Cheerleaders aren’t just a squad of girls supporting their teamfrom the sidelines anymore. They have become members of a highlycompetitive sport that is gaining in popularity.

Duane Meilstrup, owner and coach at Mississippi Gym of Dreams,takes the sport very seriously, as do participants on hiscompetitive teams.

Meilstrup, himself a former competitive and college cheerleader,said competitive cheerleading is a big thing now. He credits thepopularity and interest in the sport with all the exposure it getson television, such as the cheerleader competitions shown onESPN.

Meilstrup said most of his cheerleaders come to the gym toimprove on their skills, whether it’s tumbling or dance.

“We make sure they make cheerleader when they get to highschool,” he said.

Meilstrup has room to boast about his program, since 75 percentof Brookhaven High School’s competitive cheerleaders came upthrough his gym. BHS recently won the Mississippi StateChampionship this year and had the third- or fourth-highest scoreout of all the teams competing, he said. They also placed second atthe national championship.

“They had a good year,” Meilstrup said.

Meilstrup has also choreographed routines for several other areacompetitive cheerleading teams.

Many of the cheerleaders have aspirations of continuing theirsport on into college. Meilstrup said many universities andcolleges offer substantial scholarships for cheerleaders.

“Some places offer full rides for varsity squads,” Meilstrupsaid.

Routines have become increasingly harder and more daring overthe years. Stunts involving pyramids, tosses, and harder gymnasticsand tumbling moves, make the routines stand out in the eyes of thejudges.

“Ten years ago you wouldn’t have had as many tumblers on thesquad,” Meilstrup said. “Now they’ve had more exposure togymnastics.”

Cheerleading is now more of a performance, Meilstrup explained.Competitive routines are performed to music and can last a maximumof two and a half minutes, he said.

“Everyone tries to emulate what goes on in college,” he said.”It gets more flashy and harder each year.”

Meilstrup’s team is made up of area cheerleaders, as well ascheerleaders from surrounding counties.

The squads are broken up into three divisions with a peeweesquad made up of fourth graders and below, a junior squad withninth graders and younger, and a senior squad that are 12th gradersand younger. In all, approximately 75 youngsters are coached byMeilstrup. Kim Girod coaches the peewee squad and assists with thedance choreography.

The typical competitive cheerleading season begins in Octoberand generally wraps up in April. Meilstrup’s teams will betraveling to Destin, Fla., in April for their final competition ofthe year.

A lot of preparation goes into each performance. Meilstrup’steams meet once a week and practice for two hours.

“We don’t practice as much as most teams,” he said.

Meilstrup credits participation in other sports as one reason hedoesn’t schedule as many practices.

“You always want the best athletes,” Meilstrup said ofcompetitive cheerleaders.

Meilstrup said in small towns often the best athletes are alsoinvolved in everything else.

Meilstrup’s gym will begin tryouts for next year’s squads onApril 23.

The Brookhaven Recreation Department also sponsors a competitivecheerleading team coached by Robin Smith. Their tryouts will beheld April 3-8.