Giant gym offers opportunity for cheering
LAFAYETTE This spring, cheerleaders will find a new coach and a new outlet for their skill at Giant with the creation of their own team, the Garden Gator All-Stars of Lafayette. Coach Jordan Sullivan has been involved in cheerleading for 15 years. She began as a cheerleader herself at the age of 5, cheering with the Kittatinny midget football league. Sullivan cheered with them till 7th grade when she joined the Newton Cheer Explosion All Stars and competed with them for two years. As an UCA All American Cheerleader, I got to perform in both the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade as well as the Capital One Citrus Bowl in Orlando, FL, said Sullivan. In high school, Sullivan cheered for Titans Elite All Stars. Sullivan is currently attending Centenary College as a sophomore, majoring in criminal justice with a minor in psychology. When Sullivan approached owners Jennifer Packard and John Skorski with the plan to start an All Star Cheer team at Giant, they owners were impressed with her enthusiasm and experience. "We are excited to have Jordan come on board with us her enthusiasm and dedication to a sport that is so beneficial to these young girls is refreshing. We hope to provide another opportunity for those in our community to get out there and be fit, gain confidence and build lasting relationships with others," said Packard. Sullivan has coached for Kittatinny Midget Football League in the past and helped their football cheerleaders while she was on their competition team. Last year she coached their competition team before accepting the position at Giant. According to Sullivan, All Star cheerleading is a competitive sport, designed for girls who love to cheer but may not necessarily enjoy cheering on the sidelines at a football game. The Garden Gators All Star team is different than other competitive cheerleading teams because we are based out of a gym with the team consisting of girls from the surrounding areas, not just a specific area like at high schools. For the 2012/13 season, the Gators will have one cheer team a junior squad which consists of kids 14 and under. Try outs will be in June, practices begin in July and competition starts in November. The competing ends in March, so there are a couple months off until the next seasons try outs. They are looking for anyone who is interested in being part of the cheer family. No tumbling or special skills are required. We are hoping the girls we get from this season will be able to move up and advance together as a team, which is why we are starting with a junior level, said Sullivan. My hopes for this team are that I get a group of girls who love cheerleading as much as I do, and want to stick around for the seasons to come. I love watching the girls gain skills and become the best they can be, and there is no better way to see that other than to have them become part of the Giant family as well! For more information, call 973-579-9400 or visit www.giantgymnastics.com.