Total Sports Development’s (TSD) youth cheer team, TSD Rain, achieved the unthinkable just months after its inception: a perfect season and a state title.
The squad composed of 18 cheerleaders aged 8-12 won its fifth first-place prize in as many tries this season to secure the championship Sunday, Jan. 19, at the Washington State Cheer Coaches Association (WSCCA) junior state competition at Yelm High School.
TSD Rain, led by coaches and twin sisters Kaylee and Kendall McJunkins, were up against four teams in its youth tumbling category. Kaylee McJunkins said the final performance was indicative of what they’ve practiced since the season started in October: sharpness, cleanliness, routine composition, confidence and consistency.
“They went out there and gave it their all. They performed the best we have ever seen,” she said.
Hours after the girls performed in front of a YHS gym without an empty seat, they awaited their results. They had been the last ones standing in each of their previous five performances, but these stakes were much higher. Once TSD Rain was announced as the first-place recipient, the cheerleaders and their coaches jumped and screamed for joy.
Amber Ogle, TSD co-founder and president of cheerleading, cheered jubilantly in her silver sequined hat and suit as she realized her vision for the program was realized.
“My initial reaction was just pure joy for the coaches and the cheerleaders. The children put so much into it,” Ogle said. “For the coaches, it was almost like a relief for me because I got a little bit of pushback because they’re so young, but I went with my gut and I thought that would be best for TSD and best for the coaches. It felt good to be right.”
Kendall McJunkins said the cheerleaders exceeded the coaches’ expectations because of their dedication to the sport and to each other. Their goal coming into the season was to make their cheerleaders love cheerleading, and she and her sister believe they accomplished that.
“They exceeded all of our expectations, and it shows how much they truly love this sport. There are many things that go into creating a successful cheer team, but most importantly I think it is having experienced coaches that want to push their athletes to succeed, and athletes who want to be the best versions of themselves.” Kendall said. “We pushed our girls out of their comfort zones and taught them skills they have never learned before and watched them succeed.”
Ogle noticed the establishment of trust from her coaches into the cheerleaders from day one of practice, and the athletes were able to maintain that trust throughout the season.
“I noticed right out of the gate with practices and the way that they lined everything up and built on it…the way they built on it is that they were confident in this skill level and then they built on the next one, but they didn’t keep piling stuff on,” she said. “All the way through, there was never a lack of confidence in themselves and the ability of themselves. If you feel like you trust them, it becomes a family and then you really have nothing to worry about.”
The McJunkins twins have each cheered for 15 years and have competed at the recreational, high school, all-star and collegiate levels. They took it upon themselves to give their cheerleaders the best chance to not only be the best they could be but to overcome adversity and work together.
“Kendall and I would go home and watch videos of practice and come to practice with a plan knowing what needed to be fixed and work on it,” Kaylee said. “What I think determined our success for this season was making sure we perfected everything they were taught. We would remind them constantly how capable they were of doing the skills we taught them.”
TSD Hurricane, a team composed of 18 cheerleaders aged 13 to 18, also competed at the state competition and placed fifth out of eight teams in the junior traditional non-tumbling category. The squad was just two points away from a third-place finish.
The team, coached by Coral Ogle and Rae-Lynn Hixon, faced numerous challenges and injuries throughout the season and was tasked with overcoming one more hurdle just moments before its state performance.
“We had a hiccup in the warm-up room, leaving us about two minutes to fix our pyramid, but I was very impressed with how quick they were to show me they could do it,” Coral Ogle, a YHS senior, said. “My girls went through all kinds of ups and downs throughout this season but continued to show me the love and passion they have for this sport.”
TSD Hurricane earned top-three finishes in four of its five competitions in its debut season, including two first-place medals. Hixon said the year was a learning experience for everyone in the program but was proud of what they accomplished.
“I’ve learned to step into a leader role and become a mentor for these girls and be a part of something maybe a little bit bigger than cheer,” she said. “I am so proud of every single one of my girls. I’m super happy with this season. Even though we have faced some struggles, I wouldn’t change it for the entire world.”
Amber Ogle said she and the coaches are already looking forward to building off of their success in year one. She said TSD will have at least one stunt group and some individuals trying out for the WSCCA All-State event, which will be held on March 22 at Sammamish High School. TSD will also host cheer classes and clinics in the spring and summer.
“We can build on it. Knowing what you’ve done already, you can go bigger than that. There’s always room to grow,” she said.
