THE Jamaica Cheer Foundation (JACF) in association with the Jamaica Fitness Association (Jamfit) will be hosting a National Cheerleading Championship and Caribbean International Open Championships (CCIOC) on Saturday at the National Indoor Sports Centre.

This competition is to decide which high school cheerleading team is the best and who has the best cheerleading team in the Caribbean.

The journey to create a thriving cheer community in Jamaica has been a slow and steady process. The formation of a regulatory body, JACF, is a huge step in ensuring that young athletes are not only on track to a professional career but they are doing so safely and under international guidelines.

The Caribbean is known for phenomenal athletes in all disciplines, and as cheerleading continues to grow there are several aspiring teams looking to make their mark on the international stage.

It is easy to see the level of discipline and the degree of difficulty it takes to execute the moves in a cheer routine. Just listen to the “oooos” and “aaaaaaaahs” as these young athletes are thrown several feet into the air and then caught by their peers. The combination of gymnastics and dancing makes for incredible and explosive viewing as carefully choreographed cheerleaders tumble across the floor, all while maintaining the most cheerful expression.

Cheerleading is not new, but the growth from intermission entertainment to full-on competition has been an exciting journey, and on Saturday the CCIOC is the perfect platform for teams to gain recognition and see the level of competition that they will no doubt face as their ultimate goal is to one day have cheerleading as an official sport in the Olympic games.

For now cheerleading will continue to grow and gain popularity as new doors open for the young ones.