Local Cheer Teams Celebrate Successful Season
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The cheerleaders spoke of how their participation helped build their confidence and their focus on academics.
The fifth season for 413 Cheer was filled with achievements as the organization's teams — Codes Red, Blue, Green, Pink, Purple and Orange Fusion — had brought home awards from competitions across Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. Find each team's placements at the end of the article.
This year, Code Red received a wild card bid to the D2 Summit in Orlando, Fla., and Code Blue earned a bid to the Youth Summit in Tampa, Fla., but because of the cost and lack of funds, 413 Cheer will be doing its finals at Myrtle Beach, S.C., this season.
(Donations to cover fees, travel and equipment can be made by emailing 413Cheer@gmail.com.)
The showcase last Sunday was the largest since the organization's inception five years ago, featuring spirited performances from each of the teams, a dad dance off, and mom bow challenge, raffles, concessions, and more.
It also featured a performance by Taconic High School's varsity cheerleaders, coached by 413 Cheer's owner and founder Shavelle Boire.
Boire said the school hasn't had a cheer team in several years, but these new cheerleaders persevered, grew, and stole her heart.
Cheer builds athletic skills, confidence, discipline, accountability, teamwork, and responsibility, she said, while also supporting emotional growth, improved school behavior and grades.
"It's nice because [they are not only growing athletically but also mentally,] they all are growing so much. It's nice to watch them," Boire said.
"Some of these girls have been with me for five years. They didn't even know cartwheels when they started, and now some of them are working on fulls [spinning as you drop], tucks, so it's just great to see them develop skills, and we've just kind of become like a family."
The environment was perfectly captured as one grandfather took to the floor to compete in the dad dance-off. As he showed off his moves, the audience erupted in cheers and laughter, especially when his granddaughter skipped out and danced alongside him.
What began with about six participating dads was narrowed down to just two finalists and in the end, the granddad's performances earned him the winning prize.
This interaction is just a glimpse of the experiences the cheerleaders described in their interviews: the atmosphere that cultivates teamwork, friendships, confidence, and discipline that teaches persistence and offers students new opportunities.
"I'm not just teaching cheerleading. I like to teach them discipline, accountability, and just for them to be overall, great humans," Boire said.
Prior to cheer, Daysia Lewis, Code Red and Taconic High cheerleader, said she was not doing well in school but when she joined the cheer team that all changed.
"I really love everyone on the team. They're super sweet and they're really kind. They're like my family … I think it has a really amazing impact. Everyone is just so nice and welcoming and it's just fun," she said.
Cheerleading helped academically, as it motivated the athletes to attend school consistently by giving them something to look forward to after the school day, said Aaliyah Goldsberry, a Taconic freshman and cheerleader.
"It motivated me to keep my grades up so I could stay on the team. I hope we can advance the team and meet new people and have more opportunities."
Na'lyah Watford-Pierson, a sixth grader on Codes Blue and Red, has been with 413 Cheer for four years. She said she's learned that you can still have fun when doing something that is challenging.
"Academically, it gave me recognition and made me very much better at school and emotionally, it taught me how to be more confident and not to care what other people think," Zy'Mirra Cooper, Taconic cheerleader and freshman.
Taconic cheerleader and 10th grader Nevaeh Weissbrod said she has learned valuable teamwork skills and how to rise above drama.
"Being on the Taconic cheer team has made an impact in my school year, definitely because it gave me new friends and new opportunities to learn new things," she said.
Boire founded 413 Cheer after her foster daughter expressed interest in cheering, but there were no local opportunities.
To give local cheer enthusiasts the chance to participate, Boire partnered with Gymfest owners Stephanie and Brian Pickard to launch the program's first season.
As interest quickly grew, she took 413 Cheer independent, moving it into a larger space above Price Memorial AME Zion Church.
The organization has competitive travel teams and an eight-week non-travel instructional program that culminates in a showcase at the end of the session.
With interest continuing to rise, Boire's long-term vision is to expand into a larger facility and revive cheerleading, which once thrived when it was done by the Christian Youth Center.
"It was just amazing. This gym was full during the CYC days, so I just want everybody to have a chance to cheer. I don't want financial things to get in the way," Boire said.
During the event, 413 Cheer judges selected Code Pink as the Team of the Year, earning a pizza party, with Red taking second place and Orange Fusion and Green tying for third.
Cheer 413 Achievements for 2026 Season
National Cheerleaders Association: Albany, N.Y.
- Code Green: First Place
- Code Pink: Second Place
- Code Blue: Second Place
- Code Red: First Place
America's Best: Springfield
- Code Green: Fourth Place
- Code Pink: Fourth Place
- Code Blue: Fourth Place
- Code Red: Fourth Place
- Code Red Cheerleader Remi Anastasio also wins Athlete of the Month
New England Championship: Providence, R.I.
Note: Day 2 was cancelled because of the shooting down the road at Brown University
- Code Blue: First and received championship rings
- Code Red: Second Place
Winners Choice Championships: Mashantucket, Conn.
- Code Green: Fifth Place
- Code Pink: Fourth Place
- Code Blue: Seventh Place
- Code Red: Ninth Place
Cheer Expo: Hartford, Conn.
- Code Green: Second Place
- Code Pink: Second Place
- Code Blue: Second Place
- Code Red: First Place
MaXout: Mashantucket, Conn.
- Code Blue: Second Place
- Code Red: First Place
The American Legacy: Springfield
- Code Orange Fusion: First Place
- Code Purple: Second Place
- Code Green: Third Place out of 16 teams
- Code Pink: Seventh Place
- Code Blue: Second Place
- Code Red: Fourth Place
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