Ascension Eagles competed at FutureCheer Midlands Championships, University of Loughborough on Saturday, 4th February. The East End team entered five routines and won five first place trophies. In addition, the Eagles captured the two Grand Champion cheer trophies, bringing Ascension’s total trophy count to an excess of 260 trophies, including 110 first place titles.
Ascension Eagles Head Coach and Choreographer Angela Brown said, “This was the first competition of our 2005-06 season, and 31 of the 96 cheerleaders we entered on the day had never competed before. Our coaching staff does an outstanding job of preparing our young people to compete and to achieve such outstanding results. We are also grateful for the three busloads of family and friends who traveled with us to lend their support.”
After the long day of competition, Ascension Eagles and their fans returned home to Newham, laden with their trophies, around midnight on Saturday. The next morning, Ascension’s Senior Coed team had a three-hour training session before all of the Eagles gathered at ExCel to perform on the Main Stage at Newham’s Big Sunday. Team member, 16 of Custom House said, “It was a long weekend, but very rewarding. The crowd support both at FutureCheer and at ExCel was fantastic. It feels really good when all the hard work pays off.”
Director, Shara Brice MBE, “Our local young people never cease to amaze me. Their energy, enthusiasm and dedicated hard work set them apart, and their success is second to none. It’s not like we import the most talented kids from across the country to selectively make up our award-winning Ascension Eagles teams; these are local kids, most live in the Royal Docks area of Newham. We work with what we have, and together we achieve unbelievable results.”
In addition to preparing for competitions and performances, Ascension Eagles find ways to give back to others. Each month they volunteer their time and talent at the London Cheerleading Academy (LCA), held at The Royal Docks Community School. Beginner to elite level cheerleading skills are taught to individuals and squads. LCA Coach Patrick Asante, 19, said, “We’ve had people from all over the country come to LCA, as well as cheerleaders from Mexico, Germany and Amsterdam. It’s a great atmosphere where we share what it takes to make the most of each squad’s abilities, or even how to start your own squad. It feels good to know we are investing in the sport of British cheerleading.”
