By Lisa Schick

Cheers in Prince Albert

Mar 17, 2011 | 12:19 PM

Prince Albert’s only all-star cheer team, P.A.C.E. (Prince Albert Cheer Explosion), is poised to compete at the provincial championships.

“We’re getting pretty excited (but) it’s kind of nerve racking because we haven’t brought the big team to any competitions yet, it’s only been the stunt group that’s gone, so I think we’re all pretty nervous,” said Vanessa Skiffington, captain of the cheer team.

The full team hasn’t gone to competitions yet, but they will be going to Warman and Saskatoon this weekend and they will also be competing in the provincial championships in Regina the weekend of Mar. 25.

The five-person stunt team is doing well, placing first in a Moose Jaw competition and third in a University of Regina competition the weekend of Mar. 11.

The sport of cheerleading has evolved into more than cheering on the side-lines and isn’t just about pompoms.

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“It’s definitely not cheering with pompoms anymore, it’s evolved into doing crazy stunts and … you can do lots of different unique things with cheerleading than you could before,” Skiffington said.

Modern cheerleading routines involve cheers, stunts, pyramids, basket tosses and all sorts of gymnastics.

And because the all-star team isn’t affiliated with a specific school, their routines are all about competitions.

The team has 14 newcomers out of the 19 girl squad, but Sandra Horne, coach of the team, said this isn’t a problem for them.

“You don’t need to have experience to cheer – you need to have commitment and willpower to do it,” said Horne.

Skiffington said they work very, very hard but it’s worth it in the end.

Horne said the girls get a lot more from the team than just cheers.

“It’s an afterschool program that, instead of these girls hanging out on the street or just with their own little group of friends, they have something to do,” said Horne.

“Since it is not affiliated with any school it is a community team – it’s brought these girls all together (and) normally some of them wouldn’t interact with the others.”

They also try to help the girls build self-esteem and self-confidence in the program.

The team is hosting a dance this Friday at the Margo Fournier Centre to raise money for their travel expenses.

There will be music, a canteen, door prizes and at the end of the night the team will show off their competition routine.

lschick@panow.com