Cheer has always been about celebrating school spirit; throwing girls in the air, loud cheers, glittery poms and bright smiles. However, these girls do a lot more than just cheer, it’s time to look at what cheerleaders really go through physically and mentally. Cheer captain Adison Letizinger ‘25 said, “There’s a lot of counting and repetitive movements that we try to memorize in all one practice.” You can’t see the countless counts and muscle memory when they dance, which really highlights their dedication. “Stunts are where it can get really tough,” Mia Ortega ‘28 said. In stunts, with limited girls, the cheerleaders’ athleticism really shows, “You have to keep up that cheer spirit while making sure a girl doesn’t fall.”
However, cheerleading isn’t just about being fit; it’s also about strong friendships and teamwork. Sabine Blaum ‘27 said, “I’ve met such amazing people here and you need a lot of trust when it comes to stunts.” The GHS Cheer Team only had nice things to say about each other, it’s clear that this is more than just a team. Maddie Ehler ‘28 said, “I kinda just automatically clicked with everyone, cheer introduced me to the best people I know.” Leadership also plays a big role in teamwork. Leitizinger ‘25 said, “It can be really stressful as captain sometimes, but I really enjoy it and I love this team.”
Alongside teamwork, there is also a large side of creativity that often goes unnoticed. Ortega said, “Every Thursday we make large paper banners with designs that we plan out beforehand, and it’s really fun, but it takes a lot of time.” These banners are what the football players run through with spirit, and it’s clear that the cheerleaders made it with spirit, too. The cheerleaders are also the ones who decorate at games as well as give out the free footballs. Ehrler said, “I love getting to be a part of the decorating, it can get tiring but it’s fun!”
Cheerleaders don’t just boost school spirit, but the community’s spirit as well. Coach Abby Ehler said, “We’ve done an amazing job at fundraising so far for new things like poms and uniforms, many wonderful people have decided to help us with our journey.” The cheerleading team has been able to receive new pom-poms, uniforms and shirts for breast cancer awareness month from all their fundraising and generous donations. “I’m really proud of these girls for how hard they worked for this, and I’m even more proud of our team as a whole,” said Coach Ehrler. The dedication and hard work from these girls really show; the next time you see a cheerleader, remember there’s a lot more going on than just pom-poms and cheers.
