Cheering In The D

Since the age of nine, I've been a part of the Detroit PAL organization. I started out as a cheer leader for the Eastside Colts and later joined the Eastside Raiders, two of the football teams in the Detroit PAL program. Because of the amount of time and effort my coaches put into teaching me, I fell in love with cheerleading. As a product of Detroit PAL I developed many friendships over the years and eventually went on to do Varsity Cheerleading in High School. Once I aged out of the organization I decided to give back by becoming an assistant coach for the Eastside Raiders. It's a wonderful feeling to see so many new and returning faces because the children are over joyed just to be outside playing a sport that they love with friends.

The Detroit PAL organization is all about building character in our youth. Most people are familiar with the programs for boys, but this organization is very committed to offering opportunities for girls in youth sports. That's why I decided to do an interview with their Cheer Commissioner Coach Glenda "Pott" Stancil. Coach Stancil spoke about all of the benefits of enrolling your daughter into the cheer program where she will have an opportunity to participate in several activities across the Metro Detroit area. Detroit PAL is one of the largest organizations focused on enhancing a child's attitude, passion, as well as her summer vacation. For more information about the organization click here.

Sydney Bowden is a junior at Western Michigan University majoring in Film, Video, and Media Studies with a minor in Apparel Merchandising. She's an intern for CBS/CW50 Television network station by day and a retail sales associate for Champs Sports and True Religion Brand Jeans in the evening. Her favorite quote: "In order to succeed, your desire for success has to be greater than your fear of failure." - Bill Cosby.