Banquet honors success of Elite
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, March 22, 2006
By By Matthew Nascone
Winning is the goal of any individual or competitive group. The Atmore Elite All-Star Cheerleaders have come to know the joy associated with winning in the 2005-06 competitive cheering season.
"These girls are great and they have done a great job this year," head coach LaShonda Marshall said.
Marshall recognized each of the girls with a certificate of participation during a banquet held for the girls Monday night at the Growing Tots Daycare in Atmore. Marshall said Growing Tots owner Shirley Simpkins closed her daycare to get ready for the cheerleaders and their families.
The 21 cheerleader parents presented Marshall and assistant coach Cherryl Everett with thank you plaques and a $1,000 cashier's check for new mats for the girls to practice on.
The girls practice in the lobby of Escambia County High School, but Marshall said she hopes gracious donations like this one will help her build her own building for the Elite Cheerleaders.
"I have been working with kids for six years and I am grateful for the opportunities Mr. (Buck) Powell and Mr. (Kyle) Ferguson have given us," Marshall said. "This year has been phenomenal."
The food for the banquet was provided by Heaven Delight Cake Shop and parents of the cheerleaders helped clean the place up after the event.
The Elite cheerleaders consist of a junior squad made up of 13 girls and one boy from kindergarten to sixth grade and a senior squad of 17 girls with two third graders, one fifth grader and 14 seventh to tenth graders.
The senior squad entered nine competitions and won seven of them, placing second once and third once. The junior squad competed in eight competitions and came away with the win in seven of those, placing second once.
Marshall said tryout registration will be held until March 23 from 3:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. at ECHS and preparation camp and tryout camp will be in April.