The Rise of UK Cheerleading with Taea Gilder

In this week’s blog, we turned our attention to Cheerleading. Over the last eighteen years, cheerleading in the UK has evolved from small individual teams, predominantly linked to dance schools, to large competitive squads and curriculum-based learning in many schools. It is fair to say that this sport has exploded in the UK.

According to an article in The Guardian last year, cheerleading is booming in Britain’s schools. Figures from the Department of Education showing that 37% of schools are now offering cheerleading in PE lessons. Many say that cheerleading has given thousands of young people a newfound confidence from cheerleading and is helping them to achieve stronger results in school. In particular, cheerleading coach and PE teacher, Natalie John-Baptiste, says that she recognises the benefits in schools, particularly y when it is offered to girls who would previously skive off sport. "It's fantastic at getting the children to bring their kit and take part in PE."

Cheerleading is a fun, athletic sport, accessible to all, where individuals can come together as part of an extended family. It can be both recreational and competitive and there are several disciplines: -

Cheerleading (includes vocal skills, stunting, tumbling, dance and jumps)
Cheer Dance (technical dance elements combined with the cheer style arms and jumps)
Pom Dance (can be any style of dance cleverly choreographed to create an entertaining routine)
Urban Cheer (street style dance skills)

To get under the skin of what cheerleading means to girls, we had the pleasure of interviewing sixteen-year-old, Taea Gilder, alongside her mother, Sonia Gilder, both of which are fiercely passionate about sport and movement to feel good. Taea is a cheer team member of TCA Cheer and Tumble who pride themselves on running inclusive programmes where there is a place for everyone. TCA have qualified coaches who work with athletes of all ages and abilities, with teamwork at the heart of everything they do. Teamwork and the family feel environment mean a lot to Taea and it was great to learn more in this interview.

Where you active from a young age and what sports did you enjoy?

Taea- I always enjoyed sport in primary school and as a kid, you would often find me in the PE hall or taking part in some kind of sporting event. Through primary school, I did do netball and athletics, mostly. I didn’t really like running despite being pretty good at it!

What sports did you take part in through secondary school?

Taea - We had a climbing wall at school, and I gave that a try, despite not being very good with heights. I was keen to give it a go! I was on both the netball and the basketball teams as well as doing athletics. I found I was good at the high jump and anything that involved jumping or throwing myself around!

Tell me about your journey to cheerleading. How did you get started?

Taea - This may sound cheeky but my introduction to cheerleading happened by accident! I was supposed to be trampolining in the sports hall. There was a curtain to separate two areas and when I was practising on the trampoline, I could see people on the other side. I didn’t realise they were doing cheer; I had never seen people actually doing it before. It looked so fun and I was captivated! For some reason, I just got of the trampoline and went to the other side of the curtain and just started joining in. As I say, it was probably a bit cheeky really!

I managed to just merge myself in with the other girls as they were all my height. I used to be really short and I don’t know what happened as now I’m one of the tallest in my group! So, I just joined in with all of them and they were all just so nice and welcoming. Then the coach noticed me and asked; “sorry; do I know you?” I replied by telling her I wanted to join in and gave her my mum’s contact details. When my mum came to collect me, I told her that I wanted to be in the cheer group, she agreed and signed the necessary paperwork. I don’t think she knew it would be a costly sport with all the possible competitions!

What can makes cheer costly? Do girls have an opportunity to do it in a more cost-effective way?

Taea - It is the competitions which can be expensive, particularly if they are outside of the UK. However, there is funding available and you can sign up for funding through the council, much like a school bursary. Cheer is mainly expensive for me due to the number of hours that I choose to train which is over ten hours a week.

We have Northamptonshire cheer sport where they have community programs which only cost £25 a month for everybody. At school, it was around two pounds a week to join week as that was the cost that people could afford for a school club. It is worth finding out through your school or your parents if your local council has money set aside for sport.

How was cheer so different to trampolining?

Taea - At cheer, I just felt more needed. Because, as you are part of a team, everyone feels important. We all have a part to play. In a dance show it is different because sometimes you are needed and then other times you stand alone. In cheer, there is so much to do and so many points to gain. Everybody has to do something and play their part.

In dance, you get separated into your own groups. In netball you are in different teams. With cheer, you are separated into your group but then you come together for a dance, then come together again to tumble. You never feel alone but equally, you do have the opportunity to spend time alone if you want to. It is such a good balance and it works for me.

Who have been really good role models for you, or made you feel really welcome?

Taea - When I joined and saw my coach for the first time, I didn’t realise she was the coach! She looked so young, she just fitted in like one of the athletes! I watched her tumble at the track and thought ‘wow’, I want to be like that. I couldn’t tumble when I started. My coach and I have become good friends, like sisters. She saw stuff in me that I do not think anyone else did. She has become like family to me. An important role model in my life.

All the girls made me feel welcome, I only knew three of the girls from school and then the rest just all made me feel welcome. I am also inspired by the other girls around me. Even if you are the one of the smallest people, you can have such a powerful impact on the team. We have a girl called Holly and she is so flexible but also so strong! You have to be strong so you can stay in the air. If Holly’s core wasn’t strong, she would end up on the floor (well, she wouldn’t as we would catch her, but you understand my meaning!)

Tell us about your Highs and Lows in Cheer?

Taea - In 2019, thirty of us went to Disneyland Paris to compete…and we won! We took three routines and a stunt routine. Our stunt routine came first and then we were in the Disney parade! That was one of the best bonding experiences I have had; because we were all together. We all stayed in the same room, had so much fun, and it was a nice experience after competing.

We carried on competing until February 2020. We were on a winning streak until the UK went into lockdown. We have had so much cancelled which made 2020 so different for understandable reasons. Barcelona was cancelled last year along with competitions in Paris and Amsterdam. We had a lot cancelled, but we stayed together through zoom. In the first lockdown, we were zooming more than two hours a day which was a great way to stay motivated, even through tough times.

Who is your biggest role model in your family?

Taea - Probably my mum. I’m going to use the example of cheese! My mum won’t stick to one type of cheese. She will go around and try all the different types and in other situations she won’t be scared to try something new, and that’s what she’s always tried to instil in me. Growing up, she was always encouraging us to get our hands dirty, to explore, to try new things.

Taea’s Top Tips

Comfort Zones - It is really important in life to push yourself out of your comfort zone. You have to explore to find things you love, just as I did.
Always give 100% - Winning feels amazing but it wouldn’t happen if we didn’t give 100%. My coach insists that you give 100% because you never know who is watching. So much is always in the preparation. If you don’t give full commitment to something, when you lose, you are left with that feeling of…could I have done more?
Look out for Each Other – In cheer; we are like a family. If one of you gets hurt, you all hurt. If one person loses, we all lose. It is so important when I tumble, I know others have ‘got my back’. I will always be looking out for everyone else to make sure no one gets hurt. If you are not looking out for each other and someone gets injured, it could really impact them coming back into sport.
Sport is for Everyone - Find a sport you love and enjoy it. Cheer has become my life!

Find out more about TCA Cheer and Tumble at https://tcacheertumble.com/