Alpha Jets to cheer in Vegas

The Alpha Jets all-star cheerleading team from Flight Athletics in Lloydminster and Cold Lake will be competing in Las Vegas from May 6-8. Supplied Photo

 

What happens in Las Vegas for the Alpha Jets all-star cheerleading team from Flight Athletics in Lloydminster and Cold Lake, won’t stay in Vegas.

The results of their Level 3 competition at the Pinnacle Cheerleading Championship at the Orleans Arena from May 6-8 will quickly be posted online by promoter Jamz Cheer & Dance.

The 13-person team is psyched and stoked to test their tumbling, dance, stunting and jumping routine against American competition.

“I’m really excited. There’s going to be a lot of teams there. I’m pretty nervous, but it should be pretty good I think,” said teen Jane King from Lloydminster Comprehensive High School.

Her teammate, Lindsey Buckingham from Father Gorman Community School, says it will be cool with her whole family coming along for a vacation.

“I think it will be an interesting experience. We’ve been training really hard. We haven’t seen any of these teams yet, but I think we’ll do pretty good,” she said.

The team is coached by Lloydminster director Bailey Roberts, who is getting it ready for a special end-of-year showcase at the Servus Sports Centre on April 30 from 2-5 p.m.

“We’ll have our Cold Lake and Lloydminster location going in, just kind of showing all the parents what they’ve been working on all year,” said Roberts.

The Alpha Jets will be one of about 19 performances happening this Saturday.

“We have our teams that complete a two and-a-half minute routine. It’s filled with stunting tumbling, dance—all of those types of things,” said Roberts.

Cheerleading is one of the fastest-growing sports in Canada.

“The combination of acrobatic stunting, tumbling, jumps and dance, alongside exciting competitions and sparkly uniforms, makes it irresistible to young athletes,” said Roberts.

Flights Athletics is also known as Cheer Force Jets until May 1 when the new name becomes official.

Viola Holden started the business in Cold Lake in 2017 and expanded to Lloydminster in 2020.

“We’ve gotten so big in both Lloyd and Cold Lake that Viola has decided to rebrand,” explained Roberts.

Flight Athletics will end season six with more than 400 members in cheerleading, tumbling and ninja programs in the two locations.

“We emphasize the importance of physical wellness through strength and flexibility training, along with theory work for athletes to understand the ‘why’ behind the activities they are doing, and how it contributes to the end goal,” explained Roberts.

The athletes also learn mental stamina from a certified mental performance specialist.

The competitive all-star cheerleading style that the Alpha Jets  do attracts the attention of athletic teenagers like Taylor Martin from Lloyd Comp.

“I did gymnastics when I was really young and then I did dance and then I decided to come to cheers,” said Martin.

“It helped me a lot with tumbling and flexibility.”

The Alpha Jets also learn to trust one another and how to lift each other up both figuratively and literally during their weekly practices and competitions. 

Jacoby Kilburn, 11 from Cold Lake is the only boy on the team who describes his role as a flyer.

He’s one of the lightest members who gets tossed in the air by the girls.

“It’s kind of scary,” he said, noting he likes the tumbling and stunting most of all.

He’s also excited to see how they stack up with the competition in Vegas.

“I think we’ll do pretty good,” he said.

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Geoff Lee
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