Trophies and medals are far from the only measure of success and growth for the Youth Athletics Recreation Development (YARD) cheerleading program.
The coaches of the YARD Knights, split into a junior team from ages 7 to 12 and a senior team from ages 10 to 18, hope to instill a family environment that the girls can use to grow as athletes and as leaders.
Their vision is off to a good start as the YARD Knights have improved their scores with each competition in its second season, culminating in a successful trip to the Washington State Cheer Coaches Association (WSCCA) junior state competition at Yelm High School on Sunday, Jan. 19.
The senior team finished third in the traditional tumbling category, while the juniors placed sixth in traditional tumbling at the competition in front of a full house. YARD cheer coach Ashley Spelker said the girls “nailed” everything they were taught to do during the state routine, which she added was impressive because about half of the athletes have not competed before this season started in September.
“They were fantastic. They didn’t drop anything, which was super important,” Spelker said. “We got compliments from the judges on our team spirit. In the past few competitions, the girls weren’t super excited and showing the excitement to go out there. This competition, all we did was practice showing that you’re proud to be there and show your skills.”
Spelker and the cheer coaches challenged their juniors to perform a basket toss stunt that they learned in mid-December, and their seniors had to adapt to a new stunt routine with just eight days before the state meet.
Spelker said the routines helped further the program’s goal of creating a family atmosphere that encourages leadership and rooting not just for each other but for other teams, as well.
“I want the girls to always rely on each other. We are a nice, tight-knit little family. We make sure that we’re supportive and we’re supporting everyone and utilizing the skills that we have,” she said. “It’s important when you’re out on the mats to look like a family. If you look like a family, you cheer like a family, and then you’re all cohesive in one unit.”
One way that the YARD cheer coaches noticed their vision of cohesiveness come to fruition was when athletes began writing inspirational notes on the whiteboard in the back room of the YARD facility. The notes were not just for the cheerleaders but for any athlete or coach that would pass through the building. Cheerleaders wrote something different on the whiteboard every practice, and it’s become a staple of their practice for whichever athlete arrives first to write the quote.
One note from an athlete read, “You are amazing and strong and brave and wonderful. Remember that.”
“It’s touching to your heart as an adult. Your athletes that you are teaching are wanting to better other athletes at the same time,” Spelker said. “We don’t just cheer on our team. We cheer on all the teams. You need to be a positive athlete and cheer on those girls, as well.”
YARD co-owner Michelle Stephan said the cheer program embodies what YARD is hoping to accomplish in helping youth advance to the next level in every endeavor.
“There was some leadership [activities] that the older girls got to do, which is really important to us. Going forward, I would really like to see the older [girls] mentor the younger [girls] more and really create that team spirit,” Stephan said. “I think it’s so important to instill in kids to give back to our communities. Sometimes your community is just the cheer community, but other times, it’s bigger.”
Spelker said the YARD Knights have grown from eight cheerleaders on one team last season to 12 cheerleaders across two teams this year. The foundation for success and development has been established in the coaches’ eyes, and they’re looking forward to building upon it with additional tumbling and strength classes, as well as basketball cheer.
“The more girls we get, the more we’ll grow. It will be beneficial for the athletes to see the different dynamic when each person brings their skills to the team,” Spelker said. “Our goal going into competitions, any competition, is we want to compete against ourselves because, yes, getting trophies and placing is fantastic. But bettering yourself and your team is more important, and making sure that we’re growing as a team instead of trying to win.”
