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Sports

Cheerleading Program Begins Second Season Aug. 31

Registration for Temple Terrace's cheerleading program is underway.

Cheerleading has always been a huge part of Temple Terrace resident Jennifer Andrews’ life. As a cheerleader since a young age, Andrews is familiar with the benefits of cheerleading, especially for younger girls. When she realized the girls in the community had little opportunities to remain physically active, she knew what she had to do: create a cheerleading program in Temple Terrace.

“There aren’t many things for girls in the community to participate in that allow them to be active, and I just wanted to fix that,” Andrews said. “I also knew that there were not many cheerleading programs around this area, specifically in Temple Terrace. I figured that starting a cheerleading program would be very beneficial to girls around here because it gives them an outlet.”

Last spring was the first season for the , and Andrews said she is looking forward to expanding the program in its second season, which starts at the end of August. 

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The season for the cheerleading program beings on Aug. 31 and lasts for 10 weeks. It is open to all girls from ages 7 to 14. 

“Last season was great, and I hope a lot more parents check out the program,” Andrews said. “My goal is to expand the program so we have a few age groups. That way, we can separate the girls according to age and there won’t be a huge age gap between them.”

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According to Andrews, the cheerleading season coincides with the youth flag football team, so the girls are able to learn cheers and once they have them memorized, they can perform them for players and parents at the games.

“They had so much fun last season, and I enjoyed seeing them learn more about cheerleading,” she said.

Parents also have the opportunity to participate by assisting the coaches. Cindy Bythewood signed her three daughters up for the program and said she likes that the parents get to be involved as well.

“The staff is really helpful, and they let us work with the kids, too, which is fun,” Bythewood said.

As a former cheerleader herself, Bythewood said she knows how much of a positive experience cheerleading can be, and she wanted her daughters to be a part of it.

“It is a team sport, and I wanted my daughters to learn how to work with others,” she said. “The most important thing though is the physical aspect of it. It is important for kids to stay active, and with cheerleading, they can do that and have fun at the same time.”

According to Andrews, experience is not necessary to become involved in the city’s cheerleading program.

“Anyone that wants to come out and learn more about cheerleading is more than welcome to,” Andrews said. “A lot of the girls that signed up last year did not have any cheerleading experience. But, after practices and games, they learned a lot and had a lot of fun.”

The cost of the program is $60 for one season, and that price includes uniforms, which the girls can keep at the end of the season.

“My goal was to find something cost effective for the girls,” she said. “Cheerleading can be quite expensive, but since we go through local businesses to get the uniforms made, it has allowed us to keep the price at something reasonable.”

Practices take place once a week at the field between at the . The dates of those practices will be determined once registration has ended.

For more information or to register for the program, call Scott Andrews at 813-506-6600.

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