Hamden Hurricane Cheerleaders at the Top of the Pyramid

The Hamden Hurricane Pop Warner cheerleading teams are making history.

On October 13th, the Junior Pee Wee team secured the title of Southern Connecticut Pop Warner Conference Champion in the Junior Pee Wee Medium level one division. With a score of 91.33, the team held the highest Junior Pee Wee score of the session, outscoring other teams in the small and large divisions.

The conference win qualifies the team to compete in the New England Regional Cheer & Dance Championships, held on Saturday, November 3rd in Lowell, Massachusetts.

“This win means everything to our team. In my long career as both a cheerleader and a coach, I have never won a conference championship. It’s a special win for everyone involved, including the town of Hamden,” said Junior Pee Wee Head Coach Margaret DiMauro.

Previous to the conference win, the team earned third place in the Connecticut State Pop Warner Cheerleading Championships, posting the top Southern Connecticut conference score in the division. The team consists of 16 girls, mostly Hamden residents. The team is led by Head Coach Margaret DiMauro and assistant coaches Kaitlyn Morgis and Cristina Violano.

Also qualifying for the New England Regional Cheer & Dance Championships is the Junior Varsity Cheerleading team. At the Southern Connecticut Pop Warner Conference Championships, the Junior Varsity team placed 2nd in the medium level one performance cheer division and 3rd in the sideline cheer division. Previous to the conference competition, the Junior Varsity team placed 3rd in the medium level one performance cheer and 4th in the sideline cheer division. The team consists of 10 girls, mostly Hamden residents. The team is led by head coach Brooke Martins and assistant coach Ashley Kelly.

“This year’s Junior Varsity team has been working hard to be successful. They have a whole new routine and I can confidently say they are ready to show it off at the Regional competition,” said Kim Howard, Cheer Director for Hamden Hurricane Pop Warner cheerleading program.

“We have grown a lot as a team this year and have accomplished many goals together. We are extremely excited for the opportunity to compete at Regionals next weekend. We couldn’t have asked for a better season,” said Brooke Martin, Junior Varsity Head Coach.

The Hamden Hurricane Pop Warner Football & Cheerleading program is organized and administered by an all-volunteer staff. It is affiliated with the National Pop Warner Little Scholars Association and was established in 1969. The Hamden Hurricane cheerleading teams not only support the football teams at games and other events, but they also operate as a competitive program. As a participant in Pop Warner competitions, the teams must prepare very quickly, as the season officially begins on August 1st and competitions are held beginning the first week of October. Although the program is competitive, no try outs are allowed and placement is based on age rather than skill or ability.

“Each year athletes come to the program with little to no former cheer experience and it is our job as coaches to develop their skills and encourage them to grow physically, emotionally, and socially. Though the purpose of program is to learn cheerleading, it is about so much more than that. They learn about perseverance, commitment, friendship, and how to challenge themselves beyond the limits they thought were possible. It is this aspect of cheerleading that makes it so rewarding,” said Margaret DiMauro.

Though both Junior Pee Wee and Junior Varsity teams are littered with new faces each year, there are also a good number of athletes that have been involved for multiple years. They serve as good examples of just what it takes to stay committed to a program. Cristina Violano, an assistant coach for the Junior Pee Wee team, knows a thing or two about commitment to the program. She was involved as a child, cheering for a total of four years with the Hurricanes. She decided to come back to coach in the program because of the positive impact it had on her.

“I am so proud of these girls and what they have been able to accomplish. They remind me of my own journey as a former Hamden Pop Warner cheerleader. Junior Pee Wee was the age group I began in and it is fulfilling to see the girls grow and get the same experiences I did when I was in the program,” said Cristina Violano.