LAKEWOOD — The Lakewood YMCA will be starting new cheerleading classes that will be taught by our local Cheer Starz.

The instructors from the Cheer Starz program, which has been in existence for the past 20 years and originally located in Westfield, are branching out and will be teaching the students cheer material at the Lakewood YMCA. Their goal is to eventually be able to form a competitive team.

Megan Summerville is 26 years old. She’s been cheering since she was 2 years old and coaching since she was 18. Megan is USASF safety rules certified and Varsity judging certified. She is credentialed in all building and tumbling skills for levels 1-7 in all-star cheer. Megan cheers on the Cheer Starz open level 4 team and is coaching Westfield teams, levels 1-3. She instructs tumbling and coordinates all skill activities as well as fundraising opportunities for Cheer Starz.

Kassie, 23, has cheered competitively in all-star cheer for the past 12 years. She is a dually certified teacher that educates grades 1-6 in general education or special education. Currently, she is teaching at BOCES in a 6th/7th grade self-contained special education classroom.

These classes are broken down into two groups on Wednesdays. The Tiny Class is mixed of grades (kindergarten through fifth grade) and will be from 4-4:45 p.m. and the other group will be grades 6th-12th and will participate from 4:45-6p.m. This eight-week session will run with the session dates of our other programs at the Y. Our next session begins on March 2. For any questions or to register a child, contact the Lakewood YMCA at 716-763-0303 or stop by our Welcome Center at 183 E. Fairmount Ave, Lakewood.