This weekend at PAC Battle of Champions, there are some serious heavy hitters vying for bids to The Cheerleading Worlds 2020.

The competition will be stiff, but that’s not stopping Rebels Cheerleading Athletics Smoke from going into it with everything that they have. In their eighth season as a Worlds team, Smoke is looking to take on the world and reach new heights this season.

In the new International Open Level 5 division, there is an opportunity for teams to make their mark in a unique way. The team from RCA is bringing their strongest team to date, and they have their eyes on global success.

Owner Eric Bestvater Varsity TV, “Smoke is a very talented group this year! We have the most complex routine we’ve ever had.”

Even with the challenge of a harder routine, the goal to hit clean and leave it all on the mat remains the same. The athletes have been working together to ensure that they do all that they can to find success.

Bestvater noted that this team is special because of “how hard working the team is. They have a very strong bond and motivate each other incredibly well.”

Their hard work will come into play this weekend as they seek to earn a bid.

They are seeing the rise of talent within the program after taking the time to invest in the lower levels. A few seasons ago, the athlete retention rate on Smoke was not ideal, and they knew they needed to do something about it.

 “Our club decided to really invest a lot of energy into developing some home-grown talent to fill the ranks,” shared Bestvater. “The team this year [Smoke] is the result of all that effort from our Junior 3 athletes!”

They’ve been working hard to not only develop the talent within the program but to also keep athletes invested through their careers in All Star.

This particular team is a special and unique group, evidenced by their group superstitions and personal investments in the program. Bestvater told us that the athletes on Smoke insist on doing the same thing every time when it comes to their performance routine.

“At practice, even if it’s our 5^th full out, they have to do their entire pre-comp routine which takes around 4 minutes,” Bestvater added.

Building traditions also spills over into a sense of loyalty, with nearly half of the team working at the gym, either as coaches, or training to become coaches. As a Worlds team, they are leading by example for the next generation to look up to in a big way. As they aim to continue to build skill development and loyalty within RCA, this will only continue to help for many years to come.

With each new season comes new opportunities, and the 2020 season is full of amazing things for RCA Smoke. As they continue to build and grow, they will be a fun team to keep an eye out for. C

Smoke will take the mat for Day 1 of PAC Battle of Champions tonight at 7:04 PM MST. Watch them compete LIVE on Varsity TV as the try to claim a championship title and punch their ticket to Orlando.

Written By: Thomas Parrott

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