Barnegat HS Cheerleaders BELIEVE

Three Years ago my daughter Clarissa was selected to be a member of the Barnegat HS Cheerleading Squad. I never knew what it would grow into.

For the last three years the BHS Varsity Cheerleaders led by the tenacious, vibrant, knowledgable outstanding Coach Shannon Shattuck Smith have had fairy tale Seasons. Every year Coach Smith along with her staff have instilled positive energy into the hearts of our daughters participating in the cheerleading program at Barnegat High School.

Daily practices, fundraising, competitions, and a host of other events have not stopped the Roaring Bengals in their pursuit of the ultimate dream. Hard work along with perserverance and fortitude have led these young ladies through the years to Extreme achievements. The last three years have been well tremendous. Our young ladies have worked their hearts out. You may ask, what do they wish to achieve. Simple, to be the best at what they enjoy.

During the last three years the cheerleading program at BHS has seen local, county, state victories. However they still yearned for the dream. A trip to the UCA Nationals in Disney World for the National Competition. Their dream has been a reality. The fairy tale does exist. The last three years have brought the BHS Varsity Cheerleaders Victory at Nationals. 2012 being no exception. This year they have achieved a three-peat. That's right, three years in a row the Bengal cheerleaders have brought home to Barnegat Township third place in The United States.

For these young ladies and coaches making it to Nationals is a victory in itself. Their dedication to routines is exemplatory. Every practice brings something new and with that freshness they make it to Nationals to compete against the best there is. Talk about determination. Wow.

The life of our cheerleaders begins in early summer with UCA Camp and ends in March. They dedicate their time to a true sport. Many say cheerleading is not a real sport. I can tell you from this parents point of view it is probably more intense than others. Injuries plague all cheerleaders, yet they still continue on. Determination is their mind set.

We are very fortunate here in Barnegat to have an outstanding phenomenal leader in Coach Shannon Smith. She along with all the assistant coaches have dedicated themselves to our daughters. Coach Smith, herself a high school cheerleader coming from Southern Reginal High School is well, in my opinion and in the opinion of all the parents a phenom. Her dedication to these young ladies is paramount. The electricity she brings to the blue mat is empowering. Our daughters work day after day, hour after hour for one thing. PERFECTION!

The young ladies of our squad do not have it easy at all. They practice during the week, on weekends, during their summer break. This while they all maintain their educational component. I asked one young cheerleader, why is cheerleading so important to you? Her response came in a split second. Cheerleaders are leaders. I enjoy rooting for the home teams. This sentiment reasonating from many of the young ladies in the BHS Program. Another young lady I spoke with about a month ago said it was great working for Coach Smith, Coach Puorro and Coach Holmes. She continued to explain that the coaches help them to thrive.

Getting to Nationals is no easy task. The girls fundraise all season. I am sure you have seen them shaker canning at supermarkets, bagel shops and other outlets. During their fundarising events there is always a parent with them. They sell sponsorship ads, Christmas decoartions, whatever it takes so they can achieve their goal: the trip to Nationals.

This year brought a new competition at Nationals for our Bengals. Performing at The World Finals. What did our team do. They one third again. 2012 has been a special year. It was the year to BELIEVE. The girls were told every day whether in person, an email whatever way Just Believe. Well they believed and they achieved. Third palce in The USA for the third year in a row and this year a third place victory in The World. Not too shabby for a town called Barnegat in the great state of NJ. As another cheerleader put it "WE REPRESENT."

Our Coach who we have come to adore so dearly is constantly sending out words of encouragement to the girls and to the parents. In her last update from Disney prior to the journey back to Barnegat an email which brought tears to my eyes was well emotinal. The way Coach Smith Loves these girls is well here read this excerpt from her lengthy email:

I am truly lucky to coach such amazing young women – some of my greatest memories have been with these girls and being a part of this program the past 8 years. I coach for my girls – no one else – and it's not because I absolutely love Cheerleading (although I do)...it's because of what amazing people my girls are, their motivation and to see the looks in their eyes when they accomplish something together...when they believe!    

This just a small sentiment from The Coach we all love. When the team arrived at The Bengal Den about 1 a.m. on Valentines Day they were greeted by parents and friends. Balloons, streamers and confetti, all part of the welcome home party. Parents even chipped in to have a special banner made up for our Bengal Believers.

The Barnegat High School Varsity Cheerleaders have taught us how to BELIEVE. Maybe we all need to BELIEVE a bit. It won't hurt. Believers are achievers and that has been demonstrated by our daughters and coaching staff.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention another special person. Every school sports program has one. An athletic director. We are profoundly lucky to have John Germano. His love of all our kids is paramount. He dedicates countless hours to assure that our teams have all they need and most importantly to show support for all our athletes. Mr. Germano also heads up our Relay for Life Program. What else can this Superman do? Thanks, John for taking care of our kids.

In closing on behalf of all the parents of the BHS Varsity Cheerleaders, thank you to Barnegat Township Mayor Al Cirulli for making sure that a congratulatory message was on the marquee at Town Hall. Also thank you to Steve at AFA Signs of Barnegat for the tremendous discount given to the parents for the great banner we presented to Coach Smith and Team Barnegat. Finally thank you to the parents, residents, family and friends for their financial support of our team.

Young ladies of the Barnegat High School Varsity Cheerleading Team, you have made your town and your parents proud, but most of all, be proud of yourselves in all you have achieved, and always remember to "BELIEVE."