When MCA first met the Rossi sisters in 2015, they were 13, 11 and 8 years old respectively. They had zero experience whatsoever, aside from the few cartwheels and back limbers that had taught themselves at home.

The Rossi family had started looking into cheer at MCA as a result of watching their first competition in 2014 and learning more about cheerleading’s existence in Australia. Initially, their high school had a program within their curriculum but unfortunately the scholastic program was cancelled at the conclusion of 2014 before the girls even got the opportunity to even try!

This lead them to their first year at MCA on Peacocks- which at the time was Novice Junior Level 1. These sisters started with the basics in our Novice program but had no intention of stopping there. Cheerleading was a completely different sport to what the girls had previously been used to however, coming from a background in swimming- they were familiar with the level of commitment to training it would take to become an elite athlete at MCA. It can be tricky transitioning from one sport to another but these three sisters were grateful to have each other to lean on along with MCA’s welcoming and encouraging coaches making an unstoppable combination. After years of nagging their mum to let them do dance, as a result of several hours of watching Dance Moms, the Rossi sisters were stoked to be apart of a cheerleading club where they could not only learn to dance- but also how to jump, stunt and tumble!

Over the next 5 years the Rossi sisters progressed through to our elite program from Novice Level 1, to Elite Level 1, then Senior Level 2, Senior Level 3, Senior Level 4, Senior Level 5 and are now currently all on our Open Level 5 team, Angels! With plenty of National Championship titles along the way, these sisters have certainly had an exciting athlete pathway so far.

Most years the three girls have spent the season on the same team working together, however they have spent some seasons apart. Having experienced cheering with your sisters and then without- the Rossi girls have definitely grown closer together, not only as teammates but also as siblings. Cheering at MCA has given all three girls something in common that they all enjoy. These three sisters have the added bonus of having someone to pick you up when you’re down and to tell you to stop mucking around when you need to focus, like only a sister can. On the other hand, it’s very entertaining when the Rossi sisters get on each others nerves and there’s a little bit of healthy rivalry during practise. Working together on such intricate skills like stunting, where focus and team work is incredibly important, the Rossi sisters have learned to be very protective and much more considerate of one another.

Here at MCA, we provide multiple opportunities for our athletes to compete internationally. It is an incredible experience to have with your team, and better yet with your sisters. The Rossi girls have travelled and competed internationally twice with MCA in 2016 and 2018. Their favourite part of the trips was becoming such great friends with the other girls on the team and the coaches too! They loved getting the opportunity to train at world class gyms with amazing international coaches and meeting American cheerleaders they watch on YouTube or Instagram.

The Rossi sisters would love to and dream of competing at the Cheerleading World Championships one day together, and they are unquestionably on the right track!

The girls favourite part of being athletes at MCA is the family like culture that breeds throughout the club. They have had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people and can say that the people they have had the pleasure of becoming friends with throughout their years at MCA, will be lifelong friend of theirs! Being on teams with such a variety of ages means that you develop connections with people you might not ever meet in settings such as school. They also love the strong relationships they have built with the MCA staff. Not only do the coaches inspire the girls to be the best the can be and motivate them to work harder- they also always provide a good laugh when needed, help with homework or life skills when asked and appropriately manage injuries when necessary.

When I asked the girls, if they could say something to someone thinking about joining MCA, what would it be? Their response was the following:

“We would encourage everyone to join MCA! The inclusivity at the gym is amazing, everyone feels so welcome and comfortable all the time. You don’t have to start cheer having any knowledge, you don’t need to be flexible, or know how to jump or flip, they are skills you learn and develop over time. We would tell people to just give it a go. It’s a very different sport and it’s okay to be apprehensive, however we can guarantee it’ll be the best thing you’ll ever do.”