Homecoming as a Cheerleader
Cheerleaders perform during the Homecoming pep rally. (Eagle Talon Archive)
An inside look at Homecoming Friday with the cheer team.
Tense.
That's the best way to describe standing in front of the school about to perform. It's the homecoming pep rally and students have been waiting months for the festivities to start. As a cheerleader, the job is to get the crowd excited and put on a performance.
Preparing for homecoming Friday starts with deciding on a routine weeks in advance and learning the material. Then practicing jumps, stunts, cheers, and motions to be clean and sharp. Then once placed in the formation they begin to run the routine as many times as possible to get out all the knicks.
On Friday, uniform tops are worn to school with bows to get excited. We are released from class at 12:30 p.m. to change into our full uniform and practice stunts before the pep rally.
At 1:45 p.m. the team greets students entering the gym for a pep rally and dance while the band is performing to get the crowd excited. Soon it’s time to start the routine. After hard work for weeks, staying sharp, clean, with bright faces, we raise the crowd's spirits.
Cheerleaders perform during the Homecoming pep rally. (Eagle Talon Archive)
As the pep rally ends, we celebrate as one of the hardest parts of the year is over and everyone is excited for the upcoming football game. The coach grabs us the pre-game meal and, while waiting, we focus on trying to finish homework or take a power nap.
6:30 p.m. rolls around and the game has begun, cheerleaders are wearing pink bows and socks for breast cancer awareness month. Cheers and stunts start, and we run down to the endzone each time the team scores a touchdown. Halftime comes and we have a break with family and friends.
The homecoming game comes to an end with a 41-10 win. To end all the games, the cheerleaders huddle and pass out the spirit stick. This is a cheer tradition where a member of a squad with the most hard work during games and practices earns a stick to celebrate.
There are different opinions worldwide on cheerleading. "Unlike other high school athletics, cheerleading promotes a type of conformity, loss of a sense of self and a pretentiousness," according to an article for The O’Colly. This is a common stereotype about cheerleaders.
“I think one misconception people have about cheerleaders is that we all hate each other, when that's not even true even with other cheer teams,” senior varsity cheerleader R’riyah Phillips said. “We don't get a battle all the time. At the end of the day, cheer is cheer. And we just love each other.”
“One pro is the people you meet and the relationships you form," junior varsity captain Lailah-Shae Grimes said. Her favorite part is "the bond I have with all my other teammates.”