Three student cheerleaders on Jr. Jets crew

By Chris Sykes, Staff Writer

Three University Middle School students are preparing to take off as junior members of the New York Jets Flight Crew cheerleading squad thanks to the efforts of their coach, Ann Digiore.

The three University Middle School students are Makayla Fisher, Tracie Roberts and Tyaja Wright. Even though they are already members of the school’s cheer and dance squad, they are now also members of the Jets Junior Flight Crew team thanks to the program that allows students between the ages of 7 and 14 an opportunity to learn from real NFL cheerleaders.

According to Digiore and Gerhard Sanchez, the Irvington High School athletic director, the New York Jets opened registration for their second Junior Flight Crew program on July 29. They said that the team’s Junior Cheer program is a learning and development program that focuses on improving the talent and abilities of each participant in a non-competitive environment.

The New York Jets Foundation is sponsoring the three members of the University Middle School cheer and dance squad to participate in this year’s camp. Team officials said that the camp began on July 29 from 7 to 9 p.m. with a meet and greet with the Flight Crew Cheerleaders at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center, Florham Park; followed by seven-hour camp days on July 30 and 31 at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

All of that training and preparation was designed to get the cheerleaders ready for their big debut once the NFL season begins.

“They will perform at a half-time show of a Jets preseason game,” Sanchez said.

The three University Middle School girls are scheduled to perform at the Jets vs. the Philadelphia Eagles game on Sept.  1. Team and school district officials said the game will be the local team’s final home preseason game before the regular season starts.

They also said that it will be a great opportunity for Fisher, Roberts and Wright.

“They’re going to have a game day rehearsal on Aug. 27 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center, Florham Park,” Sanchez said. “After that they will be ready for their big moment in the spotlight. I’m glad that students from the district had the opportunity to participate in a program like this even if they’re not from the high school yet. It’s all about broadening our kids horizons and letting them see the many great things that are out there for them and anytime that happens I’m happy about it.”

Sanchez credited Digiore for making it all possible. She in turn credited him for doing what he always has done since he became the high school’s athletic director – looking out for the kids.

“I found out about the program through Mr. Sanchez and we worked with a contact person at the Jets who was very helpful,” Digiore said. “The whole New York Jets organization was fabulous. They were very accommodating to our girls. Normally the camp costs about $250 to participate so the Jets really sponsored our girls.”

Each of the Jets Junior Flight Crew program’s participants will also receive a Junior Flight Crew Uniform, pom-poms, one ticket to the game and a DVD of the halftime routine for practice. Digiore also said that her cheerleaders will get the added benefit of being allowed to take one guest with them to the Sept. 1 game to see them perform.

“I think it’s a very exciting opportunity for some of our kids to kind of step out of the box and do something different than what they might ordinarily do,” Digiore said. “The three girls that I chose for the program are great students and fabulous athletes. I have top-notch girls in our program. Something like this widens their realm of experiences and it’s something nice to add to their resumes.”

Digiore said that she has been coaching cheerleading since 1994 and she has worked with her current crop of girls for the last three years. She said that she believes that she has “a pretty good program” at the school but an opportunity like this will really allow her three “student athletes” to rise to another level.

“It was an opportunity that we couldn’t pass up,” Digiore said. “I think that whole Jets facility up there in Florham Park is impressive. Our girls met all of the Flight Crew cheerleaders. The day that the camp began was also the first day after the lockout for the NFL ended. These three girls are honor roll students and they’re wonderful, wonderful ladies. They’re nice, nice girls”