Hen Hud Cheerleaders Head to Utica for Championship

MONTROSE, N.Y. -  The Hendrick Hudson Sailors competitive cheerleading squad wished their adoring families and friends goodbye amid a whirl of ponytails and voices cheering in unison Thursday, before their first statewide championship. The team heads to Utica, N.Y. and will compete Saturday afternoon.

“Most of the girls behind me have been doing this since Aug. 10,” said Nichole Kelly, coach of the Hendrick Hudson Sailors competitive cheerleading team. “Someone reminded me today, there is no off-season in cheerleading, and I said, ‘You got that right,’” she said.

Coaches and athletic trainers agree the sport received a lot more respect in the last 10 years, as a real competitive sport, not merely a hobby. A number of sayings in cheerleading circles reflect the recognition, like “Athletes lift weights, cheerleaders lift other athletes,” and “If gymnastics were easy, they’d call it football.”

“Skillwise, they’re up there with any other sport,” said Hen Hud Athletic Trainer Meg Greiner. “There’s a lot of people who still think cheerleading is standing on the sidelines,” she said.

Greiner also said “cheerleading is up there with football and soccer,” in terms of injuries. Greiner’s comments are confirmed by studies from the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research confirm, cheerleading is second only to American football in terms of the most number of injuries.

“We sweat, we cry, sometimes we bleed,” said Mikela Ryan, “but we’re a big family.” When asked how it feels to head to a state championship, Ryan said, “Oh my God, we’re so excited.” She said cheerleading depends “every single person on the mat.”

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