True Stories. Real Kids. Positive Change.
Cheerleaders Sparkle
There are two Sarah’s on the Varsity Cheerleading team at Bettendorf Iowa’s Pleasant Valley High School: Sarah Herr and Sarah Cronk.
Like most cheerleaders, they are busy with school and practice, but unlike most, this varsity team leads an initiative to include girls from 8 to 15 who have special needs.
Sarah Herr says she was first inspired when she saw the Special Olympics. She said she “wanted to spend more time with these great athletes.” Sarah Cronk has a brother with special needs. Together they have developed a program to include specials needs girls on the team.
For two years the Varsity Spartans cheerleaders and the “Sparkles,” as they are now known, have practiced together twice a week during the regular school year. Cronk says she has seen the confidence and enthusiasm of the girls increase as a result of being included, and calls this the “sparkle effect.”
Herr and Cronk have also established a non-profit to further the cause and named it The Sparkle Effect.
From The Sparkle Effect website : “Young people with special needs are often underestimated. Too often, people see only what they cannot do. . .
Our program is completely youth-led, youth-staffed, and youth-driven, and is fully integrated into the high school sports program. During the season, we practice with our Sparkles two times each week, and they cheer with us at pre and post game and at half-time to packed crowds and standing ovations.”
I learned about Sarah and Sarah from an Internet search and a short on ABC News. Please visit the link here to see the Spartan Cheerleaders and the Sparkles practice and perform.
Congratulations to inspiring kids Sarah Herr and Sarah Cronk. Their example is one from which we can all learn: we’re really not all that different from one another. There are more similarities than differences.
Find more videos like this on Get Ur Good On
Like most cheerleaders, they are busy with school and practice, but unlike most, this varsity team leads an initiative to include girls from 8 to 15 who have special needs.
Sarah Herr says she was first inspired when she saw the Special Olympics. She said she “wanted to spend more time with these great athletes.” Sarah Cronk has a brother with special needs. Together they have developed a program to include specials needs girls on the team.
For two years the Varsity Spartans cheerleaders and the “Sparkles,” as they are now known, have practiced together twice a week during the regular school year. Cronk says she has seen the confidence and enthusiasm of the girls increase as a result of being included, and calls this the “sparkle effect.”
Herr and Cronk have also established a non-profit to further the cause and named it The Sparkle Effect.
From The Sparkle Effect website : “Young people with special needs are often underestimated. Too often, people see only what they cannot do. . .
Our program is completely youth-led, youth-staffed, and youth-driven, and is fully integrated into the high school sports program. During the season, we practice with our Sparkles two times each week, and they cheer with us at pre and post game and at half-time to packed crowds and standing ovations.”
I learned about Sarah and Sarah from an Internet search and a short on ABC News. Please visit the link here to see the Spartan Cheerleaders and the Sparkles practice and perform.
Congratulations to inspiring kids Sarah Herr and Sarah Cronk. Their example is one from which we can all learn: we’re really not all that different from one another. There are more similarities than differences.
Find more videos like this on Get Ur Good On
Tags: bettendorf, cheerleaders, effect, iowa, needs, sparkle, special
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Comment by Linda Mullen on November 2, 2009 at 9:04am - Great program!
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