CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — A Clay County cheer coach is speaking out for the first time after successfully getting his 50+ students to safety during a stampede at the annual National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) National Championship on Saturday. The chaos erupted when a fight broke out among parents, triggering a panic among the crowd.
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According to the coach, he was able to keep all of his cheerleaders and staff out of harm’s way, all while bringing home a trophy.
The tense situation lasted for three hours, and coach Jonathan Pol, who is also the owner of Island All-Stars in Clay County, described it as terrifying. Despite the danger, Pol was able to guide his team to safety.
“I’m never gonna let their faces leave my mind. It was terrifying,” said Lori McLeod, a staff member.
Pol was with his 50+ cheerleaders at the competition in Dallas when he saw the stampede forming. At first, he didn’t know what it was, but he knew immediate action was necessary.
“We just saw a stampede coming. At the time, we didn’t know what it was,” Pol explained.
In the midst of the chaos, his priority was clear.
“Our focus was get out and get the kids out,” he said.
Pol explained that he had trained his cheerleaders and staff for situations like this.
“Every year we do staff training. My favorite training that I teach is emergency management. We do active shooters, bomb threats, and first aid CPR,” Pol said.
As the stampede intensified, Pol and his staff worked quickly, pulling as many children as possible out of harm’s way.
“We’re grabbing as many kids as we can. We don’t know who they are, where they’re from. Some are alone. We’re just grabbing them. Let’s go, let’s go. Hurry!” said McLeod.
Pol confirmed that they helped anyone in sight, regardless of which gym they were from.
“Anyone we saw, we got out,” he added.
According to Dallas police, the panic was triggered by a fight between two people, which led to multiple poles being knocked over. The noise caused widespread panic inside the building, prompting people to rush outside in a stampede.
Despite the frightening events, Pol’s team managed to secure a first-place trophy for their division the following day.
“We sure did. Look at it. We sure did,” Pol said, proudly showing the trophy.
Eva Hartwell, a staff member, reflected on the lessons of the day.
“My job is to make them champions, and if I’m brave enough to stand next to them the next day, then I have to be brave enough to go back with them,” she said.
Pol expressed his relief that all of his cheerleaders made it out safely, crediting his training and quick actions for their safety.
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