VALDOSTA — Working to promote cheerleading as a sport, Cheerzone opened its doors at 4350 Val North Drive on Friday, May 1.

Cheerzone replaces Cheerspot, which was closed a while ago.

Lynn Raines, mother of two young cheerleaders who were attending Cheerspot, decided to reopen the business and give the opportunity to cheer to others from the previous place, including her own children. Now, she is the owner of Cheerzone.

“Here, it’s all about family — the girls and their families are a big part of this,” she said. “We are one big family here. This isn’t like a business.”

Raines said that a lot of parents go there to wait for and watch their children practice. This way, they also become participants and witness their children’s progress.

“Every decision that we make, we make with the parents and the girls,” she said.

Currently, Cheerzone has three coaches and works with girls and boys between the ages of 3 and 18. They offer beginning and advanced classes in tumbling, conditioning, back handspring, as well as different dancing classes. In addition, they have private lessons if needed.

Girls and boys who do not want to compete can sign up for classes simply as a workout.

Per description of the program, girls and boys will gain strength, rhythm, flexibility, coordination, muscle. They will lose fat, increase body awareness, improve their overall health, and develop their endurance and agility.

Raines said, “For competitions, cheerleading is a very big commitment because it teaches teamwork, sportsmanship, and it is a great exercise and makes them physically fit.”

Raines has noticed a trend among parents whose children have never cheered before. They think their children would not be able to do any of the flips, for example.

“We encourage them to try out,” she said. “We have teams in all levels.”

She added that many of the girls on Cheerzone teams have never cheered. However, with time, they improve and become very competitive.

Amanda McCartney, one of the coaches at Cheerzone, has 15 years experience in cheerleading and 10 in coaching. She said that the uniqueness of cheerleading as a sport comes from the fact that the girls and boys have to be good in different areas. For example, they have to be great athletes and at the same time have a great personality, so they can cheer, yell, and excite the audience.

She also said that cheerleading teaches important life lessons, such as the ability to work as a team, set goals, and be respectful, as well as the importance of staying healthy and fit.

In order to get the best out of the young cheerleaders, she tries to set high goals for them.

“For the children and teenagers between 10 and 18 years of age, setting high goals is the most successful tool,” McCartney said.

Whether they win or lose in competitions, she always encourages them to do their best.

McCartney also added that Cheerzone will accommodate anybody who is interested in trying to be an athlete.

“We will work with you,” she said.

Cheerzone is located at 4350 Val North Drive. To learn more, call Lynn Raines at (229) 300-7976.

Last year, another cheerleading program, Winnersville Elite Cheer and Dance, opened and started training young girls and boys to become cheerleaders. They are located at 1874 Business Parkway and can be reached by calling (229) 293-9323.