Whether it’s from the stands of a football stadium or the basketball student section, cheerleading often appears fun and effortless to most, as it is an easy assumption to make. However, behind the appealing uniform and high-energy performances is an activity that requires a different form of discipline and full commitment to a team—a sport that deserves far more recognition than it currently receives.
The Mead High Cheer team spends countless hours each week at practice, preparing for both games and competitions. Time at practice is spent working to improve tumbling skills or focusing on perfecting cheers and dances that are performed during games to energize the crowd and support the sports teams.
Beyond sideline performances, the cheer program also has two different competition teams, each with its own focus. Both teams perform routines that are two and a half minutes long, getting criticized by a panel of judges on a variety of components.
The first team is known as the Traditional Competition team, which consists of 15 athletes, and competes at a statewide level. These routines focus solely on tumbling and stunting, which involves three girls lifting and balancing their flyer in the air. These performances often consist of the team’s most distinctive and talented skills, requiring a unique form of strength and constant communication between athletes to execute the routine to the best of their ability.
The second team is called Gameday, which consists of 21 athletes, and focuses more on crowd engagement, sharp motions, and overall school spirit on a local level. Rather than showcasing the team’s most incredible and advanced skills, this team is judged based on their energy and how they lead the audience during performances.
Competition season runs from October through early December. During this period of time, each team practices about two-to-three times a week, running their full routines from start to finish countless amounts of times, making quick adjustments to polish the routines to perfection. Repeating these routines over and over again each practice is physically and mentally exhausting.
Maintaining focus and energy throughout each and every performance is extremely important, as a single mistake can bring down the entire team’s stamina and ruin the flow. If a stunt goes wrong, it is immediately noticeable to the audience and judges.
Athletes have to react and regain control quickly to continue performing, all while trying to stay in sync with other groups. How the team responds to these mistakes reflects the team as a whole.
Because of this, competitive cheerleading relies heavily on cooperation and trust. Successfully finishing a stunt sequence requires flawless timing and constant communication between the group, as everyone depends on each other.
Despite all of this effort, cheerleading is often considered a hobby rather than a sport. Many people are only able to see the surface level of the sport, but they fail to recognize the hours of training under the surface. This sport deserves recognition, not only for supporting the school, but also for all of the dedication and determination that it requires.
Students can help support this team by saying the crowd cheers at games and attending future competitions to show appreciation towards this incredible team. A way to gain a better understanding of what cheerleading is, is all about what goes on beyond the sidelines.
