[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/cheerleaders-return-to-competition-mats\/#NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/cheerleaders-return-to-competition-mats\/","headline":"Cheerleaders return to competition mats","name":"Cheerleaders return to competition mats","description":"The gradual easing of Covid-19 safe management measures in Singapore has allowed cheerleaders to return to their training mats after nearly a year, albeit with stringent regulations in place. They are preparing for the Cheerleading Association (Singapore), or CAS, National Cheerleading Championships that take place virtually on 26 June. TheHomeGround Asia speaks with cheerleaders and […]","datePublished":"2021-04-20","dateModified":"2022-04-15","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/Ming%20En%20Liew\/#Person","name":"Ming En Liew","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/Ming%20En%20Liew\/","identifier":132,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8fe7a89455a989038349633329a6e4ad6299388f5e1e3ea83c28126090b2314f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8fe7a89455a989038349633329a6e4ad6299388f5e1e3ea83c28126090b2314f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"TheHomeGround Asia","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","width":640,"height":640}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1618886573115_044_CMSC_CNY_1302201-13.jpg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1618886573115_044_CMSC_CNY_1302201-13.jpg","height":626,"width":1280},"url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/cheerleaders-return-to-competition-mats\/","about":["Community","Local","Singapore"],"wordCount":1567,"articleBody":"The gradual easing of Covid-19 safe management measures in Singapore has allowed cheerleaders to return to their training mats after nearly a year, albeit with stringent regulations in place. They are preparing for the Cheerleading Association (Singapore), or CAS, National Cheerleading Championships that take place virtually on 26 June. TheHomeGround Asia speaks with cheerleaders and their coaches as they gear up to compete once more following a long hiatus.Happiness, excitement, and nerves \u2013 these were the sentiments of cheerleaders when they received the green light to return to their blue mats for training.\u00a0\u201cI was just excited to be back, even though we were a bit scared because we\u2019re rusty. There definitely was some kind of hesitation, but since cheer is one of our passions, that\u2019s why we\u2019re here,\u201d shares Chua Meng Lim, a cheerleader and base (they hold or throw people up in the air) with Team Xtreme.\u201cEveryone was seeing each other, not just as friends outside having a meal, but back on the mats. I feel like the mats give you an identity that \u2018you\u2019re a cheerleader\u2019,\u201d explains Rachel Yap, one of Team Xtreme\u2019s coaches, who says that besides feeling nostalgic, she has reclaimed her identity as an athlete by being back at training.Members of Team Xtreme were excited to return to their training mats at Braddell Heights Community Club after a nearly year-long hiatus.Cheerleaders off the matsWhen Singapore\u2019s lockdown (or circuit breaker) kicked in on 7 April last year, cheerleading activities were suspended, leaving local cheerleaders high and dry.Ms Yap was understandably concerned about the long-term sustainability of her team during the long break. She shares, \u201cSince cheerleading takes up so much time, once you have a break, people [may find] other commitments.\u201d\u00a0Coach Chloe Lee expresses similar worries about her team\u2019s, NOVA All-Stars, progress: \u201cA pause in training will hinder progress as you need to train with teammates in order to gain experience and get the \u2018stunt feel\u2019. No matter how much you work out and do drills by yourself on the floor, it\u2019s a whole different story when you are actually doing the stunt.\u201dStill, coaches have done their best to keep their members active and in touch with the sport.For instance, Ms Lee assigns daily tasks to her members that train specific muscle groups needed for cheerleading. She also encourages them to send videos of these personal training sessions to group chats as a form of motivation for one another.\u00a0Team Xtreme’s coach Rachel Yap (second from left) instructing her members during a training session.Likewise, fellow NOVA All-Stars\u2019 coach Chew Wei Xiang has spent the past year conducting weekly physical training sessions on Zoom. When cheerleaders were allowed to resume tumbling activities (a segment of cheerleading that involves executing gymnastics feats, such as flips and rolls), Mr Chew visited a gymnastics team regularly with some of his team mates to hone their gymnastics skills, even though they were not allowed to stunt.On their own, cheerleaders found ways to stay in shape for the sport. Shalyn Aw, a flyer for NOVA All-Stars, made regular gym visits and did home workouts. Similarly, Kelvin Chow, a base for NOVA All-Stars, engaged in activities that help cheerleaders with their stunts, such as squats and handstands.\u00a0But it is not all about physical fitness. Cheerleading is ultimately a team sport, with full cheerleading teams being 24-people-strong. With the circuit breaker and subsequently safe management measures in place, teams cannot meet, much less train together.\u00a0Mr Chua shares that Team Xtreme\u2019s cheerleaders keep the team spirit strong through online workouts with one another, and by making an effort to interact on social media.\u00a0\u201cAt least when we come back… we don\u2019t feel like strangers,\u201d he explains.NOVA All-Stars at a training session pre-pandemic. (Photo courtesy of NOVA All-Stars)An eager return to the matsAfter the long respite, cheerleaders TheHomeGround Asia spoke to were more than ready to jump back into training for the Cheerleading Association (Singapore) National Cheerleading Championships (CAS NCC).\u00a0Esther Ngoh, a flyer (cheerleaders who are lifted or thrown up in the air) for Team Xtreme who is competing in the double group stunts category, speaks matter-of-factly about going headfirst into competitions: \u201cIf not now, then when?\u201d\u00a0She elaborates, \u201cSince I graduated, I\u2019m quite busy. It\u2019ll probably get busier, so any opportunity [I have], I\u2019ll just pick it up first.\u201d\u00a0But juggling competition training and a full-time job in advertising has been tough, leaving her little time for self-care or a social life. Still, she stands by her decision: \u201cIt\u2019s been tiring, but I think ultimately, it\u2019s worth it.\u201dEsther Ngoh (third from left), one of Team Xtreme’s flyers, is eager to compete despite having to juggle a full-time job.A CAS representative, Lim Wen Jie, confirms that the cheerleading community has been receptive to the news that nationals are happening this year. He says, \u201cIt\u2019s smaller groups here and there… but most teams have representations in one form or another.\u201d\u00a0Returning to the mats made flyer Shalyn Aw of NOVA All-Stars feel like she was \u201cfinally alive\u201d again. She asserts, \u201cBeing able to \u2018fly\u2019 is always a flyer\u2019s pride.\u201dCoaches, too, are heartened to see their members raring to go. Ms Lee shares, \u201cIt feels great to see the members\u2019 motivation and feel their energy during training.\u201d\u00a0And there are even silver linings from the extended break from cheerleading: \u201cIt\u2019s a good way for people to reset and get rid of bad habits… It\u2019s almost like working with a blank slate,\u201d highlights Ms Yap. \u201c[I was also] surprised by how exercising changes how they stunt. Maybe they were weaker last time because they only cheered, but never worked out. Because of Covid, they worked out, and they come back with better body awareness.\u201d\u00a0Gearing up for nationalsIt is with this eagerness and determination that the cheerleaders are preparing for the June competition. Nevertheless, the current climate still lends a sombre training atmosphere.\u00a0According to Ms Ngoh, training sessions pre-pandemic saw a consistent turn-out of 20 to 30 athletes, compared to the eight-person cap now. She says, \u201cTraining [was] more lively, and we could also try more things because some stunts require more manpower or more people working together.\u201d\u00a0Cheer trainings now have an eight-person cap, making for quieter sessions.Many athletes are also out of touch with cheerleading skills and out of shape. Laments Mr Chua, \u201cAfter a while back [at training], it feels like I\u2019m going to die already, it\u2019s so tiring.\u201dMr Chow concurs, \u201cIt feels like some muscles in my body have not been used for a while, and I couldn\u2019t do some things I was able to do before the pandemic.\u201d\u00a0Coaches are facing their own set of challenges when arranging for training sessions. Issues include a shorter time frame for preparation and training venue restrictions.\u00a0Ms Yap emphasises that because of safe distancing measures, commitment towards the sport and team is more important than ever. \u201cSlots [for training] are very limited and there\u2019s no mingling within groups… so if someone from a group is missing, then the stunt cannot go up.\u201d\u00a0Additionally, she underscores the need for athletes to be self-sufficient and disciplined during training: \u201cPeople have to be a lot more focused. They have to come and know what they\u2019re going to do… because the time slot is limited, it\u2019s fixed. They can\u2019t say, \u2018Oh, I didn\u2019t get to do this, so I\u2019ll just extend for a bit more.\u2019\u201d\u00a0Despite these restrictions, NOVA All-Stars\u2019 Ms Lee believes her team has found a way to manage: \u201cWe learn to adapt to the current situation and do our best to plan for and work towards training efficiency despite these challenges.\u201d\u00a0NOVA All-Stars at the Asia Cheer Invitational Championships pre-pandemic. (Photo courtesy of Nova All-Stars\/Facebook)What it means to compete againFor a community that has been unable to practise what they love, this year\u2019s nationals are significant.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s the idea of continuity,\u201d Ms Yap says. \u201cWe are trying very hard to continue what was taken away from us last year… and conveying a sense that even if we had that break, things will definitely still work out, the team is still here from before… We\u2019re not just going to die out because of a pandemic.\u201d\u00a0Besides their resilience, cheerleaders also recognise the sport\u2019s competitive nature and their desire as athletes to fight for a title.\u00a0And the coaches agree.\u00a0\u201cSending teams this year is to expose some members to an open team competition, and to give competing members a goal to complete,\u201d says Mr Chew.\u00a0Adds Mr Chua, \u201cThe main purpose [of participating in this year\u2019s nationals] is for everyone to learn together and improve with each other. If we can get any prizes, it\u2019s a plus.\u201dFor Ms Lee, the significance of this year\u2019s nationals go beyond individual teams. It is also about the community cheering each other on despite the challenges they have faced.\u201c[I miss] seeing a hall full of cheerleaders laughing, mingling, stunting, and just having fun together… Once a cheerleader, always a cheerleader,\u201d she says.\u00a0Join the conversations on THG’s Facebook and Instagram, and get the latest updates via Telegram."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Destinations","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Singapore","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/\/singapore\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Cheerleaders return to competition mats","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/cheerleaders-return-to-competition-mats\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]