For the Rainbows, months of practicing paid off on Saturday, when they performed at the Spirit Unlimited's Capital Region cheer championship at University at Albany. The end result, though, was not the reward so much as the hours of practice that the 11 Rainbows, members of a special-needs cheerleading team, put into their routine. For many, performing a synchronized dance and stunt routine was a feat with significant challenges. The cheerleaders range in age from 6 to 19 years old and have special needs ranging from autism to cerebral palsy. One cheerleader is both partially blind and deaf.

For the Rainbows, months of practicing paid off on Saturday, when they performed at the Spirit Unlimited's Capital Region cheer championship at University at Albany. The end result, though, was not the reward so much as the hours of practice that the 11 Rainbows, members of a special-needs cheerleading team, put into their routine. For many, performing a synchronized dance and stunt routine was a feat with significant challenges. The cheerleaders range in age from 6 to 19 years old and have special needs ranging from autism to cerebral palsy. One cheerleader is both partially blind and deaf.

Duluth's only all star, cheer team is starting up, and athletes of all ages came out Sunday for an open gym. The new program is called the Ice All Stars and they'll be practicing at the Woodland Community Center. Co-owners Chelsie Waller and Ashley Penny said they're excited to bring competitive cheerleading to the Northland. "We both are super passionate about the industry and about the sport," Waller said. "We wanted to bring this opportunity up here. We thought why not do our own and just bring what the rest of the country has in cheerleading to this area," Penny said.

The STOYAC Pop Warner program honored nine football players and three cheerleaders at its awards banquet Feb. 24 for achieving academic excellence.

These 12 Stoughton student-athletes, all seventh and eighth graders, have been named to the 2012 All-American Scholar-Athlete Team, which is awarded to only the top 2-percent of all the boys and girls who paricipate in Pop Warner football and cheerleading throughout the United States, according to the STOYAC website. Cheerleaders included Marissa Wade, Courtney Weiner and Caroline Woodard each in the 8th grade.

Follow these tips in order to execute a great cheerleading jump. Precise jumping may land you a spot on the team.

• Start with your feet together. You won’t get enough height if you begin with your feet apart.

• Avoid adding an extra bounce before taking off. Jump in one strong movement or your timing will be off compared to the rest of the squad.

• Keep your toes firm and pointed.

• Keep your body and chest straight so everyone can see your smile. If you bend your chest forward you will lose height in your jump.

The Spirit of Cheer Florida took first place at the recent National Cheerleader Association’s Daytona Beach International Classic. The team along with their “buddies” (volunteer assistants) have been hard at work since September.

“Cheerleading is a program that’s developing her confidence because she gets to perform in front of so many people,” said Amy Kilgrore, of her daughter Maddie who is a member of the squad and whose diagnosis of a rare chromosomal disorder does not impede her cheerleading passion.

Cheerleaders embody many different types of personalities and characteristics. They are not only known as the peppy, pretty, and popular girls in school, sometimes they are known as the mean girls, or even the ones that can say or do it all. So it comes to no surprise that cheerleaders have been the inspiration to so many iconic characters in books, shows, and movies.

For years cheerleading was considered a “safe sport,” standing at the sidelines cheering the football team to victory. But today’s young cheerleaders push limits and perform tricks once reserved for trapeze artists.

Erica Reuter, a mother of four, is an information and analysis manager for the city’s Police Services Department and is involved in several community groups. Reuter coaches the Boca Raton Police Athletics League’s award-winning cheerleading squad, the Boca Raton Chiefs.

The Boca Raton resident is also a huge fan of volunteer work and is a program director with PAL, a nonprofit that works with at-risk youth between the ages of 9-18. She oversees its offerings for girls, in dance, cheerleading, youth leadership and academic help.

Given that summer allows time to catch up on new reading material, Megan Abbott’s novel “Dare Me,” is one that should be added to your summer reading list.

The novel “Dare Me” will be released July 31, 2012. The novel is about a group of ultracompetitive alpha cheerleaders that proudly wear stress fractures and sprains like battle scars. They spray on tans as purposefully as soldiers smearing on war paint. “You may have the body of young girls, but you have the hearts of warriors,” their coach says.