1, 3, 5, 7…the continuous numbers that are heard when walking into a high school gym. The adrenaline rush of hearing “HIT” “HIT” “HIT” from the other cheerleaders watching as you perform a routine that you wish was done sooner. All of the nerves clashed with the heavy breathing. The feeling of trust throughout the team as people are being thrown into the air.
Cheerleading is one of the most underestimated sports there is. Cheerleaders work for countless hours in the gym to just perform a 3-minute routine for a handful of judges. All of the stunts and tumbling that “look easy” actually take a toll on every single cheerleader’s body. Yet, cheer is still not considered a sport in many people’s eyes.
Lakes senior, Ava Bullock, and her junior teammate, Kendall Anderson, give their honest insight about the daily grind for a high school cheerleader.
“It’s exhausting and it’s a really big time commitment and with balancing school, it is hard,” Anderson said.
Bullock agrees with Anderson’s thoughts.
“It’s a lot of work and it’s a lot of pressure on you to do good all of the time,” Bullock said.
In cheerleading, there are many different aspects that create a routine. Each routine has a variety of stunts, tumbling, chanting, and jumps. Stunts are the hardest and most dangerous part of every routine. A stunt is a grouping of 4-5 cheerleaders that consists of a main base, side base, flyer, back spot, and, depending on the difficulty of the stunt, a front spot. The bases and back spot create a formation that suspends their flyer into the air. The front is an insurance policy if things don’t go as planned and the flyer needs help to avoid hitting the ground.
Bullock plays the role of being a backspot and main base for Lakes cheerleading. “Main bases really have to make sure the foot is level and [the flyer] is not too much on [her] toe or heel, and you have to squeeze [to give] your flyer a platform,” Bullock said. Anderson, being a side base, also plays a primary role in keeping the flyer in the air. “[I have to make sure I am] stepping in and getting under the stunt,” Anderson said.
Bases are the core to keeping a stunt together. Both have to use specific grips to give their flyer a sturdy platform. “[side bases] grab the middle of the [flyers] foot and the main base grabs the toe and the heel,” Anderson said.
After weeks of practicing these physically and mentally demanding activities for countless hours, “it takes a toll on everyone’s mental health, if one thing goes wrong then everyone gets upset,” Bullock said. Anderson also agrees that cheerleading is a, “very physically and mentally demanding sport”. Many people underestimate the harsh reality of being a cheerleader. “[People] think [cheerleading] is a joke and we just get to prance around in our little uniforms, but it’s actually a lot of physical activity and mental work. You have to mentally believe in yourself and your teammates but you have to physically do all of the work,” Bullock said.
Although cheerleading can be difficult, Anderson believes that cheer is made up of “teamwork, accountability, and hard [work]”. “My favorite [part of being a cheerleader] is the team dynamic,” Anderson said. Lakes cheer has competed in two competitions so far in the 2023-2024 competition season, with a best finish so far of 2nd place. Lakes hosted their home competition on January 6th at 9 am. Their regular season runs until January 21st, after which they will compete for a regional title.
