Get ready for a journey into the world of cheerleading curses!
You might have heard about the infamous “Large Senior Curse” that haunted cheer teams for years. Well, buckle up because there’s a new twist in the tale known as the “Majors curse.” In this article, we’ll explore both curses, their strange patterns, and uncover what they actually mean. Now, let’s jump right in and uncover these mysterious phenomena…
The original Large Senior curse
The original “Large Senior curse” meant that the Large Senior 6 team who won NCA Nationals couldn’t, or wouldn’t, win The Cheerleading Worlds the same year. This curse didn’t just stick around for a little bit or a few years—it lasted for a whopping 13 years in a row! From 2006 to 2018, the NCA champions just couldn’t seem to break the curse.
People were even crossing their fingers, hoping their favorite Large Senior team wouldn’t win NCA because, according to the curse, it practically meant that the team wouldn’t stand a chance at winning Worlds. Every year, it made people wonder if it would ever be broken, and even led to elaborate theories like this…
Take a look at the previous NCA and Worlds champions and witness the curse in action:
| Year | Winner of NCA | Winner of Worlds |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Maryland Twisters F5 | Cheer Athletics Panthers |
| 2007 | Cheer Athletics Panthers | World Cup Shooting Stars |
| 2008 | Cheer Athletics Panthers | World Cup Shooting Stars |
| 2009 | Cheer Athletics Panthers | World Cup Shooting Stars |
| 2010 | World Cup Shooting Stars | Cheer Extreme Senior Elite |
| 2011 | World Cup Shooting Stars | Maryland Twisters F5 |
| 2012 | World Cup Shooting Stars | Cheer Extreme Senior Elite |
| 2013 | Cheer Athletics Panthers | Cheer Extreme Senior Elite |
| 2014 | Cheer Athletics Panthers | Stingray All Stars Orange |
| 2015 | Cheer Athletics Panthers | World Cup Shooting Stars |
| 2016 | World Cup Shooting Stars | Maryland Twisters F5 |
| 2017 | Stingray All Stars Orange | World Cup Shooting Stars |
What happened after 2017? Well…
When the Large Senior curse was finally broken
The Large Senior curse was officially broken in 2018! Cheer Athletics Panthers achieved the incredible feat of winning both the NCA Nationals and Cheerleading Worlds titles in the same season. As soon as they hit their Day 2 routine with no deductions, confidence surged among cheer fans, convinced that they would finally break the curse. The crowd even started chanting “break the curse” at awards as they announced second place:
It was a moment that will forever be etched in cheerleading history!
Just when everyone thought it was over…
Enter the new Majors Curse
Just when we thought we were free from the grips of curses, a new one made its presence known: the Majors curse. This new curse, also haunting the Large Senior division, suggests a connection between The Majors competition and Cheerleading Worlds. The Majors curse means that if a Large Senior team wins The Majors, they will end up in second place at Worlds that very same year.
Here’s the “evidence” of the Majors curse:
- The Majors 2016 – Winner: Stingrays Orange
- Worlds 2016 – 2nd place: Stingrays Orange
- The Majors 2017 – Winner: Cheer Athletics Panthers
- Worlds 2017 – 2nd place: Cheer Athletics Panthers
- The Majors 2018 – Winner: World Cup Shooting Stars
- Worlds 2018 – 2nd place: World Cup Shooting Stars
- The Majors 2019 – Winner: Cheer Extreme Senior Elite
- Worlds 2019 – 2nd place: Cheer Extreme Senior Elite
- The Majors 2021 – Winner: Cheer Extreme Senior Elite
- Worlds 2021 – 2nd place: Cheer Extreme Senior Elite
- The Majors 2022 – Winner: Cheer Athletics Panthers
- Worlds 2022 – 2nd place: ??
(That is if you ignore the fact that World Cup Shooting Stars actually won both The Majors and Cheerleading Worlds in 2015)
Has the Majors curse been broken yet? (2023 update)
Well, it all comes down to how we define breaking the curse. If breaking the curse means a team winning The Majors and not ending up in second place at Worlds, then it was broken in 2022 when Cheer Athletics Panthers got fourth place at Worlds after winning Majors that same year.
However, if breaking the curse means a team winning both The Majors and Worlds, then it was broken in 2023 when Cheer Extreme Senior Elite took home first place in both competitions!
So, does this mean that both curses have finally said farewell? Or are they just taking a break, ready to strike back in another division soon? Ah, the mysteries of the cheer gods…
Speaking of Large Senior teams, take our quiz to find out which team you belong on:
1 comment
senior elite just broke the curse