WESTFIELD-More than 2,500 area residents were in the stands Saturday cheering on their favorite teams in the 2016 Western Mass Cheer Exhibition at West Springfield High School. When the day featuring more than 600 cheerleaders was done, Westfield Youth Cheer had taken a “clean sweep,” according to Kim Starsiak, Cheer coordinator.
Cheering on the Westfield Youth Cheer squads were Junior coach Amy Lefebvre, Christine Medina, and Junior coach Shelley Coach.
“The girls and boys are so over-the-top and excited, I’m not sure who is happier, the kids or the parents,” said Starsiak.
The primary goal of the Westfield Youth Cheer Program, a subdivision of Westfield Youth Football, is to support and unite the community, according to Starsiak. Girls and boys in Grades 1 through 8 rehearse twice a week to fine tune their skills when cheering for the Westfield Youth Football games. Children cheer at all home games which are played at Bullens Field as well as away games in the surrounding towns.
During the exhibition, Starsiak said that the hugs and tears of joy from the kids and parents was a “sight to be seen.”
Fifteen squads from across the region showcased their four-minute routines in the pee wee, junior and senior categories, and the Westfield team was presented the Megaphone Award along with the Spirit Stick which was a “clean sweep.”
“Unfortunately, one team cannot be awarded both so Westfield chose to give up the Spirit Stick and keep the Megaphone Award which entitles us to be the host for the 2017 exhibition,” said Starsiak.
Starsiak noted that the girls and boys received the awards for several reasons, including “great sportsmanship,” as well as the “continued support” of the parents and the overall program.
“We came with an army of people who had their sights set on this goal,” said Starsiak, adding that some parents had their faces painted with pom-poms, along with others who held balloons, noisemakers, and posters.
Starsiak said that by being able to host next year’s exhibition, the cheer program will bring in “much needed revenue to give the girls and boys everything they need.”
Cheerleading squads came from cities and towns including West Springfield, Agawam, Chicopee, Easthampton, Palmer, Monson, South Hadley, Ware, Warren, West Brookfield, Westfield, Belchertown, East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, as well as squads from Franklin County.
Parents interested in enrolling their children in Westfield Youth Cheer for the 2017 season can visit www.westfieldyouthcheer.org for more details.
