Kids surprise you. Inviting five and six-year-old girls to a two-hour clinic on a school night doesn’t sound like a good idea. You would expect them to get bored, restless and want to go home.
But that didn’t happen on Monday night, Feb. 10 at the middle school. Kids of all ages showed up for a clinic organized by Nicole Denome and her varsity cheerleaders.
The activity appeals to even kindergarten and first-grade girls, which is one reason why the evening was successful. Lots of kids start early; although Coach DeNome was an exception. She didn’t get the cheerleading bug until she was in middle school and her younger brother signed up for football.
The clinic was organized so it would work for youngsters who had already spent a full day in school. The kids, who were divided into age groups, didn’t stay anywhere for very long. They moved from the cheering station to dance, to stunting and also to jumping. At each place, they worked with girls who are cheering for the high school. That, in itself, was an attraction for the little ones.
The activity didn’t end when the two-hour session was over. Each age group got to demonstrate what it had learned for an audience of parents and clinic-goers.
There were several ways to measure the success of the event. Many girls remained in the gym to have their pictures taken with the teenagers who had been their teachers. Several parents asked Coach DeNome if there would be another clinic. And the Youth Football League enrolled a few new cheerleaders for the season beginning in August.
And were the youngest girls exhausted after a two-hour learning experience? The answer would seem to be “no.” At least some of them repeated the cheers they had learned all the way home in the car. Kids can surprise you.
NOTE: People who would like to know more about the youth program can contact Donna Holmsen at dholmsen@cornwallyouthfootball.com or Lana Versweyveld at lversweyveld@cornwall-youthfootball.com.
