Starbound Cheerleading was officially opened in April 2021 by Jenny Gilbert and since then it has gone from strength to strength.
Readers that are familiar with this popular sport or have watched ‘Cheer’ on Netflix will recognise terminology such as ‘Flyers’, ‘Tumblers’ and ‘Pyramids’ and if you ever fancied trying it out, whether young or old Starbound Cheerleading is on your doorstep in Arnold.
Gedling Eye caught up with Jenny Gilbert, Director & Head Coach at Starbound Cheerleading to hear her story and how terms like ‘Arabesque’ and ‘Spotter’ can be heard on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Arnold.
Jenny told us that she grew up in Arnold and attended Coppice Farm Primary and Arnold Hill School and lived in Arnold until the age of 18.
She went to live in Canada for a while before going to Aberystwyth University in Wales, where she joined the Cheerleading squad and found her love for Cheerleading.
Whilst there Jenny competed regularly in cheerleading competitions and taught cheerleading classes in a secondary school.
Jenny said “I formed Starbound Cheerleading and officially opened in April 2021. I had planned for classes to begin in 2020 and was ready to go, but then sadly covid hit and shut us all down!
“So by the time we were safely allowed to meet, there were lots of people looking for things like this to take part in.
“The aim of Starbound Cheerleading is to allow more people to experience the joy and benefits of the sport, including those who may worry their skills aren’t good enough to try out for bigger teams.”
Starbound Cheerleading started with two small recreational teams in Arnold for ages 6+, Galaxy and Moonlight. These are still running and have proved popular.
Since then Starbound Cheerleading has grown and now also have more coaches, two school teams in Nottingham and an adult competition team that train in Arnold every Tuesday.
Jenny added “Our adult masters team, Starbound Supanovas, only formed last year and we have just competed and come 2nd in our first ever competition in May. We are now on the lookout for more members with plans to compete in 2 competitions this coming season.
“Supanovas is a very important part of Starbound Cheerleading and our aims as a sports program.
“Whether they used to be part of a team when they were younger, or have never done it before, many people over the age of 25 see themselves as now too old to be a cheerleader, particularly competitively. I always wanted to put together a team that shows that is not the case.
“A masters team is made up with a majority of members being over 25, but there are not a huge amount of masters teams around, and our members come from all over Nottingham and some even from outside Nottingham to be a part of the team.
“Cheerleading is a really fun team sport that brings people and communities together, teaches confidence and sportsmanship and is a fantastic way to stay fit and strong, and it is for everyone!”
As well as plans for Supanovas, Jenny’s next mission this year is to begin a junior competition squad. This is for ages 8-14 and they are looking for members who may want to try out for that too.
If you are hosting a community event, or similar Jenny and the team(s) would love to attend.
The adult team train on Tuesday evenings at Christ The King School Sports Hall on Darlton Drive NG5 7JZ while the recreational teams train on Thursday evenings at BKS Martial Arts and Fitness on Newstead Industrial Estate, Brookfield Road NG5 8ER.
If you’re interested in joining any of the teams or have any queries you can get in touch via their Facebook social media page HERE or through the website at www.starboundcheerleading.com.
