Spiritline teams in the Verde Valley deserve our support1 min read

By
Jeff Bear
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Cheering isn’t what it used to be.

Once upon a time, the primary roles of high school cheerleaders and poms were to support the school’s sports teams while rallying the student body.

And while those traditions are still a large part of every high school sideline, cheering has become so much more than that for squads today.

Cheering, poms and stunting are legitimate, competitive sports practiced by girls — and boys — who are finely tuned athletes focused on perfecting their craft.

My daughter was on the poms team all four years in high school, and served as team captain during her senior year. Her team finished in the top five statewide, and they competed in the national tournament every year.

I witnessed firsthand how hard those girls worked to achieve their goals.

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A typical practice for them started every day with a mile run that had to be completed under eight minutes, before the team began a 30-minute pilates session to strengthen their core, followed by a session consisting of several yoga stretches.

After that, practice got serious.

For the full story, please see the Wednesday, Aug. 14 issue of the Sedona Red Rock News.

Jeff Bear

Jeff Bear began his journalism career in 2003 as a graphic designer and sports reporter at the Weekly Register Call in Central City, Colorado. In 2007 he began working at the Canyon Courier in Evergreen, Colorado, as a graphic designer, but soon transferred into the editorial department where he worked as a copy editor and sport reporter under Editor Doug Bell. After a stint as a graphic designer at American Classifieds in 2009-10, Bear began working in 2011 as a copy editor at the Arizona Daily Sun, in Flagstaff. While at the Daily Sun, Bear was tapped by the late Randy Wilson to report on local sports including Northern Arizona University and Olympic medalists training in Flagstaff for the 2012 Olympics. In 2013 Bear began working at the Red Rock News in Sedona, Arizona, where he was an assistant editor and sports editor. Bear has two daughters, Angela and Jessica, with his wife Nina. He is a singer and guitarist, an avid cyclist and hiker, and enjoys camping with family and friends.

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Jeff Bear
Jeff Bear began his journalism career in 2003 as a graphic designer and sports reporter at the Weekly Register Call in Central City, Colorado. In 2007 he began working at the Canyon Courier in Evergreen, Colorado, as a graphic designer, but soon transferred into the editorial department where he worked as a copy editor and sport reporter under Editor Doug Bell. After a stint as a graphic designer at American Classifieds in 2009-10, Bear began working in 2011 as a copy editor at the Arizona Daily Sun, in Flagstaff. While at the Daily Sun, Bear was tapped by the late Randy Wilson to report on local sports including Northern Arizona University and Olympic medalists training in Flagstaff for the 2012 Olympics. In 2013 Bear began working at the Red Rock News in Sedona, Arizona, where he was an assistant editor and sports editor. Bear has two daughters, Angela and Jessica, with his wife Nina. He is a singer and guitarist, an avid cyclist and hiker, and enjoys camping with family and friends.