Local Elite Cheerleaders Tumble Their Way to Success

Scotts Valley cheerleaders and their coaches are flipping over their recent success in a national cheerleading competition.

The girls at the Scotts Valley Elite All Star Cheer and Tumbling Gym took third place in their division at the USA All Star Championships in Anaheim the weekend of Feb. 25.

The win is even more special given that the team has only recently been formed.

Although they came just points from walking away in the No. 1 slot, placing third was quite an accomplishment.

“It was really hard for them, but in a way, I’m glad they didn’t [place first],” said Deanna Heywood, owner and head coach at Scotts Valley Elite. “They’ve come a long way, and I think it’s made them stronger as a team than if they would have gotten first. With us being a brand-new gym, it would have been a little too much.”

Heywood has been the cheerleading coach at San Lorenzo Valley High School for 10 years but recently quit after leading her team to a first-place win in a national high school competition last year.

“My high school girls wanted to take it a step up and go into the all-star world [of cheerleading],” Heywood said. “So they actually gave me the idea to open up and all-star gym.”

The sport seems to be growing quickly. Heywood says that in April 2010, she opened the gym with only 15 girls. Less than a year later, that number has grown to 50.

Perhaps, it is Heywood’s love for the sport. Or maybe it has more to do with the connection she feels with the girls.

“The reason I coach is because it’s my passion," she said. "But my main thing that I tell the girls is that it’s not about the trophies, it’s about doing your personal best and going out there and having fun and making memories. We’re like a family. All the girls and all the moms; we’re all here for each other.”

There is also a community-building component at work that seems to be unique to the area.

“I think the cool part about having an all-star gym is that it brings the community together,” said Paige Brown, the Scotts Valley Elite tumbling coach. “There has always been this rivalry. We started out with just girls from SLV, but now we have Scotts Valley girls who are best friends with SLV girls. The lines are blurred.”

The team is quick to agree.

“You get really close with the girls. We all have the same goals,” cheerleader Nicci Foster said.

Cheerleader Faye Alvin backs her teammate up by saying, “It’s a second family. We’re here almost every other day. We get really close and we all want to win so badly.”

It’s no doubt that a sense of family and team building are important facets of cheerleading, but the coaches point out that hard work and talent is what really drives them.

“It’s their talent and passion and dedication,” Heywood said. “I mean, they absolutely love it.”

“They push themselves harder than anybody else does,” Brown agreed.

Brown also admits that even though winning competitions is important, the goal is “to build confidence.”

“We want them to leave here feeling good about themselves,” she said.

While Heywood and Brown credit the girls with dedication, it’s clear that mutual respect plays just as big a role. And all the girls agree that they have great coaches.

“One of the reasons we’re so good is because of our amazing coaches,” cheerleader Shannon Nelson said.

The next competition for Scotts Valley Elite is in San Jose on Friday and Saturday.

And as much as the girls want to win, Heywood is just happy for them to have an opportunity to make more memories, because, as she said, “Memories last a lifetime.”