SCOTS cheerleaders have been left “devastated” after an SQA rule change threw their dreams of competing at the world championships into turmoil.
For more than a decade, cheerleading squads from across Scotland have been competing at The Summit Championship, held every May at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
Scots cheerleaders have been left “devastated” after a rule change by the SQA[/caption]
Scots Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton slammed the SQA’s decision as “unhelpful and inflexible”[/caption]
The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has previously worked with teams to allow students to sit their end-of-year exams while competing in the US.
But now, the young athletes have been told this is no longer an option.
The decision leaves students facing the tough choice between missing their exams or pulling out of the prestigious event – a move that would come at a significant cost to their families.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton slammed the SQA’s decision as “unhelpful and inflexible” and called on SNP ministers to step in to prevent what he described as “a real injustice.”
Under the new rules, alternative exam arrangements will only be permitted if an athlete is selected to represent their country at an international event by their sport’s governing body.
Club competitions like The Summit, however, are not eligible for exceptions.
The SQA maintains that schools and colleges were informed of the decision in May last year.
Coach of the Black Diamond Cheerleaders, Natalie Samuel, was set to lead a squad of 20 girls, aged 12 to 16, to Florida.
But two of them have been forced to pull out.
She told The Scotsman: “We have had an absolute nightmare and we’ve had to take two of the girls out of the team. They worked so hard to get this bid, they are two of our strongest members, they were in the team two prior as well, and then at such short notice we had to take them out.
“They lost deposits. They are absolutely gutted. It is heartbreaking for us to see as well, to tell them they’ve to come out of the team – they are crying their eyes out, their parents are gutted.
“It has been really tough. I thought we were supposed to be promoting young women in sport, and this was a great opportunity to represent their country, and it has just been taken away from them.”
She added: “It’s not even the policy, it’s the timescale of it. If they brought this in and said, ‘right from next year, this is happening’, then we all would have taken it on board and would have had time to prepare.
“But instead we’ve had to have kids come out mid-season, and they are devastated, really upset. It has just been an absolute nightmare.”
Mr Cole-Hamilton, Lib Dem MSP for Edinburgh Western, said: “This feels like a real injustice. Many of these athletes have spent years in training to get to this stage but now they are faced with either missing exams or missing out on representing their country.
“It seems as if the SQA are being unhelpful and inflexible. If it’s possible for some athletes to complete exams abroad then it seems like there is no good reason why this cannot be extended to others in similar circumstances.
“I want to see talented athletes given the chance to thrive both competitively and academically. If the SQA won’t see sense then perhaps it is time for the Education Secretary or the sports minister to have a word in their ear.”
A spokesperson for SportCheer Scotland, the governing body, said: “As a newly recognised sport in Scotland, we understand the importance of being treated equally to all other sports and respecting the decisions made by the SQA. Only athletes selected to represent their country as part of the national team meet the SQA criteria to use the alternative venues service.
“We truly empathise with our members who are unable to compete with their club teams internationally during the exam period at club Championships such as The Summit.
“The updated guidance from the SQA was shared with SportCheer Scotland on 21st October, and we promptly communicated this information to our member clubs.
“While we believe that an exception for 2025 would have provided Scottish cheerleading athletes and schools with a grace period to adjust to these changes, we are grateful that the 114 athletes selected from 45 clubs are able to represent Scotland as part of the national team at the International Cheer Union (ICU) World Championships in April 2025 and are able to access the SQA alternative venue service if required.
“The ICU World Championships is recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and streamed live on the Olympic Channel.
“We remain committed to supporting our members and will continue to explore opportunities to ensure international competitions are accessible to Scottish athletes.”
An SQA spokesperson told The Scotsman: “SQA informed schools and colleges of changes to its alternative venue guidance in May 2024.
“The updated guidance came into effect for the 2024/25 academic year, following consultation and feedback from teachers, lecturers, the Scottish cheer and performance cheer governing body, SportCheer Scotland, and other stakeholders.
“The updated guidance states that if a learner has been selected to represent their country in an international sporting event by their sports’ governing body, they must provide written confirmation to their school or college from that governing body.”
Dancers from Scotland are set to head to the US for the cheerleading championships but some will now miss out[/caption]
