Spirit squds are AAA’s newest teams
By Sharael Feist
Nov. 28, 1998
A few high-school students in the cIty have a little more pep in their step these days due to the recent San Francisco Unified School District decision to make songleading an official varsity sport. The ruling means that all the songleading squads at Academic Athletic Association high schools will receive funding, which will pay for coaches and limited travel. The songleaders will also finally be allowed to qualify for varsity and junior-varsity letters.
Ten of the 12 AAA schools have songleading programs this fall, with the squads at Lowell and Lincoln being the most well established. Balboa, Burton, Galileo, International Studies Academv, Marshall. McAteer, Mission and Washington also have squads and perform at their respective schools’ athletic events.
The funding for the squads will come from the Save High School Sports foundation, with each school receiving $500 for equipment and travel. The district will cover the coaches’ salaries – 100 hours a year for practice and supervision at games and competitions.
Songleaders’ uniforms, which can run from $100 to $500 per songleader, can be purchased with individual schools’ uniform funds (if the uniforms stay at the school and are used for several seasons) or each songleader can purchase his or her own.
And because it is now an official sport all members of AAA songieading squads will have to maintain a minimum grade-point average of 2.0 and must be required to pass an annual physical. However, the most important factor according to the team advisors and the songleaders themselves, is that participants will be recognized by their schools, the league and the district for their hard work and hours of practice.
“What we’re looking to do is get them started this year,” said AAA’s Athletic Commissioner Anne Heinline, adding that a league wide exhibition or jamboree could take place as early as next season.
“We’re looking forward to the possibility of a competition in the future,” said Heinline. “But for right now, the emphasis will bean rebuilding the programs in the schools.”
At Lowell High School, songleaders have been competing on a national level for several years and are happy to now be recognized for their efforts. The Lowell songleaders have won regional competitions for varsity and junior varsity, and have even garnered a varsity state championship crown.
“Songleading is a unique sport,” said Sue De Vries, varsity song advisor and coach at Lowell High School. “The girls have worked so hard for so many years. They deserve some recognition.”
Marlyn Bussey, songleading coach for Marshall High School, agrees that songleading is a sport that needs to be given credit. “Songleading is a very athletic sport,” she said. “The girls practice long hours, including weekends and holidays.”
In most high schools, both songleading and cheerleading are part of the spirit squad. The difference between the two is that songleading uses dance moves, as opposed to cheerleading, which requires more stunts, like cartwheels and backflips.
According to De Vries, songleaders need to be able to perform dance routines that require ballet, jazz and hip-hop techniques, as well as strong, coordinated arm and leg movements. Songleaders at Lowell High perform their routines during halftimes and time outs at football, volleyball and boys and girls basketball games. They also go to wrestling matches to support their team.
Evangeline Leynes, captain of the Lowell varsity squad, says she is glad that her team will finally get the recognition it deserves.
“California is one of the only states where songleading is not a sport,” said Leynes. “We’re very excited about having funding and access to facilities. Now, maybe we’ll have a designated area to practice.”
And because any AAA competitions are so far off in the future, the established squads are more than willing to help the novices, instead of going right into rivalries as squads try to outdo one another.
Last Saturday, the Lowell songleaders held a one-day clinic to serve as a fund-raiser and to give some pointers to songleaders from different schools.
“Even though [Lowell is] head-and-shoulders above everybody else, they’re willing to share and build a camaraderie with the other schools,” said Heinline.