"AND HERE WE GO!" - ACTION OPENS AT 2004 POP WARNER NATIONAL CHEER AND DANCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Plenty of smiles, loads of excitement , hairstyles to match the matchless enthusiasm…and energy, energy, energy! It's been all that and more on the opening morning of Pop Warner Cheer and Dance National Championship Competition - 2004 at Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, FL.

With a record number of squads - 350 plus!- competing for fun and national honors, with music from the '50s to today rolling through the rafters, and thousands of fans roaring for every twist, turn and stunt, this year's Cheer and Dance Competition promises to be some of the best ever.

What's it like to be part of all the action at "The Milk House" arena? Awesome! Just ask the Novato Killer Bees Jr. Pee Wee Cheer squad of Pop Warner's Pacific Northwest Region, one of the lucky squads at this year's competition.

Killer Bees Coach Joi Nahidi tells us, "All of this is brand new for my kids. They don't know really feel any pressure, because it is so new. They're just glad to be in Florida and having a blast doing what they love to do."

Coach Joi spoke for most Pop Warner Jr. Pee Wee coaches when she told us," This year has been a challenge for our girls, learning how to listen, how to practice safety in our routines, how to jump with our arms all going in the right direction. But, that's the fun of learning and doing with Pop Warner, and now here we are at Nationals!"

When we asked Coach Joi what she has like the best about Pop Warner Super Bowl week at Disney, she told us " We are one big happy family. This whole Pop Warner season, we loved it, it's just the best! When I saw that our squad could do it, I was like, 'Girls, just go for it, let's go all the way!' Just for them to be here, and enjoy the rest of their time here, is terrific."

Along with today's opening round competition, all the Jr. Pee Wee cheer squads are looking forward to meeting new friends, going to the annual MGM party on Friday night, and enjoy all the support that Pop Warner can give you. "We also stress 'education' to our girls. That's an important part of Pop Warner. Every morning we're down here, we're like doing the school work, doing the thing, making them really understand it is all interconnected. We all love Pop Warner because it is very structured you know what to do and when to do it."

Structure is good. Meeting new friends is great. And having fun while you do your best is fantastic! You'll find it all at Pop Warner Cheer and Dance National Championships- 2004. Come on out for the excitement at Disney's Wide World of Sports today through Friday.

Story by Erin Katherine Sykes