FORT BENNING, GA - "Go, go; let's go!" More than a dozen fifth-grade girls learned their first cheer Monday at Wilson Elementary School.
The newly formed Wilson Wildcats Cheer Club celebrates school spirit, physical fitness, teamwork and leadership, said Marissa Jessup, first-grade teacher at Wilson who, along with Spanish teacher Christi Wells, will head the club.
"Basically, fifth-graders are kind of coming into their own at this age, especially girls, and we wanted to teach them - before they get into the crucial years - how to become a leader, what the important values are, what example to set for other kids," Jessup said.
With a parent's permission slip and $1 for a personalized T-shirt, fifth-grade students at Wilson Elementary are invited to learn what cheerleading is all about.
"It's not just dancing; it's not just showing off what you can do," Wells said. "It's taking your strengths, using those with the strengths all the other girls have - as a team - and showing it to your school."
Cheering is especially great for military children because it builds confidence and camaraderie, Jessup said.
"I was a cheerleader in high school," Wells said. "It helped me find my voice. I knew what I was supposed to say, and I believed with all my heart what I was saying: 'Go, go; I want my team to win.' It gave me confidence because I had all these girls around me as a support group."
Wells said she believes the club will be that support group for Wilson cheerleaders.
Ten-year-old Shian Hayes said she is excited to start cheerleading.
"People say I'm shy. I am," Shian said. "So, it's probably the best way to express myself. I would like to show more spirit for the school ... because this is a really cool school."
The club was entirely the students' idea, Wells said. After the fifth-grade class visited Columbus State University for a field trip in August and saw cheerleaders perform, many of the students were interested in the concept.
"It was amazing," said 10-year-old Kiara Jackson of the CSU cheerleading performance.
As soon as she got home, Kiara started practicing the moves she saw the college cheerleaders do. When she heard about a Wilson cheer club, she signed up.
"I call myself a bendy straw," she said. "I love to do splits, cartwheels, backbends. It's kind of like my talent, something I do every day."
Kiara said she will like the opportunity to learn moves from someone else, make new friends, improve her flexibility, and "realize what school spirit is."
"They said if you want to be in cheerleading you have to get the spirit straight," Kiara said. "That's probably one of the things I'm more focused on, not mostly the moves but the spirit that I'm going to bring in the school - the spirit of the wildcat."
The club plans to perform at upcoming school events, such as field day. Membership is open to any fifth-grader at Wilson Elementary School. For more information, call 706-545-5723.
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