EVERY year, for as long as anyone attending CHEER can remember, the supporters of the Titans cheerleaders of SMK Ave Maria Convent have made the trip from Ipoh to cheer their team on.
It was no different at CHEER2014. The supporters of the Titans and Titans Junior gathered at their school at 5.30am before making their way to Stadium Putra, Bukit Jalil in four buses – all of which were paid for by parents of the cheerleaders.
That’s the kind of amazing support that made the school the joint winners of the CHEER 2014 Best Supporters award, alongside the ever-spirited SCARS (the SM Sri KL Cyrens and Rayvens Supporters) from Sri Kuala Lumpur.
The Titans from Smk Ave Maria Convent accepting the Best Supporters award from The Star group managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai
SMK Ave Maria Convent principle was clearly proud of his school as he told R.AGE how the parents paid the RM1,200 for transport and food so their children could compete atCHEER 2014.
“There was no northern zone competition for CHEER this year, so we had to go all out for the national competition (at Stadium Putra). The school lacks funds for uniforms and shoes, so I’m glad that more parents have shown their support by chipping in,” said Chen.
Shirley Low, mother of Titans cheerleader Winnie Lee, sponsored a bus, saying it was the least she could do to show her support for her daughter.
“It’s a sport that promotes discipline, determination and positivity. It’s good for teenagers and that’s why I’m doing as much as I can to help,” said Low.
The SCARS, already three-time winners of the Best Supporters award, were clearly taking the defence of their title seriously, with some of their supporters arriving at the stadium as early as 4.30am to book the best seats in the house.
Hundreds of parents and students of Sri KL came with banners, drums, vuvuzelas and even a mascot dressed as a siren, the mythological creature!
SCARS, comprising 1,200 members and 20 teachers, encourages support for their school’s cheerleading teams. And the best part is, they do it all on a voluntarily basis.
“We had pep rallies and we even taught our members how to cheer; and our principal would come to give us a lot of support,” said SCARS committee member, Mark Chin.
Wilson Sng, father of Cyrens cheerleader Emma Sng, registered his third attendance at CHEER, arriving bright and early at 9am.
“These girls trained four times a week for 10 months, for a three-minute routine on a mat. It shows a lot of discipline, commitment and dedication. So, I figure it has to be a good sport to be able to instill all these qualities in a teenager,” said Sng.
He reckons Sri KL provides a good support system for their cheerleaders.
Deputy principal of Sri KL secondary school, Tan Sun Seng, revealed the school would do anything to encourage its students to support the Cyrens and Rayvens.
He said: “After assembly, we would get the students to practice their cheers. It’s definitely something that unites the school and defines our school’s team spirit, so we’re proud of that.”
To cap a triumphant weekend, the efforts of the main and support acts earned the students of Sri KL Secondary School a holiday last Friday!
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