THESE are youngsters that did Finglas proud last month when they won five out of six Grand Champion titles at Ireland’s biggest ever cheerleading competition.
The Irish All Star Nationals Championships were held in Castlebar, Co Mayo, and a team of 85 young people from Finglas proved to the rest of country that they’re the best in their class.
Over 450 athletes from Ireland took part in the championships wowing the judges with routines consisting of high energy tumbling, acrobatic jumps and dance skills.
There were events for human pyramids, throwing people the highest, tumbling harder and faster and competitors were required to do it all in a matter of seconds.
But it was the Finglas youngsters on the North Dublin Wildcats programme – which consists of Strike Force, Pantherz, Tigerz and the KiddieKatz – who impressed time and time again after each routine.
The committed athletes train twice weekly in the WFTRA Centre, Finglas West where over 100 young people aged between 4-18 years from all over North Dublin and Co Kildare gather weekly to perfect their skills.
The teams went through some hardships in the build up to last month’s big event with injuries and people leaving the program right before the competition.
But their struggles only made victory all the sweeter for the 240 people who travelled to Mayo from Dublin when the results were announced.
The teams entered 14 national divisions and came out on top in 13. The Grand National champion title is taken from each age group’s highest score in the championships. And it was the Finglas based Wildcats and Strike Force teams who won them all, and also the Hip Hop and Pom Pom dance divisions.
There was one grand champion title the program did not win, but only because they didn’t compete in the divisions that made them eligible for it.
Coach Hayden McGurk was naturally proud of her charges.
“The program has been running since 2008 with lots of voluntary support from coaches and parents and this success highlights just how much communities in north Dublin can pull together and help create positive memories in these young people’s lives,
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“I hope people out there now can stand up and see these young athletes for what they are. Gone are the days when cheerleaders used to just wave pom poms, they now throw people and have to follow intense training regimes. We are all very proud of each and every one of our athletes.
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The athletes are now looking forward to taking part in international championships next year at Future Cheer in Bournemouth while a group of senior athletes will compete next April at the Cheerleading World Championships in Florida, USA as Team Ireland.