have been chosen in Christ Jesus prior to us even taking our first breath in this world that should encourage us to shine for Him. We are daily discouraged by our constant sinning, yet the blood that cleanses us from sin is greater than any or all sin that we will ever commit. We are sinners, hence the need of a Savior! The price of our redemption has been paid in full. The ultimate sacrifice for sin has been made and accepted by God. There is perfect redemption for all sinners who believe in Jesus.

Jesus is the Light of the world. We are found complete in Him. He is our refuge and our strength. He is our shelter from the storm. He is our hiding place. He is our Salvation. All our vain and hopeless attempts to appease God died with Him. We no longer walk in our own strength, we walk in Him. We walk in the Light!

Our battle is to stay united to Him at all times. If we walk in the Light, then there is no doubt that we shall shine."

Candlelight Ceremony:
The passing of the flame is not just the bright burning candlelight, but the flame of tradition, friendship, family, togetherness, and love. It's the passing of the candle, flame touching flame, and heart touching heart – a tradition of remembrance to officially end this great season.
Each Senior lit a candle from one of the four candles on the table. Each candle represented important life values: red for love & caring; green for hope, growth, life, & the future; blue for truth, honesty, loyalty, sincerity - the color of heaven, and white - a symbol of purity, innocence and holiness. Seniors then lit their fellow cheerleader’s candles and then each cheerleader lit her guests’ candles and presented a red rose to their mothers. I shared my reflections on the season (above). Parents, family and friends then shared a few words about their cheerleader. Cheerleaders had to remain silent at this time unless they were sharing about their Big or Little Sister. I presented our new captains for next year: Susana Forsythe and Katie Landeweer and thanked parents and friends for all of their help especially Ralph and Vicki Rollins, Amor Gonzales, and Dawn Savage. Finally, graduating Cheerleaders beginning with our Captain, LeyAmor, shared their farewell thoughts and then extinguished their candles.

Awards:
Captain / Leadership Award: Leyamor Gonzales
Most Valuable Cheerleader: Allison Rollins
Flyer Award: Linnea Kramer
Spirit Award: Katie Forstrom
Best Base Award: Kimberly Fabbri
Most Improved Cheerleader: Lexi Adams
Charger Award: Leyamor Gonzales
2008 Cheer Medals: Lexi Adams, Jordyn Aragon, Kimberly Fabbri, Katie Forstrom, Susanna Forsythe, Alexis Garcia, Leyamor Gonzales, LeyAnne Gonzales, Ruthie Hamgeri, Linnea Kramer, Tessa Kramer, Katie Landeweer, Katie Morrison, Allison Rollins, & Lauren Salomonson

Thank you cheerleaders for the wonderful gifts! The roses lasted 2 weeks! and were beautiful. I love the picture and your loving comments. Seniors, I will miss you! You made the season very special and I was so glad to be able to be your coach. It was a special year for me because of you all. May the Lord greatly bless you as you graduate. Come back and visit me often!!! I love you all.