Despite being a shy natured yet highly active individual, Elodie (11) joined Cheerleading classes online during lockdown with Saracens Foundation and gained so much confidence that she not only got involved in our weekly ‘spotlight moments’ but she has also now joined Saracens Cheerleading permanently!

When catching up with Elodie and mum Susie, Elodie revealed that she has been taking part in many different activities online during lockdown but specifically enjoyed our cheerleading classes as it was ‘more challenging’ than other classes that she had attended before. Elodie began our cheerleading classes with her camera off, and due to being used to a smaller group of participants it took her a while to warm up to the large group of children on screen. However, it didn’t take her long to gain confidence. Elodie said “I felt like I was improving and I wanted a moment to show everyone!”, referring to when she decided to participate in our spotlight opportunity where everyone in the class watched Elodie while she performed her newly learned routine.

But it wasn’t just her cheer moves that were improving… When asked if she has seen any physical or mental benefits, mum Susie, who is a Doctor at the ‘Royal Free Hospital’, told us: “Yes I did. I could see she was learning new things, learning different skills, and using different muscles that she wouldn’t usually be using. She was also standing with her leg in the air and doing things that she wouldn’t usually be able to do! It was something fun and productive, something new, and something different – which was really nice to break up the monotony of lockdown!”. Elodie then added that the classes “made her feel happier, healthier and stronger”.

Elodie is one of the 150 children that were impacted through our remote cheerleading classes to keep healthy and active during lockdown. We are looking forward to welcoming some new faces to our face-to-face classes this term.

If you wish to join Saracens Cheer and Dance contact us at sapphirefinlayter-gasekll@saracens.net for more information or visit www.bookwhen.com/saracenscheeranddance to book your spot today!

What should I bring?
– Mask
– A drink
– Hand Sanitiser

What should I wear?
– Comfortable loose clothing
– Comfortable dance shoes/trainers/plimsoles

Do I need to have danced before?
No! You don’t need any dance experience to come along and take part in Love to Dance, we cater for all abilities.

Do I need to have a partner to take part?
No! You don’t need a partner to come along.

‘Saracens Cheer and Dance participants Jessika (age 9) and Romir (age 7) tell their story on how classes have impacted them in lockdown.’

Over the past 7 weeks, the Saracens Cheer and Dance project have offered free online Cheerleading and TikTok classes to young people across the country. The project has successfully engaged with over 140 young people during a challenging time to provide fun and active classes whilst at home.

Jessika and Romir are two of the children who have attended the weekly online classes from January this year. Both Jessika and Romir had a short interview via Zoom with their two Saracens coaches Aimee and Sapphire, and both participants have shared their own individual story of how they feel the classes have impacted them.

Jessika

We found out from Jessika that she had been attending a gymnastics class once a week but left because she wasn’t enjoying it, which is when she started participating in our online Cheer and TikTok classes. Jessika went on to say that the Cheer and TikTok classes boosted her mood and made her feel happier, which was great to hear.

Social isolation is an issue facing many young people as a result of the pandemic and Jessika is no different. She said that lockdown has left her feeling sad, mostly because she now has less interaction with her friends, but she does get to see them on facetime sometimes which she loves.

Jessika has enjoyed the online sessions so much that she has wants to continue with cheerleading classes once the lockdown ends with the hope of being lifted as a Saracens flyer, as it’s very similar to gymnastics which is something she greatly enjoys.

Jessika’s mum who was also in the interview, went on to say: “Jessika has definitely learnt a lot through the classes and always has something to look forward to when there’s not much going on. Thank you for putting these classes on.”

Jessika has been an absolute pleasure to have in class over the past 7 weeks. She has adapted to online classes well, showing bravery and confidence in participating with other children she may not know. We cannot wait to welcome Jessika into face to face classes and continue to watch her grow as a Saracens cheerleader.

Romir

Romir said that he is always really excited to get into the Cheer and TikTok classes to find out what “cool new moves” he will learn that week, not to mention how much he likes the music which makes him feel really happy.

Romir has tried other online classes during the pandemic but has struggled to engage with the videos. His mum went on to say how engaged he is with our online classes and his focus has really surprised her when she pops her head in to see how he is getting on. At the Foundation, we try and make our videos as interactive as possible to keep our participants engaged and allow their parents time to work or a moment of respite!

Communication and keeping connected has become a lifeline to many young people during this pandemic. Romir identified that the lockdown left him feeling sad, particularly not being able to communicate with his school friends or go out has left him feeling down. However, crucial connections like speaking to grandparents offer relief to the social isolation and he said that “he got to see his Nani and Nano the previous week which made him very happy!”.

Romir also gave a little word of advice for anyone looking to join the Saracens cheer and dance classes, saying how you should “go for it as you never know what could happen and you could become a superstar!”

Romir’s mum Nivi went on to say, “He is always super excited about the classes, he loves them. The classes have been absolutely brilliant, and it’s been really hard to find something to engage him and it’s amazing to see how engaged he is with you guys. As parents when we are still working from home, its really nice to know that he is in safe hands.”

Romir is a little ball of energy and we love to see his enthusiasm each week during class. He is always so keen and confident to show his moves off to the rest of the class, especially when others may need a little more encouragement. Romir will be an absolute credit to have at Saracens Cheer and Dance classes and we cannot wait to watch his progression as a Saracens student.

Lockdown has been an extremely challenging time for every individual but especially for our young people. They have been forced to adapt in many ways, with online learning being one of them. Saracens Foundation wanted to engage and impact young people in a positive way to keep children active, healthy, and having fun during these difficult times. Our impacts are evident through our two young participants and the children attending classes each week.

Saracens Cheer & Dance have offered the opportunity for young people from all over the UK to join their exclusive virtual ‘Cheerleading’ and ‘TikTok’ classes free of charge to keep children from all walks of life active and upbeat during Lockdown 3.0.

Following the recent news of Lockdown, the coaches at the Saracens Foundation decided to offer their classes out to the community for free, and within a matter of days their first week of classes were fully booked with over 110 children signing up to virtual Cheer & Dance classes!

It’s undeniable that the past year has been a challenging time for all of us, but it’s been especially tough for young people who learn best through activity and social interaction. Following the high demand in classes over the first week it became apparent to the coaches at the Saracens Foundation that virtual activities are the best way for young people to engage in physical activity whilst also interacting with other children of a similar age in a safe way! It also gives children (and parents) something to look forward to in the week. Not only do children participating in classes get the opportunity to meet their friends and partake in activity virtually; an hour of activity also gives parents an hour of respite from home-schooling with the comfort of knowing their children are in the capable hands of qualified dance and cheer coaches.

Saracens Foundation has been running Cheer & Dance classes for over 10 years teaching young people a wide variety of different skills and routines in a safe and inclusive environment. For more information on our Cheer & Dance project visit https://www.saracenssportfoundation.org/our-programmes/get-moving/cheerleading/school-of-cheer/.

All classes were scheduled to return at the beginning of January however, due to lockdown the team had to quickly adapt to delivering their classes virtually on Zoom if they were to continue to make a positive impact on their students. With countless parents commenting on how much their children enjoyed their virtual classes and one parent expressing that her daughter ‘absolutely loved it’ and ‘cannot wait for next week’, it is great to see that the Saracens Foundation are able to continue to make a positive impact on young people virtually.

If you would like to sign up to any of our virtual classes please visit www.bookwhen.com/saracenscheeranddance or contact sapphirefinlayter-gaskell@saracens.net for more information.

While our virtual classes are a great opportunity for children to partake in free sessions, there are over a million young people nationally who do not have access to a device meaning not only can they not access opportunities such as this; they cannot access their online schooling. Saracens Foundation have launched a Digital Divide Campaign to provide devices for disadvantaged children. To see how you can help please visit: https://sfdigitaldivide.co.uk/