Our Town |written by: PAMELA DEY VOSSLER | photos by: BAMBI RIEGEL | riegelpictureworks.com
Stunting by 5th grade and Middle School DJCL cheerleaders
IS THERE ANYTHING NOT TO LIKE about a sport where smiling is as important as getting a move right, and if you don’t, well, smile anyway? The world is serious enough, divided enough, fraught with enough pressure. Why not something dedicated purely to the joy of trying something new, to doing something fun with friends—something that has a spot for you no matter when you join, regardless of whether or not you’ve ever done it before, something 100% devoted to good energy and bringing a community together? That is Darien Junior Cheerleading League (DJCL) and the 122 girls from second grade to eighth in town who are junior cheerleaders know it. So do their parents, the women who volunteer their time and talents to coach them and just about everyone who sees them at the Darien Junior Football League (DJFL) games where they root on their peers throughout the fall. They also perform during halftime of Darien High School (DHS) Homecoming games and DJFL Days at DHS football games each year.
“One of the things I love most about DJCL is that the program extends beyond teaching cheers and routines,” said Lindsay Blackinton, an executive with a consumer insights company, who raised her hand in 2023 to lead DJCL (which lives under the DJFL umbrella). She learned about DJCL when her daughter Lexi, then a second grader, became eligible for it. Now Lexi is cheering with the 5th graders. “Our girls aren’t just learning how to cheer; They’re learning how to show up for their teammates, support other athletes, give back to their community and represent their town with pride. And along the way, we’re making game days louder and a lot more fun,” Lindsay added.
Lindsay grew up in Ridgefield, CT and cheered for her town’s Pop Warner football team. She traded her pom poms for a lacrosse stick in high school then returned to cheering when she got to Lehigh University, where she earned a degree in journalism in 2007. She cheered for the Division 1 teams there for four years, captaining the squad her senior year.
19 of the 21 second grade Darien Junior Cheerleaders
“Kids should have the opportunity to explore different sports, change directions and come back to the things they love,” said Lindsay who moved to Darien with her husband in 2017. “It’s no secret that youth sports have become increasingly competitive and time-consuming,” she continued. “We are always trying to find the right balance between teaching discipline and developing skills, while still giving the girls an opportunity to have fun with their friends, be part of a team and enjoy cheering without feeling like every activity has to determine what they’ll be doing for the next five or 10 years,” she explained.
Many of the girls play other sports including gymnastics, soccer and field hockey but find a way to fit in the Friday practices and weekend games that constitute the commitment to cheering. One look at participation stats tells you just how much they want that fit to work: This year, among second graders – the first year of eligibility for cheer, 21 girls signed up. There are 25 on the wait list.
There are 30 cheerleaders in the third grade, 22 in the fourth grade and 35 in fifth. This year, the first for the middle school program since it was dropped a few years back to focus on the younger grades, there are 10 sixth graders and four in seventh and eighth grade.
In all, it’s a four-fold increase in participation since Lindsay took over. In 2024, Ansley Walker joined Lindsay as a head coach, lending her background as a dancer in high school and at the University of Florida, as well as her experience coaching the storied state champion, nationally-ranked Choctawhatchee High School Cheer squad in Florida. Though she does not have a child in the program, she currently coaches the Middle School girls in and around her work as Associate Rector of Darien’s Saint Luke’s Parish. Kathryn Maki, a finance professional, also joined as a head coach in 2024 when her twin daughters, now fifth graders, started cheering. She grew up in New Jersey as a dancer and channeled that into cheering her four years at Fairfield University where she earned a degree in business in 2010. She and her husband moved to Darien in 2019.
DJCL coaches (from left): Natalie Martin, Haley Palese, Cristina Suffredini, Kerry Kerwar, Jennifer Croswell, Alyssa Mahoney, Kathryn Maki, Lindsay Blackinton, Ansley Walker, Jaclyn Mautone and Melissa Dunn. Not pictured: Lindsay Sutter and Danielle De Mattia
In addition to the foundation laid when the program started in 2015, Ansley attributes the growth of cheerleading in Darien “first and foremost, to Lindsay’s energy,” she said. “Being a mother of a cheerleader and a former cheerleader at Lehigh University, she brought in a lot of excitement,” Ansley added.
Plus, it’s easy to join, no prior experience necessary. “They can come in as a second grader or later, middle school even, and learn it all from there,” said Ansley referring to the cheers, choreography, jumps, tumbling and lifts (stunts) the coaches teach the girls. Stunting starts in third grade and builds from there with specialized tumbling from kids who have a gymnastics background.
The number of volunteers has propelled the program forward as well, stemming perhaps from people new to Darien who grew up in towns with strong cheerleading traditions Ansley hypothesized.
“We’ve been incredibly fortunate to have so many parents step up, including several with their own high school cheer and dance backgrounds,” said Lindsay. “They’ve brought their experience to coaching, but just as importantly, they’ve brought tremendous enthusiasm for the program, spreading the word to friends and helping create the sense of community that has really fueled DJCL’s growth.”
It is volunteers who will continue to drive DJCL growth. “The number of spots we offer is determined by the number of committed coaches we have in place ahead of registration each year,” explained Lindsay. (Registration is in April for the fall season.) “While we would love to accommodate every girl who wants to cheer, it is really important to us that we grow the program thoughtfully and don’t expand faster than our coaching resources allow,” she continued.
Layered in with the fun are opportunities for the girls to find their voice, their confidence. (This is, after all, cheerleading—with its built-in license to let loose.)
“One of the things I get really excited about is watching cheerleaders go from being very timid and quiet at practice, unsure of the cheers to game day, when they’re in their uniforms and just beaming, able to hit all their cheers,” said Ansley.
“It is so rewarding to teach these girls a sense of the mutual respect needed to get their stunts up,” added Kathryn. Not everyone can be a “flyer,” the girl at the top of the stunt. But, as Ansley explained, without the base to support the flyer, there is no stunt.
Every girl matters. It is a core mantra for the coaches.
“The girls learn to care about more than just themselves as they develop a sense of purpose in being both part of a team and cheering for a team,” said Kathryn.
“For me personally, one of the best parts has been watching Lexi experience all of this with her friends,” said Lindsay. “She genuinely loves cheer, but she also loves being on the sidelines, seeing her classmates out on the football field and cheering them on. As a parent, there is something really special about seeing that. It brings kids together outside of their individual sports and makes them feel like they’re all part of Darien.”
All hail these youngsters and the community they create …for all of us.
For more information about DJCL including opportunities to volunteer, visit darienjuniorfootball.org.
