Special needs cheerleading team gets ready for competition

ST. JOHN | There may be no "I" in team. But there's a ME, and the ME Angels special needs cheerleading team seems to be jelling just fine amid its second month of training at Midwest Training and Ice Center.

Midwest has four all-star cheerleading squads that compete in judged competitions throughout the year. The ME Angels are the first special needs team at Midwest.

"The team is for all ages," said ME coach Michelle Damore, who trains the squad with help from members from Midwest's other all-star cheer teams. "We try to do a little bit at a time ... nothing too complicated like pyramids just yet. We're keeping them on the ground for now.

"Today, we're working on dancing. They've been coming along pretty well."

Though this is the ME Angels' inaugural season, the concept of special needs cheerleading is not new as it has been around for more than a decade while growing more popular during the last couple of years.

Like other all-star cheerleading teams, special needs teams compete against each other. And some of the more advanced teams do form pyramids, often with wheelchair-bound cheerleaders providing the base, as well as incorporating tumbling passes into their routines.

The ME Angels are due to participate in their first competition this April at Navy Pier in Chicago.

Damore says that turnout for Sunday afternoon practices has been steady at about a dozen strong.

"We're willing to include more," she said. "Those who are interested are more than welcome to come out."