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“Berkeley Cougars Blue, Gold and White, we’re here to take it all the way!” were the words that helped cheer the Berkeley Cougars cheerleading squad (part of the Berkeley Cougars youth football league) right into a national cheerleading competition held this past weekend in Las Vegas.  

The team, with girls ages 10-14, rolled past more than 100 regional competitors to make it to the competition and then fought through seven other teams in Las Vegas to place during their first trip to the tournament. 

At nationals the team competed in dance competitions instead of cheer competitions, all of which were choreographed by the girls and their coach. According to team member Aneka Patterson, one dance in particular—a hip-hop battle where the girls dressed in baseball uniforms and broke into teams— was the highlight of the competition that she speculates helped propel them into fourth place.  

“It was our first year at the competition and none of the teams thought we were good, they were like where is Berkeley at?” said Patterson, 13. “But we went out there and represented Berkeley and placed fourth our first time.” 

For over 25 years the Berkeley Cougars cheerleading squad has cheered on the Berkeley Cougars football team, part of the Police Athletic League (PAL) but never before made it to a national competition.  

Run by parents and volunteers, the team is self-funded and can often be seen practicing their routine down at Berkeley’s Frances Albrier Park. Coached by Maurice Harrison, who is also a member of Berkeley’s well-known Flaming Five Drill Team, the Cougars squad was on a grueling seven-days-a-week, two-hours-a-day schedule leading up to the competition. 

“It was hard, it was real hard,” said Patterson, who attends Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School. “But it paid off. Every time we got tired, our coach was like ‘You’ll be tired at the competition too if you don’t practice.’” 

For Patterson’s mom, Kameka Goodwin, making it to nationals was a proud achievement both for her and for her daughter. 

“It was unbelievable. I couldn’t believe that after all the work it finally happened,” she said. For Goodwin, a single mom like several other team parents, the cheer squad has given her daughter a chance to participate in a positive team event that she says has been helpful for Aneka. 

“It’s been an outlet for her, so she doesn’t just end up hanging around,” said Goodwin. “It’s a good social thing for her as well.” 

For Patterson, the competition was only part of what she hopes is an extended cheerleading career. Currently in 8th grade, Patterson will be attending Berkeley High School next year but will not be allowed to cheer on their team as a freshman. She plans to cheer for the Cougars again, however, move onto the Berkeley High squad and eventually become a cheerleader for the Oakland Raiders, her favorite team. Goodwin, her mom, while encouraging her to continue, says that in between Berkeley High and the Raiders will be a college degree where she said Patterson hopes to major in dance.  

The weekend’s successful performance was especially sweet because it came after defying an initial let-down that at one point left the team thinking they might not go.  

At a regional competition at Marine World in Vallejo only the younger part of the team—the “peewees”—qualified by placing first in one of their performances. The older group, the midgets, placed second and third, which kept them from a bid. 

But because the peewee team was two small to compete at nationals alone, and because the midgets were resolved to make it, both teams re-enrolled in a second regional competition together at Cal State Hayward. By placing high enough to score over 80 percent during all their competitions the combined team received a bid and packed their bags for Vegas. 

“The competition and the event built a lot of esteem [for the girls],” said Nachelle Gardner, the cheer squad director. 

Harrison, the team coach, said he was extremely pleased with the results and is in the process of recruiting girls for next year’s team.  

“Hopefully we’re going to go back and do even better next time,” said Harrison. 

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