Pumping Up the Crowd

When people think of athletes, they usually think of football players, basketball players, and track stars.

People don’t normally think about cheerleaders and dancers as being athletes who compete in a sport, but they are just that. The squads perform and work hard year around.

Dancing and cheering requires physical and mental strength, memorizations skills, stamina, hard work, dedication, determination, and a positive attitude. Sounds like a sport that athletes play, doesn’t it?

“I love being a cheerleader. It give us all a sense of pride to have little girls look up to you, and want to be like you,” said Sara, soph.

Cheerleaders need strength every time they lift another in the air during a time out to pump the crowd up. They also need strength to be able to execute a variety of jumps and kicks, or to perform cheers, chants, and the fight song.

Being a dancer also requires a great deal of stamina and strength in order to endure some their long routines. They must be strong enough for the frequent leaps, kicks, and turns.

“My favorite routines were the novelties. They were fun and different,” said, Erica, soph.