World Cheerleading Championships 2023

Ria and Raegan gave a lively and entertaining talk about the participation in the World Cheerleading Championships 2023 and their journey to get there.

Having been involved in cheerleading for many years with All Stars and Stripes Cheer and Dance (ASCD) Ria and Raegan had dreamt of competing as part of Team Scotland. Last year they attended trials in Irvine where they had to demo their skills and were successful in achieving a place in team Scotland.

The girls had to attend a three-hour training schedule in either Glasgow or Irvine once a fortnight, long days when you include the travel time as well. In addition to that they were still training three nights a week with ASCD as well.

The World Cheerleading Championship 2023 was to be held in Florida at a cost of £2,900 per participant. The girls sought sponsorship wrote from local business and organisations, including Rotary Elgin, and also decided to undertake a number of fundraising activities, these involved:

·         Halloween hamper,

·         Coffee morning, with raffle, bottle stall and cakes baked by the girls,

·         Whisky raffle,

·         Christmas hamper,

·         Raffle at ASCD Rock & Roll bingo night,

·         Lucky Square,

·         Fundraising Ball – first chance to see all Team Scotland groups perform,

·         Team Scotland showcase – held in Edinburgh,

·         Sponsored walk,

·         Easter hamper.

In total the girls fundraising activities raised £3,519 – an amazing achievement.

On 12 April Ria and Raegan left Inverness for Florida. Once they met the team, they had four days to prepare for the competition and get used to the heat. In between theirs three-hour training sessions they did manage some down time with the team at the hotel and pool.

Before the start of the competition all the competitors moved to the Disney All Stars Resort as the competition was being held at ESPN Wide World Sports. As the teams were staying at Disney, they all received a three-day pass to enjoy the parks.

Ria and Raegan were asked to represent team Scotland in the opening ceremony due to their commitment to the team. Ria carried the flag and Raegan made the pledge. Following the opening ceremony there was a cultural exchange. Team Scotland took Scottish and tartan gifts including pens, pins, Nessies, tartan cheer bows etc. to exchange with other competitors. The girls were most excited to meet team USA.

Their initial performance couldn’t have gone better and they secured a place in the top 10 finalists for their category. The finals also went well and despite one small mistake they achieved a higher score than the previous day. They placed 10^th in the world which was a fantastic achievement and this was the first time the Team Scotland had made it to the final.

The girls had an amazing experience and as well as their stories shared some fantastic photos of their trip and the fundraising activities they undertook to help get them there.