Assistant coach Erica Spalti couldn’t be more proud of her cheerleading team at Kent-Meridian High School.
After a long year of after-school practices and performing in competitions, the K-M Royals varsity cheer squad moves on to compete in the United Spirit Associations National Competition in Anaheim, Calif., on March 19.
It is the Royals’ first visit to the national event in school history.
The team has raised money to fund its travel expenses since last fall.
For Spalti and her father, head coach Jerry Spalti, it marks an achievement for more than just competition. The girls ability to sustain the team’s integrity in spite of rigorous GPA and attendance requirements – the Spaltis require a 2.5 GPA standard, instead of the usual 2.0 – has been just as important as the stunts and dances the team performs.
The girls have met and exceeded the Spaltis’ expectations.
“These girls have constantly been in the shadow of bigger teams,” Erica Spalti said. “Every day they worked for small victories, whether it was nailing a set or hitting a jump.”
While the casual observer might not think of cheerleading as an intensive sport, there’s a large degree of coordination, strength and personal confidence required to perform the stunts.
“Cheerleading is a dangerous athletic activity. If you throw a ball and you drop it, you lose a down. If you throw a girl and you drop her, it’s an injury,” Erica Spalti said.
She says that the girls weren’t quite prepared to find out they made the championship.
“They’re so excited,” Erica Spalti said. “They cried for about two-and-a-half minutes when they found out they were qualified. It’s a shock and a reality for them. This is something that they did and they worked for.”
The girls’ work has even inspired Erica Spalti.
“These girls never quit, they never stop,” she said. “Their season starts after tryouts in May. They go to camp and learn their cheers and stunts and then they go to football games and basketball games. Whenever I want to give up, I just think of them.”
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