A record Australian result at the world championships is driving a strong growth in participation in local cheerleading, with a new season about to start.
Victoria's cheerleading season kicks off this weekend still riding high after a best-ever result at the world championships.
Melbourne cheerleaders the Kelly Girls squad recorded the highest ever score by an Australian team in their first outing at the International All Stars Cheer and Dance Worlds Cup in Florida in April.
The Kelly Girls, from The Outlaws All Stars cheerleading school, achieved a score of 275.6 out of a possible 300 points and now ranks sixth in the world in the Level 5 All Girl Cheer Division.
“Since this was our first year with an all girl team, we were over the moon,” coach David James said.
This weekend they will join the state's best squads at the State Basketball Centre tin Wantirna for Winterfest, the opening competition of the season.
The squad won their bid to compete on the world stage at the Australian All Star Cheerleading Federation's (AASCF) national competition last November. Eight squads represented the federation this year, with most placing in the top 10.
Teams earn the right to compete at the world titles by receiving a “bid”, which they get by winning an accredited competition that offers them. These bids can bring with them full or part payment of the cost of attending the worlds.
Although the other Australian squads did not rank as highly as they had in previous years, AASCF spokeswoman Rosemary Sims-James is upbeat about their achievements.
“The sections are 40-60 deep of only bid-winning teams from around the world, so to finish top six to 10 is incredible,” says Ms Sims-James.
Ms Sims-James' squad, Dream Girls, also found success, placing 10th in the All Girl Level 6 Cheer Division.
Fellow Melbourne squad Legacy was the first ever Australian team to compete in the Level 6 Co-Ed Division, and placed 12th.
The teams train long and hard to prepare for the worlds titles, which are broadcast on ESPN and host about 12,000 cheer and dance athletes from Europe, Asia, New Zealand and north and south American continents, attracting 20,000 spectators across the three days.
Ms Sims-James said Dream Girls train as a squad for 12 hours a week for four months leading up to the competition.
The hard work is also paying off closer to home, with the strong international showing attracting new blood to the sport.
“Back in 2011, when I took over The Outlaws, we had around 150 cheerleaders which was big back then. We're now around the 350 mark, which means more people are wanting to get involved,” Mr James said.
AASCF is also growing consistently at a rate of 35 per cent a year, and is now the largest cheerleading federation outside the US.
The Melbourne squads are already preparing for their next competition, in order to win a bid to take part in next year’s Worlds Cup.
Rosemary Sims-James has already set the goal for Dream Girls.
“[We want] to hit Pyramid on the Day 2 at the next worlds. They were bumped down to 10th place on day 2 due to a pyramid drop – that’s the way our sport goes ... but onwards and upwards.”
Winterfest runs from Friday to Sunday, June 27 to 29 at the State Basketball Centre in Wantirna South, ahead of the National Championships in November.