Perth Voice Interactive

WA’S most talented cheerleaders will be jet-setting to the United States next week for the International Cheer Union World Cheerleading Championships in Orlando, Florida. 

Five teams representing Australia will be competing at the championships, but the junior team is predominantly made up of WA athletes aged between 14 and 18 – just two are from interstate. 

Team Australia athlete Bianca Stanes is confident in the squad’s ability to perform in Orlando, saying the work and effort they’ve put into their routines will pay off. 

“We’ve scoped out the competition and we’ve got some of the best skills,” Ms Stanes said.

“If we are able to hit the routine, I think we can win.” 

Ms Stanes says there are misconceptions and stereotypes around cheerleading (the pom-pom and shouting type) which doesn’t take into account the athleticism and skill required for the sport. 

“People don’t really think about the training and effort that goes into it, because they think we just put together a routine.

“Really, there’s a lot of true work and conditioning behind every single stunt and tumble.”

Coach and TNT All Stars Cheer owner Stephanie Bateman, campaigned for WA to have its own team and is excited to see so much WA talent represented on the world stage. 

“I think it’s really important that WA gets their own team, because it kind of gives emerging athletes from our state the opportunity to step up be able to compete at this level,” Ms Bateman said. 

“Most of the camps that we host for Team Australia are over East, and it’s really expensive for athletes from WA to travel for all the camps, and travel to Florida on top of that. 

“I presented to them that, and if any athletes from interstate want to come to it they absolutely can, but it would predominantly be made up of athletes from WA. 

“It just gives us that opportunity to show what we’ve got over here.” 

Tryouts for the Team Australia junior squad were held at Ms Bateman’s Booragoon gym at the end of last year, and via video for interstate hopefuls. 

Ms Bateman is also eager for cheerleading to break free from the hyper-feminised, vapid stereotypes it can get lumped with, and have it recognised as “the ultimate team sport”. 

“It’s not just doing dancing on a field with pom poms, we’re actually doing routines that get judged for a number of different components,” she said. 

“It’s a combination of gymnastics and acrobatics combined into one.

The competition will be held between April 24-26.