Team Cyrens from SM Sri Kuala Lumpur, Subang Jaya, have suffered a huge setback in their bid to win their third straight trophy at Cheer 2012 after one of their cheerleaders injured a shoulder in training.
The set-back was bad enough to force the entire team to withdraw from the National Youth Day Cheerleading Competition last Saturday, and coach Tan Yee Ming now faces a race against time to get the team back on top form.
“We do have reserve members, but they may not be as strong as the original member, and they have to learn the routine too. It’s not as easy as it seems,” said Tan.
Like any competitive sport, injuries are common in cheerleading; and with teams training hard throughout the year in preparation for Cheer, they can be as heart-wrenching as they are painful.
Last year, five-time champions Shirtliff from SMK Seri Bintang Utara, KL, shocked fans when they pulled out of Cheer at the last minute due to injuries to key team members.
Afraid that they wouldn’t be able to deliver a routine worthy of the team’s fine tradition, the team made the painful decision to skip the tournament altogether.
Thankfully, the Cyrens will still be at Cheer 2012, but how well they adapt to this setback – with Cheer less than three weeks away – remains to be seen.
Having to groom a reserve member isn’t the only problem – Tan might even have to change their routine.
“We will have to make a few changes to compensate for this injury,” he said.
“But whether this will jeopardise our routine, that depends on how the girls adapt to the changes.”
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