Something to Cheer About at Nashua North

Take everything you know about cheerleading that you learned from watching a cheerleading movie and set it aside, for a minute.

On Sunday, Nashua North High School varsity cheerleaders are going to compete in the NHIAA Winter State Championships, one of eight regional Division 1 teams going for the win.

They are a long shot. Underdogs, in their own words. The team that didn't expect to make the cut. But they made it, says their coach, Maureen MacKay.

Cue the slow-motion clip of girls just missing their perfect pyramid, shaking it off and trying again and again, to inspirational music.

Yes, this is the real life stuff that inspires all those "Bring It On," sequels, because there's something about the combination of cheerleaders and competition that puts the "feel good" in "feel good cheerleading movies."

Nashua North is succeeding because they wanted it, says Coach McKay. They figured out how to balance school work and extracurriculars – and one another, quite literally – in towering formations on the mat, until they got it right.

"The top two teams on Sunday go to the regionals. These girls have a real chance," said MacKay, who is the kind of coach who brings out the best in every one of her squad through inspirational sayings, like "No Pressure. Hakuna Matata, what a wonderful phrase...," 'Maureenisms' the girls not only know by heart, but have strung together into a spirted song.

"Yeah, I tear up a little when they do that," said MacKay, after being serenaded by the team during a break in the practice session.

Her team came out of the March 3 preliminary competition placing seventh among the eight qualifying teams. MacKay said she is now focused like a laser on the comments made by the judges that didn't like the team.

"That's who I listen to, and that's what we work on," said MacKay. "We were only separated from the other teams above us by a half a point or so, for things like tumbling to your knees after a stunt. We can correct that."

This is MacKay's third winter season coaching the girls. Although she's never been a cheerleader herself, she got involved initially as a coach for her own daughters, with the city's PAL Force spirit squad. Her daughter happens to cheer at Nashua High School South, and Nashua South just happens to also be going to the finals, as is Bishop Guertin.

Having three Nashua cheer squads in the state championships is a feel-good story on any day, says Jon Mason, a team dad. But seeing Nashua North make it to the statewide competition is a real testament to the hard work and good will each and every team member has for her teammates.

"These girls work and work at it, and they truly want to help each other. It's gratifying to see," said Mason.

Mackay says it's brought her team confidence.

"They're a team. They look after each other, and take care of each other. They're drama-free – well, as much as any team of teenage girls can be, and I tell them all the time that they make me proud to represent them," Mackay said.

When she started as coach, only three or four of her 17 cheerleaders had   tumbling skills. Now, they all fly through the air with the greatest of ease.

"They are truly a different team than when we started," MacKay said.

District Athletic Director Tom Arria said it's been a great season for both high school cheer squads.

"I'm extremely proud of our cheerleaders, both North and South, they are out there practicing on game day, and for competition season – they work so hard. It's no shock they were going to get to this point, and make the tournament. No matter where they go from here, it's really something for Nashua to be proud of," Arria said.

As MacKay watches the girls get ready for another whirl at their routine she notices one team member on the sidelines, getting her hand taped up by Joyce "Nana" Melanson.

"Now what?" says MacKay, fearing the worst – already her team of 19 is down to 16 due to injuries.

Turns out to be nothing serious.

"Nana is always working behind the scenes. She ensures that we have everything we need, from ice packs to Band-Aids to Ben Gay.  She is awesome," MacKay said. "And for every competition, she buys the girls new socks – some of the girls jokingly say getting the socks are the best part of the competition."

And in a way, that might be true, because no matter what happens Sunday, the girls said they already feel like they've accomplished what they set out to do.

Said one of the girls, on the accompanying video, about how it felt to be heading to the state championships: "I feel like we reached our goals and proved ourselves. It's what we love, and what we do,"

The NHIAA Winter State Championships are March 10 at Southern New Hampshire University. Click this link for a complete listing of competitors in all divisions. Teams from the following schools will be competing in Division 1:

Londonderry

Nashua North 

Concord

Bishop Guertin 

Dover

Nashua South

Salem

Pinkerton