All-Star Cheer Comes to Duluth

DULUTH - One cheer team is out to help Northlanders understand cheerleading isn't all what they think it might be.

Not all cheerleaders carry pom-poms and stand on sidelines.

"We get rid of the crowd leading aspect. So, we don't have pom–poms, we don't actually do cheers, we purely do performances and routines that we bring to competitions," said Ideal Cheer Elite co-owner Chelsie Waller.

Tumbling, stunts and routines are the main focus for ideal cheer elite.

A program like this has never been in the Northland and athletes with any kind of background can make the team.

"You can be in dance, gymnastics, you could have cheered before, or maybe you come from a completely different background and have never done anything like that. We take all types," said Waller.

"I learned the basics in gymnastics but I learned a lot more in cheer," said cheerleader Taylor Rockwell.

Even though flying in the air looks complicated, you don't need to have those skills when you first try-out.

"Coming in a lot of the girls were inexperienced with the basic skills. They didn't all have tumbling, they didn't all have the stunting skills, and we can say about 90 percent of our team now has the skills that they need for their level," said Waller.

ICE had an award filled first season, taking home many first place trophies.

"My closet is full of trophies from all the things these girls have done," said Waller.

Competitions bring a thrill the girls can't experience anywhere else.

"You can't explain it. Like, you train so hard and you have two minutes and 30 seconds to show everything that you've worked for," said cheerleader Kate Jorgenson.

"It was scary the first time but after a while you kinda got used to it and didn't even notice they were there," said Rockwell.

Afterwards they feel they've already had a victory before the placings are announced.

"I just feel so relieved to know we did what we came to do and made our coaches proud," said Jorgenson.

"It feels good that you have accomplished something and finished it doing good," said Rockwell.

In this sport, there's more benfits than winning trophies.

"It makes me feel confident," said Jorgenson.

"We really wanna give kids an opportunity to do something that's not just one skill set. It definitely pushes them in many different ways," said Waller.

The main goal of the team is to keep the girls passionate for their sport.

"I just love what I do," said Jorgenson.

In April there will be open gyms, a few meetings for parents and a team placement try-out day.