National cheerleading championship slated

The best cheer dancers in the land will get a chance to compete against each other in the National Cheerleading Championship (NCC) which unfolds with the Open Qualifiers Feb. 18 at the Le Pavilion Complex in Pasay City. and culminates in the finals Feb. 25 at the Philsports Arena.

American Joe Jackson, international coach and director of one of the biggest and most active cheerleading organizations in the United States Cheerleaders of America (COA), planed in from the US early this month to sit as one of the judges in the event participated in by 11 high school teams and 14 college and university squads.

The other judges are Paula dela Llana, former captain of the UP Pep squad and a member of the country’s cheerleading team in the 2002 Busan Asian Games, and Steph Kahn, a former La Salle alumna who is currently in Orlando, Florida to do cheerleading research for NCC.

But before the much-anticipated event, Jackson, a former cheerleader, a national and safety judge and instructor in one, and a group of local expert coaching staff, have conducted a two-day seminar and cheer camp Feb. 3-4.

And Jackson, who was one of the judges in the inaugural staging last year, said he liked what he saw.

"The Filipinos are natural when it comes to cheerleading, they only need to learn the techniques and some basics," said Jackson in yesterday’s press launch at the ABS-CBN’s ELJ Building in Quezon City.