Friends Start Cheerleading Team For Kids With Special Needs - DC Breaking Local News Weather Sports FOX 5 WTTG

It was "Glee" night Thursday on FOX, and one of the characters is Becky Jackson, who plays a cheerleader with Down syndrome.

Well, there is a cheerleading squad in Garnet Valley that is showing what they can do, and they'll have you cheering for them.

FOX 29's John Anderson has their story in this video report.

The team was started four years ago by two friends after seeing another team with special needs at a competition.

They say cheerleading helps the girls overcome difficulties in the classroom and other social settings.

"It definitely levels the playing field," said cheerleading coach Emily Uniacke. "They can go to their peers that are in their classroom, and it's just 'Oh, I'm a cheerleader, too. Yeah, what do you do at cheer practice? Oh, I can do stunts. I can do jumps.' It really gives them, I think, a common ground with some of their peers that they might not have had before. And it creates something that they can bond over and hopefully increase their social skills and everything with that."

The squad will eventually take part in competitions and cheer for the Garnet Valley football team.

The BYC Spirit Squad is always looking for more kids. Or, if there's another school that would like to set up a squad like this, they can help.

For more information on the cheerleaders, click here.