Three Cheers For Superior Cheer

As a mother of two, I'm well aware of the fact that before you enroll your child in any sort of extracurricular activity, you must have the check book and/or credit card in hand. Most organizations demand not only immediate payment,  but also additional fees labeled under vague terms like "registration fees,"  "application processing fees" or other such nonsense.  Needless to say I was incredulous when, after enrolling my daughter in Superior Cheer and realizing that I had forgotten my checkbook, the  owner waved it away as if is was of no consequence.  My daughter attended cheerleading practices for nearly a month before I found the time to write out a check, and not once during all that time was I bothered or even questioned about the payments. 

Superior Cheer, established by Dawn Castonguay  nearly 4 years ago, has become a blessing to parents throughout Woonsocket and the surrounding commmunities.  It couldn't be more evident that the owner is in it for the joy of teaching, and not for the money.

Castonguay, who also coaches cheerleading at the Woonsocket High School, has given her heart to the sport of cheerleading. With years of experience behind her, including many years as the manager and cheerleading coordinator for the Woonsocket Redskins, Castonguay at last made the decision to open a school of her own.  Encouraged by her husband, she opened Superior Cheer in 2007 in East Providence.

"We put everything into it, only to be closed down within the first year for fire codes. We had 2 teams at that time, and rather than close we rented space out in Woonsocket schools and area businesses.  We went out with two teams and remained undefeated the first year," Castonguay said.

Castonguay eventually found the space she needed at 55 Main St. in downtown Woonsocket.

"There were fire code issues here as well,  but landlord Billy Ricci fixed everything up. This landlord  has been great. He's helped me keep my bills at a  minimum, which allows me to enroll more kids," she said.

Castonguay has been at the Woonsocket location for nearly 3 years, and during that time has seen what she describes as an unbelievable amount of growth and success.

"I now have more than 200 athletes, and 11 teams. We hold several national titles, including one in which the team scored the highest in the whole nation. The competitions are local, regional, and national. The school holds titles in all these areas.  I never thought that it would grow so quickly, especially since this school was started from scratch," she said.

Although the majority of students at the school are Woonsocket residents, Superior Cheer has also drawn kids from surrounding areas like Cumberland, Lincoln, Rehoboth, Bellingham and Blackstone. 

"My philosophy is, I'd rather have more children (at a lesser rate) than less." They're here doing what they love, and it keeps them off the streets and out of trouble. If I have 400 kids at $10 a month, it's gonna equal the same thing as if I had 100 kids at $40 a month. I would rather have the 400 kids. I do have coaches who volunteer. They feel the same way I do. They're in it not for the money, but because they love the kids and they love the sport.  That's how I get coaches in here. If someone were to send me a resume to work here because they want to get rich, this isn't the place for them," Castonguay said.

The owner of this city business not only keeps monthly fees low,  but with a little help from The Booster Club, also helps parents with competition fees.  Superior Cheer utilizes a fundraising organization called The Booster Club to help raise funds to offset the fees competitions charge.  Whether it be a coin drive, Yankee Candle sale, or (coming up next week), selling cookie dough, the Booster club offers parents the opportunity to save what would otherwise be hundreds of dollars.

Castonguay has her hands full with the usual administrative work involved with running a new business, yet still reserves plenty of time to coach the youngest of her students, ages 3 to 5.  The other age groups (ages range from 3 to 26) are taught by a handful of experienced coaches who have proven themselves invaluable to Castonguay, including her own daughter, Alysha Castonguay, a former New England Patriots cheerleader.

Although it is currently too late to enroll your child for the upcoming season, Superior Cheer will be accepting new students again in May.  Superior Cheer also offers half-year sign-ups which begin in December. The half year is great for kids who are also involved in the local youth organizations, like the Cumberland Colts and the Woonsocket Redskins, which have programs available during the summer.

Beginning Wednesday, Jan 18th, Superior Cheer will be holding their first Parents Team Practice! The moms of the students will be getting together to form their own Cheerleading Team, and you can bet they'll be competing against other mom teams!  

For more information, visit superior cheerallstars.com on the web. Keep an eye out for Superior Cheer's 2nd location coming soon!