By Beverly Keller, Editor
Local Edition
The Budget Newspaper
For 11-year-old Aviana Sean Cline of Sugarcreek, nothing could stop her from performing for the second straight year as a junior Tennessee Titan Cheerleader – not even a harsh economic climate.
Aviana has dreams of being a Tennessee Titan Cheerleader when she grows up. Earlier this year, when her parents broke the news to her that her dream to be a part of the junior program this year wouldn’t happen due to financial constraints, the young go-getter set off on her own to find an answer.
While she was devastated by the news that her parents could not afford to send her to the program, Aviana was determined that she would be a part of the program. In fact, Aviana took matters into her own hands and raised money for the trip on her own.
By doing odd jobs for neighbors and friends and holding small fundraisers, Aviana was able to raise the funds needed to book the trip to Tennessee and once again grace Titan Field. Her hard work raised nearly $1,000 that will be used for her uniform, gas, hotel and food that is needed in order for her to attend the clinics.
Throughout September, Aviana will participate in three cheer and dance clinics with the Tennessee Titan Cheerleaders that will culminate in a performance at the home-opener on September 20. She will be cheering alongside current cheerleaders and other juniors from across the United States while Tennessee faces off with the Houston Texans.
The daughter of Kevin and Brynn Cline is a fifth grade student at Ragersville Elementary. She attends Barrs Mill Church of God near Sugarcreek. Her love of dance and performance has led her to begin her 10th year of dance classes. She studies jazz as well as hip-hop, modern, ballet and pointe with Shelly Beitzel at the Tuscarawas Dance Arts Center in Dover. She also takes tumbling and back handspring classes at the Tuscarawas County YMCA. In addition to her dancing ability, Aviana is working to master the piano and is a student of Amy McNutt.
Being a Junior Titans Cheerleader is an incredible opportunity that girls ages 6 – 14 look forward to every fall, and thanks to her hard work, Aviana will be one of them. Her family will travel eight hours to the clinics each weekend in September.
“It is a dream for her,” Aviana’s mother Brynn explained. “This is something she has always wanted to do. It started out watching the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders and the show that is on television each year that shows the women who try out to be a part of the squad, and it just grew.”
Brynn explained that Aviana saw a commercial on the program about the junior program at Houston and instantly wanted to be a part of it.
“I told her that is quite far from Ohio and she asked if there was something closer. I looked online and found the closest team with a stellar junior program was in Nashville.”
The rest, as the saying goes, is history. “Aviana applied last year and was accepted,” Brynn said. “It was just an incredible experience last year for her and she is excited to be part of it again this year.”
