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Spalding Empire Elite head coach praises team success in Future Cheer Internationals competition and has hopes for cheerleading to be recognised as Olympic sport




A head coach hopes the success of her team will contribute to cheerleading being taken off the sidelines and recognised as an Olympic sport.

Cheerleaders from Empire Elite, who will soon be training in a purpose-built gym in Spalding, travelled to Bournemouth to compete in the Future Cheer Internationals competition in American All Star Cheerleading.

Head coach Nikita Hudz runs the cheerleading club, which is part of the recognised body Sport Cheer England, with hopes to improve levels of obesity in youngsters in South Holland and help the pursuit to become classed as an Olympic sport.

Empire Elite travelled to Bournemouth to compete in the Future Cheer Internationals competition. PHOTO: SUBMITTED
Empire Elite travelled to Bournemouth to compete in the Future Cheer Internationals competition. PHOTO: SUBMITTED

She said: “Empire Elite was extremely successful in our third competition season.

“Our senior level team secured national champions, Empire's first team to do this and we are pushing to get cheerleading recognised in the Olympics.

“Once we have got our new gym we want to continue to increase opportunities for girls in sport and physical activity in the area and to be known for our cheerleading.”

Worrying levels of obesity in the area is a major reason the club exists which provides daily classes in competitive and recreational cheerleading.

Mrs Hudz said: “Locally there is above average national obesity levels in South Holland.

“Nationally there is a large drop out when girls reach early teens and when they get to secondary school.

“Cheerleading encourages team spirit, learning transferable skills and increasing mental health and confidence in the girls as well.”

All Star cheerleading is a team-based, performance sport for youth athletes that is artistic and acrobatic and one of the fastest growing sports in the country.

Rather than the traditional side-line cheerleading seen in films, the sport is acrobatic and performed at an elite level.

Mrs Hudz, 28, lives in Deeping and is a director of the club and a qualified bachelor of science in sport which she studied at university.

She said: “I used to see male dominated sports such as rugby so wanted to create opportunities to promote girls’ physical activity.

“Anything where girls are being recognised for their efforts and see the benefits, that is our aim.

“ We know the impact of social media and sport improves self esteem, mental health and confidence.”

The new gym, near Morrisons in Spalding, will be opening in August and has a full size sprung floor to train on.

This will help develop the athletes who are achieving in the top divisions and continue to grow the sport.

Mrs Hudz said: “We have a lot of gymnasts that have moved from gymnastics into cheerleading.

“We will have sole use of the new larger gym which will also increase their confidence in competitions.

“Our seven to nine group will be going out to Florida in April 2025 to compete in All Star cheerleading and this is the country where cheerleading is the biggest for both females and males.”

For further information about competitive and just for fun cheerleading visit www.empireeliteallstars.co.uk

What do you think about cheerleading becoming an Olympic sport? Post your comments below.



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