F-35 Lightning at Europeans 2013

F-35 Lightning – Europeans 2013
Photo courtesy of Ed Hartley

On June 29th, the Ladies of F35 Lightning (plus coaches Tim and Tats and some very supportive parents) travelled to Glasgow for the European Cheerleading Championships.

The competition, held by the European Cheerleading Union (ECU)  took place at The Emirates Arena, built for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. 

F-35 Lightning – Europeans 2013
Who Runs The World? …All Girl!

The talent on display from the 1785 athletes who took part from over 20 countries was some amazing!

After walking through their routine, the Lightning Ladies were calm and collected as they prepared to perform. They watched Viqueens (Norway) in the All-Girl Premier division before heading down to warm-up, totally fired up for their own performance.

F-35 Lightning – Europeans 2013
Photo courtesy of Ed Hartley

Practice mat flew by and before they knew it they were standing on the mat waiting for Lois to start their chant.

This competition is held on a ‘dead’ floor (no springs) which limited some of skills they were able to perform. The routine went well, a couple of minor issues, but overall the girls were very happy with their performance!

F-35 Lightning – Europeans 2013
Photo courtesy of Ed Hartley

Everyone was very supportive of the other teams performing, especially those from the UK! There was even the opportunity to stunt and network with other teams.

F-35 Lightning – Europeans 2013

The ladies placed 9^th in a very tough division and are very proud of what they achieved.

Lightning Lady, Nikki Sadler said, “It isn’t often that you get to represent your country, but to have earnt the opportunity to do this twice in one year – at Europeans and Worlds – is a real honour!”

Congratulations Aviator F35 Lightning …you make us proud!

F-35 Lightning – Europeans 2013
Photo courtesy of Ed Hartley

F-35 Lightning – Europeans 2013
Photo courtesy of Ed Hartley

F-35 Lightning – Europeans 2013
Photo courtesy of Ed Hartley

F-35 Lightning – Europeans 2013
Photo courtesy of Ed Hartley

F-35 Lightning – Europeans 2013
Photo courtesy of Ed Hartley

F-35 Lightning – Europeans 2013
Photo courtesy of Ed Hartley

F-35 Lightning – Europeans 2013
Photo courtesy of Ed Hartley

F-35 Lightning – Europeans 2013
Photo courtesy of Ed Hartley

F-35 Lightning – Europeans 2013
Waiting for results
Photo courtesy of Ed Hartley

F-35 Lightning – Europeans 2013
Practicing outside
Photo courtesy of Ed Hartley

F-35 Lightning – Europeans 2013
Warming-up
Photo courtesy of Ed Hartley

Aviator Allstars at Worlds 2013

Check out this awesome video made by Aviator Athlete, Allie Snape, which only just touches on the amazing experience that was Worlds 2013 with Aviator Allstars F-35 Lightning.

Described as:

The best two weeks in history. Magic Kingdom, Florida Mall, Universal Studios, Blizzard Beach, Cultural Exchange, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Florida Mall, Brandon Gun Range, Segway riding, Daytona Beach, IASF and USASF Worlds, Come Dine With AV, Prinnys, Gangstas, Beauty Queens, Masquerades, Mexicans, Cold Stone Creamery, Outlet Malls, “Okaaaaaaaaaay!”, WOP, Evil Seagulls, “Hey Double Dippers!”, “SIT DOWWWWN!”, “I likes them bows on your head”, IHOP, Sloppy Joes, Ponderosa – steak with a side of wings.

BCA Nationals – Time to Shine

Aviator Allstars prepared for possibly the longest day in the cheer calendar on Saturday 30^th March – BCA Nationals. With the coach setting off at an eye-watering 5am, not due to return to Leeds until 2am, the Harrier Jump Jets, Skyhawks, Spitfires and F-35 Lightning were prepared for an extremely long day. This was the program’s first venture as a whole to BCA, and the team had a great sense of anticipation and curiosity about this new venture! Each team was to compete twice on the same day for a cumulative score.

Harrier Jump Jets took to the floor first in Mini Level 1. They wowed cheerleaders, parents, and other spectators alike with a fierce routine, top end skills, and you could have been forgiven for thinking you were witnessing a youth team, or a much bigger team than just 6 girls! They did a fantastic job and finished the first round in 2^nd place, to the huge pride of their parents. The coaches were seen hugging all the Harrier Jump Jets like “proud parents” themselves.

Aviator Harrier Jump Jets at BCA Internationals 2013

Next to take to the floor were Skyhawks. This team, an amalgamation of the Senior Level 2 Hurricanes, and Junior Level 3 Falcons, were set to wow their audience in the biggest division of the day with a highly skilled and challenging routine, complete with top end performance skills and confidence. These girls didn’t disappoint! They brought to the floor a clean routine and were very pleased to finish the first round in 2^nd place.

Skyhawks at BCA Internationals 2013

Spitfires followed next, competing in a tough co-ed 4 division. Spitfires first routine was not flawless, but the skills wowed the watching audience nonetheless. Double based libs, round-off back-handspring rewinds, twisting transitions and dismounts, and a strong dance secured Spitfires 2^nd place after round one.

Spitfires at BCA Internationals 2013

When F35 Lightning took to the floor, you could sense the excitement. This team were showcasing their Worlds routine in public for the very first time, and as BCA representatives for 2013 the Ladies of Lightning were determined to do their very best, to show why they had been picked. The first routine went well, but Lightning have exceptionally high standards for themselves and would not have been happy with anything less than perfect. However, the audience were suitably impressed and the girls were inundated with compliments after their first routine from kind spectators. After a session on BCA’s practice mat, the girls felt a lot happier and confident that their second showcase would be a bigger success.

F-35 Lightning at BCA Internationals 2013

 

The second round came, and Jump Jets took to the floor once more. If possible, this routine was even stronger than the last! Beautiful smiles, excellent flexibility, facials to shame some of the senior teams, and an excellent pyramid! These girls may be small, but they are skilled little ladies and definitely ones to watch to be future Aces, Lightning and Raptors!

Aviator Harrier Jump Jets at BCA Internationals 2013

Aviator Harrier Jump Jets at BCA Internationals 2013

Skyhawks continued the improvements and put out a cleaner routine than first time round! The confidence and determination of these girls to do their best was infectious and everyone was dancing around and clapping by the time the girls got to their dance.

Aviator Skyhawks at BCA Internationals 2013

 

Spitfires wowed the crowd once more, and bettered their first performance by hitting their difficult lib section much cleaner, and displaying their stunting skills in an incredibly difficult pyramid sequence! The support of the crowd was brilliant and displays why AV are such a strong family.

It was time once more for Lightning to take to the floor, showcasing their All-Girl level 6 routine. This time round, after a brilliant warm up, the girls displayed excellent stunting – level 6 mounts and dismounts, twisting transitions, gauntlets, thigh stand pyramids, high towers, super high skilled baskets and twisting tumbles aplenty. They more than proved that they deserved that spot on the Worlds roster, in 4 weeks time! We wish them the absolute best of luck!

Aviator F-35 Lightning at BCA Internationals 2013

 

Results were exciting as all the teams waited to find out whether they had managed to hold on to their top spots. BCA were only announcing first, second and third place, even in the very large divisions, so a mention was what everybody was aiming for. Thankfully, nobody was disappointed as Harrier Jump Jets, Skyhawks, and Spitfires were not only presented with beautiful Silver plates, but each received a bid to the US Finals event in Virginia, USA in May 2014!

Aviator Spitfires at BCA Internationals 2013

Aviator Skyhawks at BCA Internationals 2013

Well done to ALL the teams that competed this weekend – we are so proud of all of you and feel so privileged to have every single athlete as part of this program. Well done for your amazing sportsmanship, stamina and hard work – this is what makes Aviators special. Bring on Jamfest Europe!

-Kelly Loughlin

 

Aviator F-35 Lightning at BCA Internationals 2013

Aviators at BCA Internationals 2013

 

BCA Nationals 2013

This gallery contains 36 photos.

Photos of Aviator Harrier Jump Jets (mini 1), Skyhawks (Senior 2), Spitfires (Coed 4) and F35 Lightning (All Girl 6). With thanks to Laura Snape, former F35 athlete for the photos of Lightning’s practice mat.  

AV hits ICC Nationals

This gallery contains 34 photos.

Photos of Aviator Aces (Coed 5), Carnegie Aviators (Coed 3), Celtic Aviators All Girl (University All Girl 6) and Coed (University Coed 6) taken by our fantastic photographer Andy Brown.

Bring out the Best – Cheerleading Fundraiser Camp for Worlds 2013

Aviator Allstars are proud to announce that their 2013 Worlds representatives, the ladies of F35 Lightning’s All-Girl Level 6 team, will be running a special one-off fundraising camp to help them raise the costs to attend this prestigious trip of a lifetime – and you’re all invited!

Date: Saturday 26th January
Time: 10am-4pm
Price: £20 for the whole day
Place: Lower Westfield House, Broad Lane, Bramley, Leeds LS13 3HA

This camp will be run by the highly experienced Aviator Allstars coaches, and assisted by the Lightning ladies, many of whom are existing coaches within their local dance and cheer programs and can offer a high level of expertise.

It will cover elements of stunting, tumbling, jumps, stretching and conditioning and is looking to be an exciting fun day. Whether you’re a highly experienced cheerleader wanting to work on rewind technique and standing fulls, or just starting out and want to refine the basics, this camp has something for everyone.

Please register via info@AviatorAllstars.com

We hope to see you there!
#FullOutFierce

A new season has arrived for the Ladies of Lightning – and what a season!

Having been on the team since its creation in the late months of 2009, it’s been great to be a part of something that is developing year in, year out, and watch it grow.  First sessions are always tough, bases and flyers are switched until you find that perfect fit.  Constant drills to ensure that even though we’ve all come from different cheer teams, we’re singing from the same hymn sheet when we’re together.  It’s not always the flashy stunts of level 6.

 

You’ve had the summer off.  But having a summer off level 6 can be really tough.  Muscle memory needs jogging, and you’re getting used to new stunt groups, new basing partners.  So it should have been arduous, right? New intake and over a month off practicing level 6 stunts.  It should have been.  But these girls impress.  Time and again.

 

It’s just exciting to be back in the gym.  In our home from home.  We spend a total of 14 hours per training weekend in that gym.  No windows.  It should send us all crazy, but it doesn’t.   It’s because everyone has been so damned excited for this season.  Every first session has that air of anticipation, possibility and genuine excitement.  We all want to see how we develop, what new members can contribute.  This first session has been like no other.  We have a good combination of experience and raw talent – and I like it!!

 

We’ve always been proud of our work ethic amongst the Ladies of Lightning.  There are some real tough cookies on the team, which is a good job, as level 6 is not for the faint hearted!  It turns out a lot of the new girls already have that in them.  So much progression in one weekend, and we’re working towards some pretty exciting material.  It won’t be long till we work on routine content, get some structure.  But this weekend was all about togetherness.  Stunt together, jump together, tumble together – even eat together!   That togetherness can only be genuinely shown on the mat if we understand each other off it too.  Everyone is so open and welcoming on this team, and the fact that we’re all so driven is an added bonus.

 

We all showcased what we can do now, and we can already see what we will be able to do in a matter of months.  We have some great talent on this team.   We had a great end to last season, with just coming short of the top spot at Elite, and winning a bid to Worlds 2013. This season is going to be like no other, none of us have been in this situation where we’re training for the ultimate cheerleading competition – Worlds.  It was what we all wanted to talk about, but we wanted to save the excitement! We’re ready for this.  It’s not going to be easy, that’s for sure.  We all worked so hard this weekend, the post-cheer ache was unreal.  But we’re making ground.  That’s why weekends like this one are so important – the foundations need to be strong.

 

A final word to my favourite girls in the world, something I think sums up our attitude towards each other, and something we should all remember throughout the season.   The strength of the team is each individual member.  The strength of each member is the team.

Lightning Love ❤

 

Marie-Claire Gane

Athlete Spotlight – My London 2012 by Sam

As a member of Aviator Allstars Cheerleading Club in Leeds, I wanted to share with you my experience of volunteering at London 2012.

I applied to be a volunteer at the Olympics through my university in 2010 not thinking I would get a place as only 75,000 out of 250,000 applicants were successful. After a nervous wait and friends finding out they had a place first, I finally received the email saying I had a volunteer role at Greenwich Park for the Equestrian events at both the Olympic and Paralympic games. All I remember was running around my living room and jumping about in excitement!

Greenwich Park – The venue I worked at for the Olympics and Paralympics

Fast forward to July 20^th 2012 and I was on a train down to London to move into my accommodation in Russell Square where I would be staying with other students from my university course and thankfully, my best friend Sophie. As we had a week before the Olympics started, we were the ultimate tourists for 7 days! Getting used to the tubes, the amount of people and the fast paced London life was strange for someone from a tiny town but I grew to love it, even though it was during the hottest week of the year and the tubes were SO HOT!! I probably spent a bit too much money shopping but its London, what can you do?!

Finally my first shift came, and I set off especially early so I wasn’t late on my hour long journey to work, which involved changing tubes 3 times, it’s a good job I was already a pro. I finally arrived in Greenwich and was guided to the venue by pink foam hand waving volunteers. I then had to go through airport style security, check in where I received my lunch ticket, a poncho in case of typical English weather and as much free chocolate as I could eat! Luckily for my ‘Worlds diet’ I’m not a massive chocolate fan! I also received ‘thank you’ gifts over my shifts, such as bronze, silver and gold pin badges and a collectable relay baton.

My job over the games was a ‘Mixed Zone Team Member’ which entailed ensuring the athletes got off their horses and fulfilled their duties of broadcasting and press interviews. I brought the athletes through the mixed zone where various television channels from all over the world would interview them, followed by written press from a variety of countries. I had to make sure journalists didn’t ask inappropriate questions, one of which was a British journalist asking Zara Phillips what she thought of her grandma jumping from a helicopter (in reference to the opening ceremony). Unsurprisingly Zara was not amused and didn’t answer, causing quite the awkward moment, most athletes got through smoothly though! I got to meet all my heroes in the sport, including Zara Phillips, Mary King and Nick Skelton which was a highlight for me. I also met a Swedish rider whom I believe to be my future husband ;). I also got to hold a couple gold medals which was pretty cool, and very heavy! The medal ceremonies were quite emotional at Greenwich Park as Great Britain were very successful and after getting to know the team members over the games it was amazing to see them pick up their (mostly gold!) medals!

Team GB Eventing team (including Zara Phillips) after winning Silver

 

“It was quite an experience being ‘back stage’ at the worlds biggest sporting event and seeing how much work goes into it all running smoothly.”

After a short break I was back at Greenwich Park for the Paralympics, which was one of the most inspiring times of my life. After seeing the Olympians compete and be rewarded for all the hard work they put in, it was awe inspiring to meet and talk to the Paralympians who work just as hard despite various disabilities which most people would see as a barrier to sport, which only drives these amazing people to try harder. I loved hearing the stories of how the riders started riding as therapy and the unbelievable bonds they have with their horses, many of which allow them to control the horses with just their voices. It was incredible to see these inspirational, hard working and dedicated athletes collect their medals, no matter what country they were from, even though GB won the team gold! As someone with a disability myself it inspires me to never think negatively about myself and to train even harder to achieve the goals I set.

Meeting these amazing people, Olympians and Paralympians, the main thing I have taken away from my time at the Olympics is to never give up on a dream you have, to always believe in yourself and your ability and to know that nothing is impossible.  Aviator F-35 Lightning at the Cheerleading Worlds 2013 …here I come!

Need Extra Practice for Tryouts Tomorrow?

Don’t forget OPEN GYM is on TONIGHT from 7-9pm for just (£5).

 

This is a fantastic opportunity if you do not already have the skill set or if you do not have easy access to practice space. It is the perfect time to film your tryout video if you can not make the weekend.

 

Don’t miss out on your chance to meet the coaches and other athletes trying out as well as using the opportunity to prospect your journey to the gym.

 

Tryout videos are also dues today; please send them to info@aviatorallstars.com along with your tryout documents. If you need help with what to include just ask.

 

See you tonight!

T-1 Day Tryouts!

Tryouts are TOMORROW! …Are you ready?

Tryout Checklist:

1. Registration Form
2. Release and Waiver Form
3. Medical Information Form
4. Code of Conduct/Financial Commitment
5. A copy of your Passport or Driving Licence (Photo ID)
6. Two passport sized photos
7. Tryout Fee (£10)
8. Signed up to our Live Streaming event there is more information here
9. Save our contact numbers in your phone just in case you need anything (Rachel 07989838646, Tim 07800859916, Chris 07527935433)

Ensure you have read the Tryout Pack, looked through the Schedule and read through the Tryout FAQ’s on our website.

Registration is open from 9am and will run a lot smoother if you have all your tryout documents ready. Remember to plan your journey in advance to avoid any unnecessary stress on the day. For help planning getting to the gym, see yesterday’s post.