Get your rah-rahs out

Jimmy Stroup

With pigtails tied and pom-poms flying, 35 4- and 5-year-old girls

jumped, posed and cheered their hearts out at the final showing of a

week-long cheerleading clinic.

All American Athletics and the city of Newport Beach have created

an opportunity for cheerleaders-in-waiting to run the basic routines

of the cheer trade at a week-long clinic especially designed for

young girls. The clinic is led by veteran cheerleader Mandi Reger.

Reger, who owns and operates All American Athletics with her

husband Brent, is an elementary teacher in Long Beach and a

cheerleading coach who thrills in teaching the little ones the

simpler cheerleading tactics and energetic cheers.

“I love to teach the basics to the kids,” Reger said.

Reger and other assistants stood in front of cheerleaders

performing their actions in pantomime, while the squads behind them

half-remembered and half-faked the same moves, yelling out the

litanies they’d memorized to great abandon.

“Hey! Watch out! We are here,” cheered a chorus of little girls.

“Who are we? All American cheer!”

On Friday, the “Cheer Girls,” the “Super Stars,” the “Sparking

Puppies” and the “Starbucks Mochas” performed a variety of routines

at Lincoln Athletic Field in Newport Beach to a captivated and

delighted audience of appreciative parents.

“All American cheer,” screamed the enthusiastic bunch. “Let’s go,

let’s fight, let’s win!”

After individual squad performances, the entire field was taken

over by all the girls working together for the “Spirit Show,” the

grand finale for the week. Lined in rows, the baby blue-, red- and

white-clad girls -- some with shorts that read “Cheer” on the rear --

proceeded to do a choreographed two-minute dance, then a full-field

cheer and finally another two-minute dance routine, all to great

applause.

“One, two, three, four! Red, white and blue,” the squads chanted.

“We’re coming after you!”

Following that was a quick ceremony. Each girl was awarded a

certificate of completion with a “Best” distinction: Best Dancer,

Best Attitude, Most Spirited, etc. Then it was one more round of

applause for each squad, while the youngsters held their awards and

blushed before the cameras. Hugs and praise were showered on the

girls as they left, carried off by proud parents.

“Right now, we run three clinics in Newport Beach,” Reger said.

“Next year, we hope to do more.”

The city of Newport Beach is offering the program through its

Recreation Services Department and runs the clinics from 9 a.m. to

noon -- to 2 p.m. for the older girls -- in week-long increments.