Prestige ‘Special Abilities’ Program brings the joy of cheer to children with disabilities

Last fall, a trial run of a new, unique program was conducted at Prestige Athletics to see what kind of
feedback the co-owners, Melissa Rempel and Jessica Haggith, would receive from parents and children
taking part. “You always hear that cheer is a sport for everyone and that everybody can do it, but no one
believes it because it is so physically demanding,” said Haggith. The new program put that statement to
the test.
Haggith’s daughter has been doing cheer for years. In 2019, her son, who has special needs, was
watching his sister perform when he commented that he wanted to learn cheer too. After showing his
willingness to learn, Haggith’s daughter choreographed a routine for him to perform alongside her. “I
reached out to an event producer from a competition that we were going to that season in early 2020
and asked if they could make space for my son to perform a duo with his sister. The producer was all for
it. When I saw him perform, I knew we had something special.”
Ever since that experience, Haggith has been pushing to include children with disabilities in cheer, and
when she and Rempel created Prestige Athletics two years ago, the conversation grew more. “Melissa
and I always talked about how this was something we wanted to do, and finally, in 2023, we were able
to do it. We didn’t do it the year before because COVID was still kind of a thing, and many of these kids
with special abilities have complex health needs, and we didn’t want to add unnecessary risk,” explained
Haggith.
Through the fall, the women ran their first-ever Prestige Abilities class, allowing children with special
needs to participate in a class setting. “We had ten participants ranging in age from four to fourteen. We
worked on different skills with them, like cheerleading skills, but also working together and teamwork. It
was so great,” said Haggith.
Rempel said the idea resonated well with their staff and volunteers. “We have another coach who also
has a special needs son, and she was on board with it, too. We also have a few volunteers who help us
with those kids,” she explained. Rempel said that everybody volunteers their time for the program. “It’s
something that we could get behind and would love to keep doing it going forward.”
Athletes with Prestige Athletics can choose to do cheerleading competitively or recreationally. Haggith
said the goal is for those in the Prestige Abilities class to be able to put together a routine and perform it
at a competition. “We got great feedback from those who took part, and they would like to see that
happen too,” she said.
Rempel said when they first started, they weren’t sure if it would succeed in a smaller community like it
does in bigger centers. “We didn’t think we could run it with being a small town. There are gyms in
Edmonton that have programs like this, and when they go out on stage and perform, we all cry.”
Haggith agreed. “The whole auditorium is crying because it’s so cool to see. We thought, man, we would
love to do that. Now, it’s a reality. It’s not so much a dream anymore because it’s actually happening.
This was something we dreamed up in the basement one day while we were having a conversation, and
now to watch it come to life the way it has is awesome.”

Both Prestige Athletics owners were emotional as they explained what it’s like to watch children do
things they didn’t think they could and see the parent’s reaction to watching it all unfold. “On that first
day, when those kids came in, and you heard them laugh and saw them smile and you heard the
excitement and saw their faces light up, nothing prepared you for that wave of emotion—absolutely
nothing. I thought I would be cool because these are my people and that I wouldn’t cry, but nothing
prepares you to hear that laughter. There’s just something about their laughter that is different,” said
Haggith.
Rempel said being able to create something that parents can feel safe bringing their children to is a big
deal, especially for those with special needs children. “There are very little things that can accommodate
children like that and be safe for them. In the beginning, many of the parents sat and watched; by the
end, they were going for coffee. They were like, we see that you guys are fine. We’re going to go grab a
coffee and be right back. And that’s totally fine with us.”
Haggith said sharing the joy of cheerleading is always fun, but this program reached another level. She
also noted that experiencing it as a coach and a mom made it even more special for her. “When you are
there as a coach, you have all the feelings (watching them learn). And when you’re there as a mom,
there’s something that hits your heart. It’s really special.” She said the volunteers helping with the class
were a mix of those who had interactions with children with special needs before and those who hadn’t.
“The ones who weren’t quite sure were so eager to learn. They learned about our little friends that
came to the gym and how to work with them.”
Both explained that the lower-cost program is also fluid in that parents and children can come and go as
needed. “If they sign up and it’s not for them, that’s ok. This program is so different that if it doesn’t
work out, and if you or your kid doesn’t like it, that’s ok. No harm, no foul. It’s a lot easier for them to
come and go because we don’t want to put that pressure on them,” said Rempel.
“We are very adamant that this is not a negative experience for them,” said Haggith. “When you have a
special needs child, you don’t trust anybody with your kid. You just don’t. Especially when it’s in a
situation with other kids because you worry that your child isn’t going to be paid attention to, but we
make sure that we do.”
After a successful launch, Rempel and Haggith look forward to starting up the next session in
September. They plan on holding an open house in spring or summer to allow parents and children to
try it out. They might even hold a summer program ahead of the September start. The program doesn’t
have an age range or required ability to take part. To learn more about this unique local opportunity,
email info@prestigeathletics.ca.