Cheering Coach Overcomes Setback to Mentor Champions

"We got that ball now go! We got that ball now fight! We got that ball now win! Go, fight, win!" The cheerleaders of Nutley High School and The Nutley Department Parks and Recreation flock out on the field and chant their iconic cheers as the sweaty football players pant to score. Some may say cheerleading is not considered a sport, but one woman begs to differ. Jaime Ardizzone;,devoted mother and cheer coach for the rec program in Nutley. 

Cheerleading has been a part of Jaime’s whole life since first grade when she started cheerleading for Lyndhurst all the way through grade and high school. Once she graduated from Lyndhurst she instantly started coaching third and fourth grade until she got pregnant with her first born and senior in high school, Ava Ardizzone. She moved to Nutley with the intention of coaching again once she was in third grade. “Outside of being a mom, there’s no better feeling than being on the sideline or cheer mat. It’s crazy stressful, but so rewarding when I see the girls set their goals, reach them and push far beyond them!” she said. Not only does Jaime coach for Nutley Recreation, but she also works in the purchasing department of revenue and finance in Town Hall. She has been loyal to her job for nine years and on the side besides coaching cheer she is a volunteer track and soccer coach for her second born and freshman in high school, Rocco Ardizzone. 

Absolutely nothing can take away Jaime’s pep in her step and she relays that into her cheerleaders. She says the best thing about being a coach to them is “watching the girls grow not only as a team, but as individuals.” She volunteers as the director of the entire Recreation Cheer program which consists of 250 cheerleaders ranging from grades 3-8. That keeps her busy for the months of July-November. Once November hits, she coaches the competitive cheer team, which is an elite team of amazing athletes ranging from grades from 5-8. Jaime started coaching the competition team four years ago. In the past four years they have entered 17 competitions, and won first place at 16 of those competitions. During one of their 17 competitions, the team walked away with the title of Grand Champion, which is the highest scoring team in the entire division. “That was quite an honor!  This year we are hoping to add more first place banners and trophies to our trophy case!” she said. 

It takes an army to take away Jaime’s sparkle; however, her pep took a turn about four years ago during a routine eye exam. “Being I had my kids in tow, my ophthalmologist was very careful and delicate in the way she handled her abnormal findings on my exam” she said. The doctor handed her a note with a lonely phone number, no address, no name, just the number. “The next morning, I found myself at the NY Eye Cancer Center in NYC, all alone, in the middle of a pandemic, being prepped for a tumor resection,” she said. That was the day Jaime found out she had a rare form of cancer called uveal melanoma, a cancer so rare that only five people out of a million are diagnosed with each year. “I was devastated when I found out.  No one ever expects to hear that they have cancer.  But I knew in order to beat this, I had to stay strong and fight hard,” she said. 

Six surgeries and countless radiation/chemo sessions later, Jaime never missed a practice or a game despite her health. Nevertheless, she still had her obstacles with feeling fatigued and a little less lively, but it never stopped her for being there on the sidelines for her girls even if she wasn’t coaching.  “Don’t give up. Even when things feel dark and hopeless. Stand up, dust yourself off, remember who you are and who you're fighting for. I fight every single day for Ava and Rocco. And I will NEVER stop fighting!” she said. In recent days, Jaime is still coaching for the rec and comp team like nothing ever happened and is still continuing to fight.