The South Tyneside Cheerleading club heading towards international success

A local cheerleading club in South Tyneside are celebrating the success of their teams after receiving a bid to compete in a prestigious competition held in Florida.

South Tyneside JETS Cheerleading is an elite all-star competitive cheerleading club which was founded in 2009. The club began with only 12 children as part of the team, who cheered purely for the fun of it. However, over the past 12 years, the club has hugely expanded.

In the current cheerleading season, South Tyneside JETS Cheerleading is made up of 11 competition teams from Tiny Cheer up to Senior Cheer, two international teams, and teams for those who do not wish to compete.

Head coach Emma Louise Mcardle said: “Once an interest grew and more children joined the sport we decided to become a competitive cheerleading club and compete in national competitions, becoming national champions, grand champions and European champions multiple times throughout the years. We have now been a competitive club for 12 years and are continuing to strive and build a very successful cheerleading programme.”

South Tyneside JETS Cheerleading pride themselves on being the most affordable and accessible cheerleading club in the region, offering a wide range of classes. They also provide a “holiday camp” during school holidays, which supports children’s physical health and wellbeing, as well as parents and guardians who may struggle to find time off during the school holidays.

Emma said: “South Tyneside JETS Cheerleading is now so much more than a team, so much more than your average hobby. It has become a lifestyle that is shared by all the athletes and the rate at which the group is growing just goes to demonstrate how infectious it is.”

South Tyneside JETS Cheerleading accepts a wide range of ages within their club, starting from three years old. Their oldest athlete, who is also a coach on the team, is aged 23. Emma explained: “There is a team for everyone. We offer opportunities to progress at every level and are open to all genders, ethnicity and we pride ourselves on being affordable to all families.”

Read South Tyneside’s news on the go with our free email newsletters - bringing the headlines to your inbox. Catch up on the day’s news and sport and enjoy even more from your Gazette. Visit our website here to find out more and sign up.

To ensure that South Tyneside JETS Cheerleading delivers excellent coaching for all athletes, they have a dedicated team who work tirelessly to train the young cheerleaders. Alongside head coach and director Emma, coaches Jess Fawcett, Leyoni Kidd, Charlotte Thompson and Mckenzie Seales are part of the main coaching team, while Young Leaders and Team Mams volunteer their time to help out.

Emma said: “South Tyneside JETS Cheerleading is an elite all-star club that strives to do well at competitions and to help our children grow into amazing athletes.”

Emma explained that each child that attends a try-out for South Tyneside JETS Cheerleading will be guaranteed a place on a team, based on their skills. She said: “We understand that cheerleading is not just about competitions and the results, but the development of athletes that train with us as young people. We aim to instil important values and life lessons to those we coach, and our athletes work as part of a team towards a shared goal, which often results in lifelong friendships.”

Now, after achieving huge success in national competitions, South Tyneside JETS Cheerleading are currently gearing up for an incredible international competition held in Orlando, Florida.

Emma explained: “A lifelong goal as a club has always been to receive a bid to The Summit, which is held in Orlando, Florida. The Summit is the main and final cheerleading competition of the season for level 1 to 6 Junior and Senior teams. The competition is open for both US and international teams and is a highly competitive event. Only teams who earned bids throughout the season are able to compete, making it an exclusive “best of the best” competition.

“The Summit is often referred to as the World Championship for lower level cheerleading. A dream has always been for our athletes to have the amazing experience to compete at The ESPN Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando, Florida.

“This is an incredible opportunity that our athletes fully deserve to experience and be a part of. Thousands of teams compete every year and the event has become the biggest, most prestigious competition for many teams around the world and we cannot wait to show what our Cheerleading Club from South Tyneside can do.”

Emma continued: “I am forever proud of our athletes and I can’t wait to share this experience with them. This is just a stepping stone for our athletes and our gym, I know they can achieve great things.

“We will continue to build our athletes and level up to become world capable athletes and it is an honour to coach such dedicated and committed children.”

Those interested in joining South Tyneside JETS Cheerleading are encouraged to sign up through the club’s website.