
By Michael Bennett
Local Journalism Initiative
The Ridgetown Independent News
Two young Ridgetown area girls recently experienced the thrill of a lifetime – cheering for the Detroit Lions right on the Ford Field turf.
Seven year olds Natalie Hoskins of Ridgetown and Brinley Simon of Duart were among 395 girls who attended a Junior Lions cheerleading clinic hosted by the Detroit Lions cheerleaders in December.
The Lions Cheerleaders put the girls through a number of drills and dance moves while learning a routine during a four-hour clinic at Ford Field.
The girls returned to Ford Field to perform their routine during halftime of the Lions’ game against the Buffalo Bills on Dec. 15.
“They loved it,” said Jennifer Hoskins, Natalie’s mother.
“We didn’t want to tell them they would be performing in front of such a big crowd,” Jennifer said of the sold-out crowd of more than 66,000 fans. “But they had a great time; it was a real confidence booster.”
So, how did the two Grade 2 students at St. Michael’s Catholic School end up cheerleading at a Detroit Lions game?
Jennifer Hoskins, who grew up in Waterford, Mich., is a former dancer with the Automotion, the Detroit Pistons’ cheerleading team, from 2004-07.
When the Lions announced they were adding an official cheerleading team in 2016, Rebecca Girard-Smoker, formerly the director of Automotion, was hired as the coach.
“Rebecca was my coach when I danced for the Pistons, and when she became the coach for Detroit Lions’ cheerleaders, I was hired on as a corner coach for the first two seasons,” Jennifer said.
Jennifer said she has stayed in contact with Girard-Smoker and other members of the Lions’ cheerleading team, which was how she found out about the junior clinic.
“The girls turned seven this year, which is the minimum age for the clinic, so I asked Brinley’s mother (Colette), and she thought it was a great idea; the girls were really excited,” said Jennifer.
Natalie and Brinley have been friends since they first met at the Ridge KIDS nursery school when they were two.
Both girls are competitive gymnasts, and Natalie is also a dancer with the Blenheim Dance Collective.
Jennifer recently returned to the floor herself at a recent Automotion Reunion performance during a Pistons’ game at Little Caesars Arena.