By Sapna Pathak
Staff Writer

The Goffstown Youth Football Association Midget spirit squad proved its mettle at a national competition in Tucson, Ariz., taking home the National Youth Football and Cheer Competition championship. (Courtesy Photo)

More than one month ago, the Goffstown Screamin' Eagles Midgets cheerleading squad made history.

The girls became the first Goffstown Youth Football Association spirit squad in the program's 12-year existence to win a national championship on Dec. 8.

The team competed in Tucson, Ariz., in the National Youth Football and Cheer Competition after taking first place in the state competition and second in the New England regional competition.

Tammy Gagne, one of the coaches for the Midgets, said the road to the national championship took an interesting turn just before the state competition.

Gagne's 17-member team considered itself a standard-level group; one of three Midgets sub-classes along with intermediate- and elite-level classifications.

“Two weeks before states, I was informed we'd be competing against intermediate and elite teams,” Gagne said. “Both of which are more advanced classes than standard.”

Gagne's team rose to the challenge, beating every team and taking first place for the second year in a row. It was also the first time a GYFA team repeated as state champs.

Gagne said her team's routine was based on creativity – not difficulty. She wanted her girls to have a routine everyone talked about on the car ride home.

The team's next hurdle on the road to Tucson was the regional competition, where the girls finished second.

Goffstown only faced off against one other standard-level team that beat intermediate and elite teams in another state challenge.

Coming in second, Gagne said, was a disappointment for the group.

Disappointment aside, the girls earned an invitation to nationals. Gagne's new focus became raising funds for the girls to travel to Tucson.

“We had a week to come up with $12,000,” Gagne said. “We did it with the help of local businesses, friends and family.”

Coming up with enough money in such a short amount of time was evidence of the community's support of the GYFA teams, Gagne said. Goffstown wasn't the only town that supported the team. Ali Kearns, Mellisa Daigle and Alicia Gagne are from New Boston, while Kaitlyn Flaherty, a Dunbarton resident, received support from her town, too.

With several communities behind them, the girls worked on perfecting their routine. Since August they worked 10 hours a week. When school started in September, they cut down to six hours a week, a commitment Gagne said not all young girls can make.

“It's a lot of time to work for just a two-and-a-half minute routine,” she said. “It's not like football when you have so many chances to go for a first down. This is all or nothing. You work your butt off and you get one chance to show everyone what you've got.”

This year was a little easier than last year, when 60 percent of the girls were firsttime cheerleaders. The chemistry was more apparent at practices, the coach said, since the girls already had one year together, plus a state championship.

Their hard work paid off in the form of a trophy that's taller than most of the girls who earned it.

Now the goal is to win more hardware.

“This isn't the kind of team that's OK with things being good seven out of 10 times,” Gagne said. “We're going to be flawless and we're going to do whatever it takes to get there and add to the trophy we just got.”