Cheerleading Conquers NH

Give me an N! Give me an H! What's that spell? The state that's doubled the number of cheerleading gyms in the past three years.

Over the decades, cheerleading has evolved from pep squads to a seriously competitive sport that is big business, particularly in southern states. That fervor has finally reached NH.

Previously, cheerleaders in NH could join school squads or Pop Warner, but they had few options for high-level competition. Star cheerleading is changing that.All Star cheerleading organizes competitions across the country and is governed by the U.S. All Star Foundation (USASF), a nonprofit that sponsors nationwide competitions, monitors rules and safety, and requires coaches to pass safety courses and certification tests. Unlike Pop Warner, All Star classifies teams by age as well as skill level. And you won't see All Star athletes at any football games; they train solely for competitions.

Three years ago, there were only four All Star gyms in NH; now there are eight. That's still a small number comparatively (Massachusetts has 31 All Star gyms), but it is unprecedented growth.

The owners of these new cheer gyms aremostly NH natives, and all have previous coaching experience with school or recreational teams. Ron Cunio of Prime Time All-Stars in Rochester says the industry grows as people come into the gym and see what it actually means to compete at the All-Star level. It's not what a lot of people thinkit is; it's a lot more competitive and a lot more athletic, Cunio says.

eXtreem Cheer in Hampstead took in $71,000 in the 2006-2007 season-its first year-and this year projects revenue over $100,000, says MarkAcciard of eXtreem Cheer. The gym went from training 52 athletes to 90. Prime Time All-Stars had $144,000 in revenue in 2007 and increased from 50 to 90 athletes since opening in 2006.
Those owners attribute the growth to different factors, including movies like Bring It On and highlights on ESPN. Acciard notes more colleges are starting to offer cheerleading scholarships, whereas before you had to be exceptional.
Though All Star cheerleading is about competition, these gyms are working to make it a fun experience for the young athletes. Inferno Cheer and Dance in Laconia, for example, performs at Old Home Days celebrations and participates in community service events.
service events.