Three Grade 9 learners from Bryanston High School were recently part of the first-ever South African junior team to compete in the International Cheer Union World Championships.
Megan Fletcher, Rendani Matumba, Tylar Booysen and Tahlita Pollock are part of both their school’s cheerleading team as well the South African Majorette and Cheerleading Association’s (Samca) national team. Travelling to the United States to compete was the opportunity of a lifetime.
The girls competed in the Junior Co-ed Advanced category and came in sixth place during the tournament. The three cheerleaders said the trip was an incredible experience to meet new people and learn new things.
Rendani said, “It was a really great learning experience, we picked up a lot and met a lot of people which I think was my highlight of the tour and we learned about different cultures.”
Tylar added that going into the competition they weren’t sure what to expect and were amazed to see the level of cheerleading from their competitors. “Their technique was just amazing and we knew going into it that we might not come out on top but it was just a great experience.”
For Megan, it was a nerve-wracking experience to see thousands of people watching their performance. The girls added that while cheerleading is not an incredibly popular sport in South Africa, it is very well supported in the United States.
“It’s not like any competition setting we’ve ever competed in. Here we compete on a field but over there we competed indoors, in an arena and there were lots of lights on us,” said Rendani.
The girls only competed on one day but felt that the entire experience was a memorable one. The team have been practising since June for the competition and felt that all their hard work had paid off at the competition.
“We were exposed to so many countries and how they set up their routines, so it was really educational to see all the different things that each country brings to the competition,” said Tylar.
The girls said that they had learned so much for watching the other competitors and said that the experience had helped their team grow closer.
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