Berkeley Cheer Squad Headed to Nationals

For the second time in the Berkeley recreation football program’s history, one of its cheerleading squads has reached the national competition.

And on Saturday, they will be putting their skills on display in the American Youth Football National Championships in Orlando, Fla.

The Berkeley team – referred to as Midgets under the old Pop Warner format but competing in the 15 and under bracket under AYF – qualified for the national competition before Thanksgiving by placing second at the regional event. It was a huge accomplishment for the team, head coach Carolann Bleich said, because the girls were forced to make significant adjustments in their routine and its choreography when one of the girls suffered an injury and was unable to compete.

“Each of these girls is amazing,” Bleich said. “They’ve been doing a really good job.”

“Last year we fell short at regionals because they were only taking two teams,” she said. But Berkeley joined 27 other clubs in the Jersey Shore organization that left Pop Warner for AYF in March, which created additional opportunities.

It also added new layers to the competition, Bleich said.

“Everything was different,” she said. “We used signs, we used pompons. We had to learn new skills.”

But they took a different approach from the beginning, turning it into a year-round squad that practiced throughout the year to keep their mechanics sharp and reach their goal of nationals.

“For most of (the squad) it’s their last year, because they won’t be eligible to compete next year,” she said. The squad of 21 girls spans girls from 12 to 15 years old, most of whom have been together for five years now, she said.

While the full schedule isn’t set, their trip to nationals – which for most begins on Thursday, Dec. 8 – includes a private party at Universal Studios theme park for the teams and their families and a Spirit Party, where all the teams get together and share ideas about every aspect of cheerleading.

But when all is said and done, “we’re down there to compete, to put our best foot forward and show them what Berkeley is all about,” Bleich said.

There’s been a great deal of preparation, including trips to Cheer University in Millstone so the girls could have comparable surface on which to practice their routines.

“We don’t have the proper mats in the schools to practice,” she said.

”You have to go out there and compete and do your best,” she said, “and a no matter what the outcome is, knowing you did your best is all we can ask for as coaches.”

“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” said Bleich, who went to nationals in the Pop Warner system in 2008 with her daughter. One of the positives with the AYF setup has been the reduction in expenses; while the trip will still be expensive, she said, there are elements that Pop Warner required that have been eliminated under AYF.

The team has been fundraising – selling poinsettias and pies, holding a spaghetti dinner and even a yard sale – to cover as many of the costs as possible, but Bleich hopes that Berkeley’s showing this year – its Pee Wee and Junior Pee Wee squads also advanced to the regional competition and the Midget football team reached the playoffs as well – will spur fundraising to assist future teams that achieve these levels of success.

And while there’s still a few moments of nerves yet – after all, organizing 21 girls and getting them where they need to be, when they need to be there with everything they need to have is a challenge for any coach – Bleich, who has been coaching for 11 years, is savoring the moment.

“I love these girls,” she said. “It becomes a family. As much trouble as it is practicing five nights a week in the summer, you end up missing it when it’s over in December and you start looking ahead to the next season very quickly.”

The Berkeley squad includes: Melissa Amador, Samantha Amador, Juliette Bateman, Carleigh Bott, Jade Deaver, Shannon Dubil, Tyler Earles, Destiny Gallipoli, Hayley Germinario, Gabby Heredia, Brittany Jennings, Brittney Knipp, Samantha Manzi, Dolly Quackenbush, Megan Rawlins, Leanna Reeves, Danielle Trotta, Alexis Uzzo, Taylor Wright, Melissa Yager, Leila Zaremba. Coaches are Carolann Bleich, Deena Petrich, Wendy Jennings, Olivia Barrington and Ashley Petrich is the demonstrator.