European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 9, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse St0mp4lap-st0mp1ng to Victory by Gary Pomeroy staff writer Terri Mcgruder wanted to lighten the tension. A Are we checking parents at the door for weapons Quot she asked. She was referring sardonically to the Channelview Texas woman who faces a 15-year prison term Tor trying to hire a hit Man to kill the Molher of her daughter s cheer leading rival. In a few minutes Mcgruder and five other women would judge the cheer leading championships for the . Army in Europe s youth services at Patton Barracks gym in Heidelberg Germany. As the judges waited to meet with team representatives in the Small room adjacent to the main gym Mcgruder a Texas native with 15 years of cheerleader coaching and judging recalled a previous experience As a judge. Several years ago while coaching the Cameron University cheerleader squad in Lawton okla., she judged cheerleader tryouts for a Junior High school in an Anonymous Oklahoma town. School officials had covered the gym windows with opaque Brown paper and the girls were judged one by one while parents waited impatiently outside. A we were escorted in and out Quot said Mcgruder now program director for youth services in Frankfurt a Germany. Quot the parents were just awful cornering judges As we walked out the door wanting to know who made it who was the Best. Quot one Parent told her Quot i know who you Are it my daughter does t make the Mcgruder s Story was interrupted when the Orange steel door at the other end of the room swung open and 23 mostly solemn women filed in forming a Semi Circle around the judges. Standing in a Neutral third Corner was Sam Sakorafis the command s assistant program manager for youth services. Quot i want to get All the questions answered before we leave the room Quot said Sakorafis. Once the meet begins it s too late for clarifications he said. For the next 15 minutes the representatives of eight Junior teams and four senior teams from army communities across Germany launched into a discussion somewhere Between arms reduction and who s on first they discussed precise definitions of splits tumbling partner stunts rules in general and rules in specific. Quot Well that was Legal at 21 St Quot one woman said referring to a recent command Competition. A what about cartwheels a another asked. Not Legal. A lot of the rules Are based on safely factors. One coach announced that a team member had lost her identification card the Day before but brought a verification letter from the military police attesting to her identity. At the Center of the conversation stood two Well dressed serious looking women a Berlin coach Sonya Hutchinson and her assistant Tonya Douglas. Their team and supporters had boarded a bus in Berlin at 10 . The previous evening to travel to Berlin s first Competition in three years. Hutchinson attired in an oversized Bright red Tam of Shanter hat and Douglas topped in a Black roaring 20s flapper hat looked like they had stepped of the pages of Vogue not an All night bus ride. They glanced in silent tandem from questioner to answerer to each other members of Nurnberg a Pastorius housing area cheering team wait for the Competition to begin. Quot there s a lot of pressure on the girls and the coaches a Hutchinson would say after the meet Quot particularly for us since it s our first time and our girls Are All Brand new to they wanted to make sure they had taught the team the proper Usa eur techniques. Quot we were pretty intense Quot said Hutchinson who has coached cheer leading off and on for six years. The questions were essential because scoring in the Competition Tike gymnastics,.is subjective and therefore somewhat out of the control of the participants. Points during the four minute routine could be lost or not granted through subtleties. On the other Side of the Orange steel door most of the 90 or so cheerleaders were stomp clap stomp stomp clap stomp stomp clapping with nervous Energy As they waited for the Competition to begin. The six member senior entry from Pastorius housing area in Nurnberg was an exception sitting quietly. Quot before competing i relax Quot team member Danielle Jones said. Quot a half hour before competing i stretch then sit and Hope for the Jones 15, is a Veteran on a team that has four rookies and one girl with a year of experience. Jones donned her first cheer Reading outfit at age 4, As a Mascot for Hanau High school. She has competed in cheer leading for five years and like Many of the girls has used her experience to prepare for varsity squad tryouts. She Hopes to be a varsity cheerleader for the basketball season at Nurnberg High school in a matter of weeks. Recent wrist surgery due to a gymnastics injury was added incentive for her to sit still. Plus she said Quot i am losing my soon the coaches fanned out of the meeting and gave final instructions to their teams. Vicki Jones Danielle s mom and team coach did t offer much advice. Quot its out of my hands now Quot said Jones. The team had practice its three minute and 50 second routine for 20 hours during the previous two weeks. They hated me by the last practice Quot said Jones an 11 year coach. The seniors competed first and Pastorius Drew from a hat to perform third. The 300 or so supporters including Many from Heidelberg filled the bleachers on one Side of Danielle Jonee of Nymberg Echoute out a routine. The gym. The crowd was almost silent As the teams went through their routines. Jones and her assistant Debbie Blessing sat alone on the opposite Side of the gym behind the Competition. Coaching from the stands can be penalized and they were taking no chances. To a casual observer there were no obvious differences in the senior portion of the contest. The Pastorius routine ran 15 seconds Short. Quot they did no to delay three seconds Between routines As Jones said. Quot they were just Overly nervous and forgot to Sembach was declared the Winner and Jones grudgingly conceded. Quot there was not a big enough difference that we could Page 14 a the stars and stripes saturday november 9, 1991
