After the Bedford Jaguars American Youth Football Pee Wee cheerleading team won last year’s national championship competition, coach Mike Shannon went to the organization’s board of directors and requested a budget for this season that essentially offered the teams unconditional support.

“They saw a lot of potential in these girls in that with some extra support they could really excel,” said Shannon, the Jags’ spirit coordinator. “They signed off on a budget which offered both a successful program and one the girls would love.”

Last year’s Pee Wee squad returned this year as Junior Midgets, with Shannon as the head coach, and delivered another national championship performance, as did the Midget team.

For the first time in Bedford history, two teams wore crowns as best in the U.S.

It was a long and arduous road to reach the pinnacle, however. Even before the season began, the young athletes were taking tumbling classes and honing their skills, while the coachers were attending safety courses and planning routines.

Since September, the cheerleaders have been practicing six hours a week to obtain that perfect routine.

The results are obvious. Four Jaguars’ spirit squads – Junior Pee Wee, Pee Wee, Junior Midgets and Midgets – competed at the state competition, and all four moved on to the regional competition in Worcester, Mass.

Though none walked away victorious, both the Junior Midgets and Midgets scored high enough – finishing second and third, respectively – to earn a trip to the national competition in Orlando, Fla.

The Pee Wee squad, in what Shannon called the regional’s most competitive bracket, fell one-half point short of a trip to the Sunshine State.

Still, the two teams that made the journey vigorously revamped their routines, overcoming sickness and injury to outcheer America’s best.

“The Midget team could have sold snow to Eskimos, they were selling so hard,” said Shannon. “They were just phenomenal. It was the best performance I’ve seen at this level, ever.” The Junior Midgets’ routine was amazing as well, he added.

And when the second-place finisher at each level was revealed, Shannon said it was awe-inspiring to watch the faces of the young athletes turn from pure shock to total elation when the Bedford Jaguars were announced as national champs.

“It’s really funny because a lot of squads work really hard to get to the national stage, yet only one team is blessed enough to walk out with the first-place trophies,” said Shannon. “It’s fantastic to win, but more importantly, it’s great to see these girls step up to the challenges in front of them and learn to work as a team.

Cheerleading is the most teamoriented sport there is in that all members have to hit on all cylinders. There can’t be a weakest link. And these girls were completely selfless out there.”