A FINGLAS based group of young athletes are dreaming of international glory after being given the go-ahead to represent Ireland at a world championship event in Florida.
A team of 24 from Strike Force All Star cheerleaders now have an opportunity to take part in the ICU Cheerleading World Championships, but they’re struggling to raise funds for the trip to the US.
“Due to the location and nature of the event there is a substantial cost to the team, as cheer is not a recognised sport in Ireland,
? explained Strike Force coach, Hayden McGurk.
“The team, athletes and coaches receive no funding whatsoever and rely on the generosity of family members and local people in the Finglas area.
“They have to raise enough to fund national team uniforms, tracksuits, footwear, training gear and competition entry fees.
“The team has struggled to obtain sponsorship from national businesses and corporations, which is ultimately going to lay all the costs for the athletes on their parents’ feet.
?
Strike Force All Stars aren’t typical cheerleaders. In fact they pride themselves as being driven, disciplined, focused, talented and very competitive.
They consider themselves athletes, and if you saw them perform you’d see why. Routines consist of highly skilled acrobats, tumbling, jumps, pyramid building, people throwing and dance; all combined into a beautifully flawless, choreographed routine.
In competitive cheerleading, performances are judged on difficulty, execution of moves and cleanest routines. Falls, wobbles or sloppy transitions can be costly, meaning constant training and practice is vital.
And that’s exactly what Strike Force All Star cheerleaders do.
The teams are conditioned to the same level as other international athletes. The same commitment and work ethic is required and the sport in Ireland is increasing in popularity, especially amongst young females.
Strike Force has 10 teams for athletes between the ages of 4-22 and they’ve been crowned Irish All Star Champions since the program’s inception in 2008. In 2013 and 2014 Strike Force teams won gold medals at the annual all-star European competition held in the UK.
The top team at Strike Force,
‘Snipers’ was awarded a chance to bid to represent Ireland in the Cheerleading World Championships this April by the Irish Cheer Sport Association (ICSA) .
Snipers is a team of females and males from all over Dublin and Kildare, selected because of their talent and proven results, and they’re confident they’ll put Ireland on the international cheer map.
They’ve given up all their weekends over the past six months, training and practising relentlessly for the finals.
The ICU Cheerleading World Championships takes place every year in the ESPN Wide World of Sport and is aired on US national television.
The championships host over 16,000 athletes from 105 nations across the globe, all hoping to make it through the preliminary rounds and get into the final to compete for the coveted title and gold medals.
To help raise funds for
‘Snipers’ to represent Ireland in the championships, Strike Force is running a showcase of all its teams at the National Basketball Arena, Tallaght, on February 8.
Teams performing will include the Baby Blue team, who are all aged around four, and European Champions, the Strike Force Fierce team.
Doors open for the showcase at 3pm. All profits from the event will go towards supporting the team to get to the World Championships and proudly fly the flag for Ireland.
Showcase tickets cost from
?¬8 for children and
?¬10 for adults and are available online at www.strikeforce.ie.