Knights cheerleaders hoping to return to nationals

Dec. 4, 2019 | Sarah Heinonen
sarah@thereminder.com

LONGMEADOW – The Longmeadow Knights are a cheerleading team run by the Longmeadow Parks and Recreation Department and is made up of 11 girls between the ages of  seven and 13. About half of those girls were on the team last year and competed at the national level.

“[They were] one of 17 teams in our division from across the country,” to compete at that level, said Head Coach Natalia Collins.

This year, the Knights hope to do it again.

The Quest Recreational Championship hosted at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL, commonly known as Disney Nationals, is the most prestigious competition for youth and recreation–level cheerleading.

“[The Knights are] a very, very dedicated squad,” said Collins who coaches the team with Jessica Prokop, MJ Ditmar and Rachel Perry.

Collins said it is “very likely” the team will qualify for the Disney Nationals at one of the four competitions taking place between December and February.

“Last year, we came in first or second at every competition,” Collins said. Doing so again would secure a “bid” for the team to compete in the 2020 nationals in March.

Competition, however, is not the only hurdle for the team to overcome. Cheerleading is not an inexpensive sport. Collins broke down the financial cost:

“Our competitions are roughly $800 to $1,­500 for each competition and we attend four to six competitions a year depending on our placement,” Collins said.

“If we win a bid to Disney our team will need to raise roughly $14,000 [for] flights, accommodations and competition fees for the team to attend,” she said.

Collins said they are hoping to attract sponsors, whether they be businesses, individuals or larger corporations, that will help ease the financial burden.

“Our sponsorships also go towards our other competitions, competition expenses, uniform items, etc.,” Collins said.

The team currently has eight sponsors, including, Blue Elephant Restaurant, Li Brothers, Longmeadow Dry Cleaners, Michael Szwed of Michael Szwed Jewelers, Jean Gagne, Fathers & Sons and Theodores’ Blues Booze & BBQ.

“The girls work extremely hard. They practice three nights a week [and] they give up spending time with their friends,” said Collins. And, she said, the Knights are “out in the community raising money,” to fund their athletic aspirations.

Anyone interested in sponsoring the Knights can  contact the Longmeadow Cheer program at longmeadowcheer@yahoo.com.

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