Local cheer team succeeding all over the province

Tyler Lowey
Times Reporter

 

While some of us have stumbled through the New Year, the Platinum Elite cheer team has tumbled their way onto the podium.
Training out of Jumphouse Gymnastics, the Platinum Elite squad is comprised of girls and boys aged 10-15 years of age, a younger group compared to their competition that they have been dominating at events across the province.
Just this month, the Elite found their way onto the podium three times.
They captured silver in Edmonton at the Cold Snap Cheer and Dance Championship Jan. 21, second at the Imagine Cheer and Dance Championships in Lethbridge Jan. 28 and won the All Things Cheer Battle of Champions Feb. 4 in Calgary.
“It’s pretty rewarding, having watched these kids put in all the hard work to get the skills and to go out and deliver in competition,” said Elite assistant coach April LaChance.
The Elite crew performs a two-and-a-half minute routine during the events. Sometimes they are two day events, sometimes just one. They get scored based on the difficulty of their routine and how technically sound they are.
The cheer team combines gymnastics, dance and stunting, all rolled into one. Given a score out of 100, the Elite recorded 86 in Calgary and an 84 and 87 respectively in Edmonton and Lethbridge.
“Our athletes use tumbling, stunting, jumps and dance, but our program is known for how great our tumbling is,” said Elite head coach Cassi Weiss, who started the program seven years ago.
The Jumphouse also features a Matrix Cheer team for kids aged 4-15, but the Elite has experienced the most success as of late.
Practicing twice a week, you can find the Elites at work all year long. The season runs from September to April, but there are plenty of summer training sessions available for current and aspiring athletes.
“We’re not just creating athletes here, we’re creating adults,” said LaChance, who has two kids on the Elite team. “These kids learn critical thinking, trust in teammates and a sense of responsibility.”
The Elite look to keep the ball rolling with a couple of marquee events on the horizon. Next up is a two-day event in Warman, Sask., starting March 4.
The big ticket is set for April 7-9 in Vancouver for the Sea to Sky event. That competition provides an opportunity for a chance at a Summit bid, a.k.a., the Super Bowl of cheer events. The Elite compete at Level 3; the Summit is for Levels 1-5 and the highest competition next to the Worlds, which are only available for Level 5 and 6.