Cheerleading is way more than just smiling and bows and energy. All around the world cheerleading has become a well-known sport, cheerleading takes a lot of strength mastering stunts and tumbling. Cheerleaders push their physical limits with difficult choreography, all while maintaining school spirit and showing support for their teams. In this article, you will learn more behind the scenes about cheerleading and the struggles along with the benefits.
Cheerleading coaches are the ones who make it all possible. For Osbourn High School the cheer coaches are Coach Cough and Coach Henry. This role plays a crucial role in the success of their teams, not only through training and guidance but also through mentorship and leadership. “Let’s just say I love a good spreadsheet when it comes to keeping things in order”, said Coach Cough the Cheerleading Coach for Osbourn High School when asked how she keeps track of the team and events. Most Coaches have experience cheering and have been cheerleaders themselves. Coach Cough said, “ I was a cheerleader for my college and that really made me want to coach and get girls and boys to love cheer too.” Throughout the years you learn a lot from cheerleading not just if you’re part of the team but also if you’re the one running the team, like what time of the season’s practice changes and details like that, “We get to practice inside for winter so that’s a good thing but we have six days of practice for fall so it’s more tiring,” said Coach Henry.
Spending time with your team as a coach is important, getting to hear what your team thinks about you and hearing criticisms can be good. “I think the coaches are doing a good job coaching us. They know how to keep the team in order and always help us improve our skills,” said varsity senior Ava Grant. A lot of teammates are shy and won’t speak up. When asked what are some things that the coaches can do to help you better your skills, varsity senior Kayla Payne said, “I feel like we’re seniors, we’re used to doing things on our own, so there really isn’t anything I could say.”
Varsity cheer is a harder and more competitive cheer team than JV, and they cheer for varsity sports. I asked the cheerleaders what they personally think it takes to be on the Osbourn High School varsity cheer team, and freshman Paige said, “A lot of energy and always smiling.” Another freshman, Sarah Valentina said, “I think it takes a lot of commitment and spirit to be able to make varsity cheer!” Sophomore Graidys Rivera thinks it takes a lot of responsibility and time, and you have to show effort that you want to be on the team to be on varsity cheer for Osbourn. Junior Sofia Martinez said, “To be on varsity cheer, I think it mostly takes stepping out of your comfort zone because that’s the only way you’ll grow and gain versatility.”
Most of the girls on varsity have been cheering for years in school and out and I asked them how long they have been cheering for and why they have made the choice of continuing cheer. Paige Pack has been cheering for three years but her first time cheering at OHS and she has continued to cheer because it’s a really good cheer team and the people that are on the team are amazing! Sophomore Graidys has been cheering for one year for Osbourn and has continued to cheer because passion made her continue cheering for OHS it has shown her that there is so much more to high school and friends. Sofia has been cheering for 2 years, 4 seasons total and she said she has continued to cheer because after her first season, she fell in love with the sport, wanted to improve, and gained so many friendships because of it.
At OHS there are two seasons for cheer which is fall and winter fall is for football games and competitions and then winter is for girls and boys basketball. I asked the varsity cheerleaders if they liked fall or winter and if they had any goals for cheerleading. Most of varsity has done both this year freshman Sarah Peele likes winter cheer and wants to get better at basing and backbasing for harder stunts. Graidy says she prefers the fall season because she also does competitive cheering which makes it challenging and she loves challenging herself. Sofia likes winter cheer and has improved her skills through the season by working hard during practice, asking for feedback from the coaches and teammates, and focusing on anything she needs to improve.
JV cheerleading in the fall and winter seasons can bring difficult challenges for people who have never done cheerleading before.”I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. Once I joined I learned it can be a fun experience if you are a team player and don’t take criticism to heart (this goes for all sports to be honest),” said Adia Sesay, a first year cheerleader. There are people who have had one of the best first-year cheerleading experiences, while others not so much. These positive or negative first-year experiences may determine if the student would like to still continue to have a spot on the team. If it’s negative some students might not want to return to the sport, but if it is positive this might encourage the person to continue doing the sport in their free time.“My first year of Osbourn cheer was freshman year and it was the winter season. My first year was really fun. I enjoyed cheering with my teammates and bonding at the parade and practices,” said 3-year cheerleader Leslie Hernandez-Hidalgo.
Like cheerleaders who have done cheer for their schools, there are also cheerleaders who have had prior experience with cheer/dance and who have never done school cheer. We asked new cheerleaders to school cheer if they have had prior experience with cheer. “Yes, I did competitive cheer when I was really young,” said Christina. Cheerleader Adia says “I have never cheered before, however, I did dance for some time.”
During the fall, JV cheer focuses heavily on football games which is very different compared to cheering in the winter. During the fall time cheerleaders cheer outside on the football field. This is good because at the beginning of the fall season, it is actually summer which may be very hot for the cheerleaders. Of course, like every good thing, there is a con. Since it is only hot for one month during the fall season, the rest of the season gets colder as the months go by. This may cause the cheerleaders to get sick and miss 1-2 games. Although the cheerleaders know that they have a job which is to cheer on the team when they need just a little motivation, they pull through and leave their personal stuff aside. “Maintaining a positive mindset is very hard sometimes because thoughts like; ‘I’m not good enough’ and things like that get in the way a lot, but I just try and use my setbacks as motivation to do better,” said Simone Ward who has cheered for three years now.
In conclusion, cheerleading is an incredible sport, whether you’re on the JV team or on the Varsity team. Cheerleading combines the perfect mix of stunts, dance, and spirit, making it a diverse and exciting activity that requires dedication and hard work. It doesn’t matter what season you’re on, cheerleaders work tirelessly to cheer up their teams by giving them the support they need when losing or winning, making them an essential part of school spirit. Joining cheerleading not only builds physical strength but also grows leadership and confidence. It’s a sport that brings people together, making it an amazing experience for anyone looking to challenge themselves and be part of something bigger.
Have you ever thought of cheering? If you have, why? and if you don’t, why not?
