Legends

SEASON 23/24

Captains: Anaëlle Moreau, Marjolein Ligtvoet & Sanna Kleiß
Coaches: Ambre Thelen, Greta Bevilacqua & Timmo Schommarz

SEASON 24/25

Coaches: Rut Lundmark & Luc Sparidans

My name is Rut Lundmark, and I will be coaching Legends this year. I started cheerleading 11 years ago and coaching 5 years ago. I have also been a member of the junior national team in 2018-2019 as well as the senior national coed team in 2021-2022.
My name is Luc, I’m Dutch, 25 years old and a UM Alumni. I’ve been a member of UM Cheerleading since 2018 and I have taken on various positions in the organization in the past namely vice-president, captain and coach. This year I will be back as the assistant coach for the Legends team. My goal is to teach many new skills and get more experience as a cheerleading coach. I’m looking forward to seeing what the Legends can accomplish!

General information about our Team

Legends is our senior coed level 4 team. Legends competes in national and international competitions such as Dutch Nationals and the European Cheerleading Championships but also at Varsity competitions such as German All Level Championship.

What level team is it?                
Legends is a competition team which will most likely compete in the level 4 coed division. A level 4 team can be likened to an intermediate/advanced level. Therefore, it is recommended to have some experience in either cheerleading, weightlifting, gymnastics, or dancing. However, this is not necessary. “Coed” means that Legends is open to athletes of all genders.

FAQ

  1. What days and times does the Legends Team practice?
    Wednesday: 19h – 21h and Friday: 20h30 – 23h

    Friday practice will be mandatory between 20h30 and 22h30. Legends will decide as a team whether to keep the last 30 minutes as an open gym, or to extend practice.

  2. What skills are we looking for at Tryouts?
    We will be looking at stunting, tumbling, dance, and overall attitude at try-outs. Specifically for athletes who are focused, hard-working, strong and ready to learn. It is still possible to join the team with no cheerleading experience, if you have the right attitude.

    Some specific tumbling skills we would like to see but are not necessary to join the team are: Roundoffs with a high rebound, Back handsprings, Round-off -> Back handsprings, Roundoff ->  Back Handspring -> Tuck/Layout.

    Some specific stunting skills we would like to see but are not necessary are: Extended liberties, Full-downs, Basket tosses (Straight ride/Skill), and Coed style stunts.

  3. What does a typical practice with Legends look like?
    Each practice varies however typically they will follow a structure similar to this: Beginning with attendance and introducing the goals of the practice. Followed by a short warm-up, conditioning/strengthening, and a dynamic stretch. Then they will move on to stunting, followed by tumbling or jumping practice, and lastly working on their competition routine. They will close off practice with static stretching.

    Stunting practice consists of using drills and repetitions to work towards the goals discussed at the start of practice. We often spend most of the practice time stunting.

    Tumbling will begin with across the floor gymnastics, and then move into specific focused groups depending on the skill level of the athlete.

  4. Which competitions did the team attend last season (2023-2024)?                               Last year Legends attended Dutch Nationals where they came 1st and won Grand Champions. They also attended Elite Cheerleading Championships in Bottrop, where they placed 7th, and the German All-Level Championship.

  5. Which competitions will the team be attending this season (2024-2025)?                       Legends will be attending competitions both nationally, and outside the Netherlands. These include the Dutch Nationals, Elite Cheerleading Championships (ECC in Bottrop), and German All-Level Championship (GALC in Dusseldorf). They may decide as a team to go to another competition as well or replace GALC with a new competition.

  6. Why is practice mandatory?                                                                                                           Cheerleading is a team sport where every athlete is equally important. Group stunts require 4 athletes, if you miss practice, the other 3 athletes cannot practice. The pyramid, which is a connection between stunt groups, can’t be practiced with just one athlete missing. Of course, absences do happen, just let your coach know ASAP.

HOUSE RULES OF THE TEAM

Respect – In Legends, we highly respect each teammate and each coach. When someone is speaking, we listen and do not speak over each other. We respect our coaches, and our coaches respect us.

Integrity – We never lie at practice, or about any members of UM cheerleading. We also never go behind people’s backs. We let someone know when we are upset or hurt, instead of hiding it. We have confidential advisors who we can trust.

Empathy – We treat each other the way we want to be treated. We do not make any comments about each other’s appearance unless it can only be interpreted positively. We have a zero-tolerance policy towards body shaming, bullying and disrespect.

Responsibility – We take responsibility for our actions and don’t make excuses. 

Inclusivity – Everyone should feel included at practices and events. We try our best to talk to an involve everyone in the team during conversations, not just our closest friends. We speak English during practice, so no one is left out. 

Attendance – We show up to every mandatory practice, and let coaches know as early as possible if we cannot make it.