In competition cheerleading, even the smallest of slipups can cause point deductions.
For the Winder-Barrow High School competition team, it was the fact a ribbon fell out of a team member’s hair.
In the end, the team finished sixth although WBHS coach Jerrie Hulsey still thought her team performed its routine well.
“They had energy and their sportsmanship was great,” Hulsey said. “I could not have have asked for the team to do any better. We were awesome.”
The Cheer Dogg coach noted her team member immediately picked up the ribbon and got it out of the way, as is required. Hulsey said the team was supposed to received a five-point deduction only if the ribbon was stepped over. While this didn’t happen, Husley said, the deduction was still given to WBHS.
Those points cost the Cheer Doggs a fifth-place finish.
“I am very proud of this team,” Hulsey said. “It was a rebuilding year for WBHS. We had only five returning kids and not one of the five boys had ever cheered before. I could not have asked for a better performance from them. The kids are very proud of their performance just disappointed they were not rewarded for their effort.”
The long-time competition cheerleading coach admitted she was “extremely disappointed” in the judging from Saturday.
“I thought we would be second or third,” she said. “Two teams that finished in front of us had falls. One team dropped one stunt and another team dropped three stunts/pyramids. We did not drop anything. Our stunts did not move. Our pyramids did notmove. I have no words for this judging nightmare.”
Peachtree Ridge won the Co-ed championship followed by Chestatee, Duluth, Roswell, Dacula and WBHS.
“I think the process has to be changed,” Hulsey said. “In All-Star cheerleading, once all teams have been judged the head judge looks at all the scores and how teams finished. The panel then decides if this is how it should have ended up. If not, they fix it. It is difficult to score 16 teams and get it correct the first time.
“Early teams might not score as high as later teams because judges would not know what later teams bring to the floor. The GHSA has to do something about the process.”
