Squad goals: Meet Labrador's only cheer team

Cheerleaders might be easy to find in other parts of the country, but in Labrador there is exactly one squad: the high-flying, fearlessly stunting, learning-as-they-go Menihek High Cheer Team.

The team of 24 — 21 girls, 3 boys — started a few years ago at students' insistence and they've been developing new, bolder routines ever since.

"It's been a huge learning curve," said teacher-sponsor Margaret Pittman. "We all sort of rely on each other."

It all started three years ago, when two of Pittman's students asked her to help get a cheerleading squad off the ground. She wasn't quite sure where to start, but said yes.

"I don't really have a cheerleading background per se. When I was in high school one of my teachers threw together a team for a volleyball tournament," she explained. "After that one experience with it, that was it."

It didn't matter. Her students were determined, and so Pittman began researching.

"I do a lot of reading, I did a basic cheer course," she said. "YouTube has been a huge resource for us."

DIY spirit

Menihek High is the only high school in Labrador West. There's nowhere nearby to take in a cheerleading routine.

With little real-life cheerleading experience to draw on, team members like Alicia Nippard use skills they've picked up elsewhere to supplement their routines.

It's been a huge learning curve. We all sort of rely on each other.- Margaret Pittman

"Dance is a big part of cheerleading," Alicia said. Since she's been dancing much longer than she's been cheerleading, she helps with the team's choreography.

But choreography isn't what appealed to Alicia about cheerleading. It was flying — that is, being thrown in the air by her teammates and landing gracefully in their arms.

Flying high

"It seemed scary at first, and I never thought I'd be able to do it," she said.

"It becomes addicting. Once you start flying, you're going to want to continue to do it."

Fellow flyer Hillary Spurrell agrees. She joined the team when it first started in 2015.

Hillary was in Grade 8 that year, and being one of the smallest team members, she was a prime candidate for flying.  She says it took her a while to work up the courage.

"Trust came into play a bit," she said, "It's easier to fall if you don't trust the people."

Once you start flying you're going to want to continue to do it.- Alicia Nippard

After three years on the team, Hillary now trusts her stunt group to catch her.

"Sometimes you just have to go for it, you know?"

Fateful backflip 

Christian Woodfine joined the cheer team after a friendly wager with his girlfriend.

"We made a bet that if I landed a backflip during the summer that I would join the team," he said.

So last September Christian, who also plays soccer and basketball, shrugged off the detractors and signed up.

"A small town, you know, a guy joining the cheerleading team… It's not such a big thing anymore," he said. "I mean yeah, there's a little bit of teasing here and there, but I'm used to it now."

Competition? Bring it on!

Christian says once the rest of the school saw what the cheer team could do, the chiding ended; the cheerleaders had proven themselves.

Now, Christian says, he'd like to be able to perform on an even bigger stage: at a competition.

"Competing would just grow the program and it would be nice to see how we would do."

But with no other cheerleading programs in Labrador, there's no one to compete against. They could go to competitions in Newfoundland, but with 24 members, travel costs are high.

The cheerleaders hope other high schools in Labrador might consider starting teams, but they haven't heard of any plans.

Even without the thrill of competition, Woodfine, a Grade 11 student, says he plans to stick with the team for his remaining time in high school.

"For sure," he laughed. "I don't even think that they would let me leave."