Matrix cheer team prepare for Total Spirit Championships

Posted on: J A McRae

 

Shannon LeClair

Times Reporter
 
The Matrix Cheer team keeps growing every year, and this year there are enough girls to fill two teams. There are 39 girls altogether, ages 9 to 18. The teams attended their first competition the weekend of Feb. 4. The junior team came home with first place and the senior team with second for their divisions. 
“The first year was kind of small and every year it just builds. We don’t ask for a lot of experience, we teach them most of what they want, but most what we want is the commitment,” said Lori Knopf, who co-owns Jumphouse Gymnastics with Tara Smith and is one of the lead coaches for the Matrix teams. 
“If they say they are going to be on our team they need to be here. We’re putting in the effort as coaches and we need the athletes to put it in too.”
Next up for the girls is the Total Spirit Championships at West Edmonton Mall.
“They do it right on the ice rink, it’s really kind of cool. They take out the ice and that’s where you compete, right in the centre of the mall and it’s just very exciting,” said Knopf.
“For people that don’t know what it is, it is just like ‘Bring It On’ (the movie). Just the strength that it takes to build those pyramids of people stacking on top of people, that is what they do. It’s just like the movie…they go out, they work hard, they lift people over their head, throw them in the air, catch them and it’s an amazing team sport.”
On April 14 the teams will be back in Edmonton for the All Star Extravaganza.  
Tryouts are usually in September. Anyone interested in watching to see what it is about can watch during a practice time, which is Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. At the end of the season, which is around May, Knopf said sometimes they will invite kids who they have heard are interested to train with them for a few days and get a feel of what it is like. The biggest thing Knopf said they are looking for is the commitment level. To find out more call Jumphouse Gymnastics at 403-934-4900.