IN Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall Spring 2016 | Page 51

SPONSORED CONTENT BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT SPONSORED CONTENT South Hills Synergy All Star Competitive Cheerleading ~ The Competitive Side of Y ou may know of Lindsey’s Tumbling School, but did you know that it has a competitive cheerleading program? South Hills Synergy All Stars is a 60-member troupe with 22 additional members on the noncompetitive pre-team, which has been going strong for over four years. As far as athletic activities go, All Star cheerleading combines elements of tumbling, dance, stunting and traditional cheerleading skills such as jumps and motions. Teams can consist of up to 36 athletes performing exciting, professionally choreographed 2½-minute routines set to music. All Star Cheer consists of five levels, and has age groups fr om tiny to senior for ages 18 and under. Synergy currently has four teams: Youth Level 1, Youth Level 2, Senior Level 2, and Junior Level 3. Travel for the team is kept at a minimum, which not only makes the program more financially viable for parents, it also means less time spent on the road for competitions. Synergy competes in seven or eight local Pittsburgh competitions from November to March. Training, however, is year-round, with the active season being September - March. “We started with one team, and have added a team each year as we grew,” said Lindsey DelGreco, owner. “We do plan to continue this pattern to offer more age groups and levels as necessary. Last year, our Junior Level 2 team took first place at the Battle at the Capitol National Championships in Washington, D.C., and earned a paid bid to the U.S. Finals earlier in the season. So we’re not just growing, we’re succeeding as a team as well.” All South Hills Synergy coaches are first aid and CPR certified and credentialed through the USASF, which governs the sport. Together, the coaches have backgrounds in all aspects of All Star Cheer – coaching, judging and choreographing – middle and high school cheer, recreational cheer, gymnastics, and dance. Lindsey’s Tumbling School Right now is the time when new members are welcome to join the team and put their best feet forward. They will have the opportunity to join teammates from several area school districts in our brand-new training facility with full air conditioning, full competitive spring floor, seven-panel dead mat, tumble track and pit, and additional training mats. The season starts with squad placements, DelGreco explains. “Everyone practices together for a couple of weeks and then coaches work together to place each member on a squad. Everyone makes a squad – there are no cuts,” she said. “The squads are created by taking into consideration the athlete’s age, ability, and stunting positions. We use all information to create the best and strongest teams for the season.” Once on a squad, choreography practice begins, which is typically two to three days a week for 4-6 hours each day. This is when the foundation for the routine for the season is taught. After that, in-season practices start where the training for the upcoming competition season gets even more focused, and the routine is honed to perfection. The cheerleaders plan to practice 2-3 times a week for about 1.5-2.5 hours a practice. In addition to cheer practices, many attend private tumbling lessons or classes to increase their individual skills. For more information about All Star Cheer go to facebook.com/shsynergy or email [email protected]. You can also find information on any of the programs at Lindsey’s Tumbling School at facebook.com/ Lindseystumblingschool. Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall | Spring 2016 | icmags.com 49