Plymouth Teen Wins National Cheerleading Competition

Torri Reed and her Allstar Cheer team won the NCA National Cheerleading competition in Dallas, Texas in March. It is the largest cheerleaing competition in the U.S. with 35 states and five countries participating. A total of 995 teams and more than 30,000 spectators traveled to Dallas. The NCA Championship divisions separate teams by skill level, age, number of athletes, All-girl and Coed designations, and includes the crowd favorite Special Needs Division.

Here are some questions Patch asked Tori Reed:

How long have you been cheering? I've been cheering since was 5 years old (so that's 9 years).  I'm 14 now

What do you like most about it? My team is like a second family to me.  I love them.  We all support each other.  I love tumbling, competing and meeting other cheerleaders of other teams.    

How did you get involved in East Celebrity Elite cheering? I started at East Celebrity Elite this year because I know what a great gym it is and how fabulous their coaching staff is.  I had seen them in previous competitions and knew that it would be a good fit for me there.

What will you remember most about the national championships? The thing I remember most is the incredible feeling that I had when they announced that our team came in first place.  We all worked so hard to get here and other teams doubted us.  We proved that we are the top All Girl Junior 5 team in the country.  We won the famous “Black Jackets”

Last week a federal judge in Connecticut ruled that competitive cheerleading is not a sport in a case against a university trying to get rid of volleyball in favor of cheerleading. What do you think of the idea that cheering isn't a sport?

I totally disagree with the judge’s ruling. All Star Cheerleading is one of the most difficult and competitive sports in the country.  We are not a recreation cheerleading team. We practice and condition at least 2-4 times a week. Just at this competition, there were 995 teams that competed.  This is definitely a sport.

Do you plan to continue cheering? What other sports do you like? I love cheering.  It is the thing that I love to do most.  My team is my second family and I love being around them.  I’m absolutely going to continue cheering. I like watching hockey and gymnastics.

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