EMMETT, Idaho — A local cheer team from Emmett will soon be the first team from Idaho to compete at the world championships in Orlando, Fla.
Idaho Cheer has been working with local athletes from the area since 1993. Next weekend, one of their cheer squads will represent Idaho at the world championships.
The team is leaving for Orlando in the next few days. Once there, the team will compete against some of the best cheer teams from around the world.
While the road to the championship was difficult, earning the bid made it worth it, according to All-Star Director of Idaho Cheer Kristin Jones.
"Competitive cheer is a club sport, our kids don't cheer for any teams. It's nothing what you think of as sideline cheer," she explained. "They perform a 2:30 routine that incorporates stunts, tumbling and dance. It is really fast-paced and intense, and they train year-round and they typically compete December through May."
Many of the cheerleaders have trained with Idaho Cheer since they were very young, so the current team is comprised of athletes between the ages of 14-22.
The team had one of the top three scored in the United States for their level. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, the team had to resort to Zoom practices.
While this season was different than previous years, Jones said the team earned the bid to the championship.
"All season it was like one step forward and two steps back," she said. "These kids needed something to work for."
Idaho Cheer earned their bid to the world competition in Columbus, Ohio. Jones said 40 different teams were competing for ten possible bids.
"So here we are. We leave in just a few days, and they will compete next weekend in Orlando, Florida at the ESPN Wide World of Sports center," Jones said. "Usually it brings in close to 9,000 cheer athletes and there are teams from all over the world that come."
The competition this year will be smaller due to COVID-19, but the team is hoping this will be the start of a long history of Idaho Cheer competing at the world championships.
"We are just excited to show the world that our sport is growing in our state and that we finally have a team of the caliber that can compete," Jones said.
Part of the team's registration included a Disney World park pass since the competition is being held on Disney property. Jones said they plan to take full advantage of that.
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