Tim's Diamond Head

To add to Tim's Diamond head skills,

Paul and Mish are both working on theirs too...

before you know it we'll have a whole squad of them!

Sports Ball

Saturday 23 February saw the biggest sporting social event of the year; The Sports Ball, held at the Royal Armouries in Leeds. We were well represented and throughout the night the teams photos could be seen on the huge screens on stage.

Future Cheer Triumph

We competed for the very first time as a team last weekend at Future Cheer's Saturday Night Fever Competition.

After a full day of routines, the awards were announced. The Celtics took home four first place trophies for University/Open All-Girl Level 5, All-Girl Open Stunt Group Level 5, Mike and Rachel Partner Stunt level 6 and Co-Ed Open Stunt Group level 6. Two 2nd place trophies for University/Open Co-Ed 6 and Tim and Sarah Partner Stunt 5. They were also proud of James and Laura, Sophie and Jen who both entered Partner Stunt 5, placing 4th and 6th respectively.

This weekend was a tremendous accomplishment for the Celtics, seeing their Co-Ed Group Stunt defending their title for the 16th time in a row, their All-Girl team were favourites to win the Grand Champion title and their Co-Ed team displaying complex and inspiring stunts and pyramids previously unseen in the UK, securing their consistent ranking as some of Britain’s best cheerleaders.

Post comp, the training and competition pressure seems to have caught up with everyone, especially Laura who has Bronchitis! During the competition day I thought I was going to die; the night before I didn't comit to a basket and torpedoed head first into Tim Burnett's chest from my arabian split full basket leaving me seeing stars and one side of my neck was a lot bigger than the other!

Celtic's in the Dragon's Lair

Yesterday Sophie and I arrived at the Careers Centre on campus to pitch for the Leeds Celtics, to the Proctor and Gamble Dragon's Lair team in a bid to win the team £250 and then potentially £10,000.

We will find out later today!

My Celtics Really Are Lovely

Yesterday saw round one of our Celtic's photoshoot, which turned out to be a slight disaster. The studio man went missing and we were kicked out early, but it was a good turn out from the team considering the short notice.

Here are a few photos which will be appearing on our website http://www.celticcheer.co.uk/ shortly.

Tim's Diamond Head

Tim "The Machine" Stevenson saw this stunt whilst researching the cheerleading team at the University of Illinois wher he will be visiting later this year (when he scoots off to America as part of his PhD!)

...This is what happened when he tried it himself.

Celtics on BCC Radio Leeds

Saturday 9th February saw Sophie Ibbotson and Tim Peffers (or Peefers) and myself take to the airwaves at 11:40 on BBC Radio Leeds with DJ Graham Liver. We were interviewed covering topics from who the Celtics are, what cheerleading is and what we hope to achieve in the future.

The intention of our interview was to create a wider awareness for cheerleading as a sport; because cheerleading is not classed as a performing art or a sport it is almost impossible to secure sponsorship from companies who believe that we, in the words of Graham Liver, dance around with “pom poms and wear short skirts.”

We were asked if we could perform one of our Celtic ‘chants’ (in true stereotypical fashion) but considering the style of cheerleading we practice, namely stunts and gymnastics and the notable absence of the chanting, the producers decided not to record and broadcast a chant but instead concentrate on our team’s ambitions to compete abroad in May.

The interview can be heard on the Listen Again section on the BBC Radio Leeds website

Mats at last!

As we have training tonight, I thought it was high time we moved the mats from the sports hall to the Comer Terrace so we can train on them! So Katie, Mike, James and I met Tim 2 in the union so I could sign my driving license away (we had permission to use the union van!) Geoff in the ARC (Activities and Resource Centre) warned me that if I scraped the van it would probably cost me £1000 to repair (and it wouldn't be the first time it would have happened). So, after traipsing around campus to various different places to get the keys, sign the papers etc we found ourselves in the security office where we were asked to provide ID, which is fine, but he didn't care who from!! He thought he was really funny and asked for some conformation that we were authorised to use the van, so we told him he would have to call the ARC. In response he informed us that that was no use unless we were in the sea with lots of animals

*awkward silence.

Well, once at our (My new vehicle) we discovered it wasn't a van at all but the 'Night Bus', an 8 person people carrier! Our new shiny mats wouldn't have fitted even if I could have moved the seat forward enough to be able to touch the pedals!

We ended up carrying them snail-style from one side of campus to the other, when I say we I mainly mean Tim2, James and Mike (Katie and I were trying) and Tats turned up just in time to move the last mat.

I can't wait to train now!

Random Celtics

As a random experiement to see what I could find on the internet about our squad, I typed 'Leeds Cheerleaders' into google and found this little snippet on the Sport and Physical Activity site at Leeds University.

Sheffield Storm draws in the crowds at Meadowhall!! Sat 24th November 2007

Sheffield Storm All Stars spent the weekend at Meadowhall entertaining shoppers with breathtaking stunts, loud music and outstanding talent.

Leeds Celtic All Stars kindly provided some of their All Girl squad and a partner stunt duo to wow the crowds on Sat. They performed amazing lib sequences, super high baskets and showed off their amazing flexibility all in aid of recruiting young girls and guys for Sheffield Storm All Stars 2008 squad. From 10 till 4 the team continued to draw deep crowd. Some people stayed for hours mesmerized by the stunts. Hopefully we did not cause too much disruption in to the nearby stores.

The event was a huge success with over 100 girls and guys signing up to tryouts with Sheffield Storm (on 9th and 16th Dec, see tryout page). We sincerely hope the amazing talent of the girls and guys who performed at Meadowhall has inspired young people to join the squad'

We would like to thank Meadowhall staff for kindly allowing us to use the fantastic space and also to Leeds Celtics for inspiring all of the 100+ who signed up for our squad.

"Some athletes throw balls, but cheerleaders throw athletes!" a post by our very own Beth Kay in response to the recent Daily Mail article, It's the attack of the killer pom-poms at Britain's most bizarre championship"

Cheers, Manning Stainton!
May 2006

When Julie Croft of Leeds University Cheerleading squad asked Manning Stainton estate agents for a donation to help buy smart new kitbags, the company didn’t hesitate…“Certainly,” they said, “We’re about to present our annual branch and staff awards so come and help us celebrate!”

The award-winning squad is on a bit of a high right now, having won a succession of Dance Championships last year, the UK Cheerleading Association Bredbury Cup for outstanding contribution to the sport of cheerleading – and they’re heading for Orlando this year for the USA Championships!

Squad members (60 in total and growing) are all University students reading a diverse range of subjects from Physics to Law, Accountancy to Graphic Design and practically everything in between…

Winners of Manning Stainton’s annual Pride Awards – given to staff right across the branch network – were on hand to try out some of the routines, together with director Jacquie Howard who brought along the Sunday Times “Top 100 Small Companies to Work For” trophy recently presented to the Group.

Said Julie: -“Manning Stainton responded very quickly to our request and we’re extremely grateful for the donation. We may be a top Cheerleading team, but at the end of the day we’re still students!”

Celtics in Calendar

Leeds RAG (Raise and Give) has a produced a fantastic calendar for 2008 featuring all your favourite sports teams…naked!

The calendar features 12 teams including: Men’s Rugby, Cheerleaders, Women’s Rugby, Volley ball, Men’s Tennis and more…

Your copy can be purchased for only £3 from CATS, the RAG office or from Union foyer from 10-4 on Thursday 24th.

Cheerleaders triumph at ICC Regionals

The Celtic's were featured in the Leeds Student Paper:

24/01/2008

The Leeds Celtics have wiped the gymnasium floor clean once again, being placed first in every division that they entered at the recent ICC Northern Regional competition held here in Leeds. Against tough competition the Senior Group Stunt, Senior Co-ed Group Stunt, Senior All Girl and Open Co-ed teams all achieved first place positions. Mike McMahon and Rachel Pearson, Stunt and Sophie Ibbotson and Jennifer Ingram both won in the pairs events. The Celtics are next in action at the 'Heart of England' Championships on Valentines Day.

Zodiac's TV Debut

One of our cheer squad friends, the South Coast Zodiacs were featured on ITV Local earlier this week.

Title: Sussex Cheerleaders
Short Abstract: Gymnastics and human pyramids with the Southcoast Zodiacs
Direct Link: http://www.itvlocal.com/meridian/news/?player=MER_news2_26&void=146811

Andrew Wick, Coach of the Southcoast Zodiacs believed that, "The Leeds Celtics have taken cheerleading to the next level in more ways than one. Firstly by stepping up the mark on stunting/tumbling ability and by offering help to whoever needs it, to try and bring everyone to the same level. The cheer community would not be the same without the Celtics, everyone admires and inspires to reach that level. The Celtics have helped my team on more than one occasion with new skills, support and generally being approachable. Looking to the future i think Leeds Celtics will continue to work hard and be positive role models for the whole of the cheerleading community."

Our next competition is less than a month away, and I want to wish them, and every team competing, Good Luck!

Britain's Got Talent

With the second season of auditions for Britain's Got Talent well underway, I thought I would share our experience of the previous series.

We had been stunting all day in Hyde Park, enjoying the sunshine and after having a BBQ retired back to our house to watch the premier of Britain's Got Talent on Saturday, June 9, 2008 at 9.25pm. As well as coverage on ITV1, we were also featured on ITV2's nightly spin-off show Britain's Got More Talent.

The main aim for the Celtics was to bring cheerleading into the limelight, to show the public what cheerleading involves. From our exposure on this program we received a lot of positive feedback, and believe that we took a step towards our goal. There was however a lot at stake with a chance to win £100,000 cash and the chance to perform in front of the Queen at this Royal Variety Performance.

At our first audition in March, the ceiling in the audition room was to low to stunt, but fortunately the waiting area had a ceiling that was just high enough (although I could touch the ceiling.) The first stunt we threw caught everyone’s attention and the whole room gasped since it appeared that I was being launched into the roof. But once we had established how much room we had, we threw as many stunts as we could. We were interviewed by ITV and ITV2 and thoroughly secured our places into the next round.

On stage at the next audition in front of a live audience, our routine went really well, showcasing some of our best stunts. The audience were really loud and supportive and the frequently heard “Off! Off! Off! Off!” chant (the audience had a say in the vote too) was no where to be heard. Simon Cowell, looked apprehensive and his interest was instantly lost when we announced that we were cheerleaders! He pressed his buzzer as soon as we started, but Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden saw us through to the end.

The judges verdicts; “Where are the pon poms?” asked Simon Cowell moaning and looking very unimpressed saying that “(cheerleading) is just an excuse for guys to look up girls skirts!” This didn’t go down well with the other two judges, or the audience and a loud “Boooo” erupted in the auditorium. Piers though it was “Different and entertaining to watch,” and believed that it was an act that the television audiences would like to watch. “I love it when young people get together to unite in a common goal, seeing you as a team on that stage giving it 110% makes me proud,” gushed Amanda. The Celtics were sent through to the next round!

We even had the opportunity to put Ant and Dec into stunts. Dec did surprisingly well, as the Celtics put him into an elevator stunt but Ant didn’t even make it into the load before falling on his back. The boys were very supportive of the Celtics and wished us luck before leaving.

James Hart described it as, “Absolutely crazy, the stage was huge, the audience were loud and the adrenaline was pumping, the only thing that spoilt it was Simon Cowell scouring at us.”

To view the our audition show reel visit the media section on http://www.celticcheer.co.uk/

Click here to catch a glimpse of the Celtics on stage with Ant and Dec in the wings

Barry the cheerleader

Again, on the subject of male cheerleaders, check out Barry! (he loves S Club 7!)

"Barry is a cheerleader...a MALE cheerleader! We find out what it's like being one of only a handful of males taking part in this female dominated sport. Follow Barry and his team, Plymouth Blaze, in the run-up to the BCA National Cheerleading Competition in Newport. How will they get on?"

Watch his video to find out http://current.com/watch/24370340

Male Cheerleaders

My fellow cheerleader, Tim Stevenson sent me a text the other day (22nd Jan 08) to say that Scott Mills was discussing male cheerleaders on Radio 1, "Scott Mills ripped male cheerleaders and now every cheer team everywhere are ringing in and complaining."

Naturally, I tuned in straight away, but to be honest it wasn’t very positive.

As the week went on, his show on the 23rd heard him speaking to “Pom Pom Pete and find out the reasons why men become cheerleaders(!)” This in all cases is for the girls (the men to women ratio is heavily favoured towards the men!) but once they realise that it is so much harder and physically demanding than they first thought, they soon become addicted to stunting; throwing (and catching) girls in the air.

On the 24th he spoke with a “lucky lad who lives with 9 cheerleaders.”

And today (25th) he had a “team of cheerleaders along to teach Scott their moves while he's in full costume.” For more updates visit http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio1/mills/rss.xml

I have attached the video of Scott’s crash course in cheerleading and it is also on his homepage on the Radio 1 website, along with a very short article. A guy called Ross Graesing left a message on Scott Mills' bebo page saying that he "typed in scott mills tonight to see the mad cheerleader thing and thought why wld anyone degrade themselves like that!"

It is actually worth a watch, seeing as he injures himself doing a forward roll!

They featured the Boswell Cheerleading Squad, a team who had some manly looking guys, it is just a shame they didn't show any stunts, seeing as that is what primarily impresses men in cheerleading.

The year so far...

This little video created by Steph Lim highlights our progress and skills since September 2007, as well as showing how much fun we have had this term.



Our most first competition of the year was hosted by the International Cheerleading Coalition(ICC) which took place in our back garden at the University of Leeds. We entered 6 divisions, and won 6 First Place trophies!

I am extremely proud of every single member of the team who in spite of other commitments to academics, work, and extra curricular activities, made every effort to be at training and to work hard to excel in their area of the routine.

Becky Hughes, a former Lincoln Jet Cheerleader said,
“ICC Northern Regionals 2007 was my first competition with the Celtics, we’d trained hard for a couple of months, there was a few problems along the way with stunts, but we all pulled through together on the day. This is a fantastic experience knowing that the team will help each other out, work hard when it counts and make sure we have those 1st place trophies at the end of it. Nothing beats that!”

We encourage each other, we fight along side each other, and we work for each other.

I am proud to be a Celtic

For more videos of our team visit our media page.

Hi

Well I thought I should introduce myself. I'm Rachel (but people call me Rach) and I currently coach and compete with the lovely Leeds Celtics. I started cheering in September 2004 and since then, I have to admit, it has taken over my life. Anyone who thinks cheerleading is all about pom pom and 'rah rah rah's' couldn't be more wrong.So please, have a look at our blog, or check out our website and find out for yourself what we're really about.