Tolland B-Team Cheerleaders Take First at NCFL Competition

October 29 was the start of a bad stretch of days for most of Connecticut as snow (plus trees and wires) started tumbling down, but Tolland's B-Team cheerleaders squeezed in a Northern Connecticut Football League cheerleading competition victory that day to mark the end of a great season for the team.

First-time head coach Danielle Singleton said that the team competed in Middletown while lights flickered, but that the fifth- and sixth-graders didn't lose their focus. She said that a combination of hard work and dedication from the team and its coaches earned the B-team it's number one spot. 

"We had a good coaching team," Singleton said, "And we just had a great group of girls that worked really hard."

The girls were coached by Singleton, who is an East Hartford teacher, as well as assistant coaches Dawn Norris and Kelli Dodd. Four high school sophomores, Kayla, Morgan, Megan and Holly, acted as junior coaches and choreographed the athletic and challenging routine for the girls, according to Singleton.

"They're doing stunting; they're working in groups of five to get the girls up in the air, and they're also working on dance moves and gymnastics," Singleton said, describing how physically demanding cheerleading routines can be. "Doing this helped me to see how cheerleading really is and should be considered right up there with other sports."

The team competed in a state-wide competition on Saturday, and placed fourth, just over a point away from a third place ranking. Singleton said that althogether, it's been a fantastic season.

"We're just so proud," she said.

The cheerleading squad, which cheers for the B-squad football team, begins practice in August each year. Anyone interested in joining the team should visit Tolland's NCFL site.