Blood, Sweat, and Backflips: The Dedication of Cheerleaders

Sports

Dec 10

By: Marie Catterson

Some call it the most dangerous sport. Some say itś not even a sport at all. Cheer has always been at the center of attention for one reason or another. From doing stunts on football sidelines to bringing the energy at pep rallies, cheerleaders are always pouring their energy into getting the crowd hyped for whatever sport they need. Most viewers might think that's all they do.

But cheer is so much more than a few tricks and cheers at a pep rally. It’s months of intense training, perfecting intricate tricks that could go wrong in an instant. Every day, these girls risk their safety, being tossed into the air with the only safety net being their teammates. Countless hours are spent perfecting a competition routine complete with tumbling and gameday chants.

Sophomore Capri Beeler is caught after a complicated stunt of being flipped in the air while being held up by bases (not pictured).

It takes trust, courage, and resilience. Junior Jazzlyn Reil knows about trusting her teammates, and she knows about how wrong the sport could go. She was dropped during practice in September of last year and was concussed for three weeks. Reil says that while they work to limit injury, the intensity of the stunts increases the chance of getting hurt.

“In practice, we, like, kill our bodies and work really hard for hours every day,” said Reil. “We put our whole effort into everything. It’s a lot more than what everyone sees.”

Pain and injury are a part of the sport. Reil says it’s a sacrifice she’s willing to make for the thing that she loves, a mindset all of the girls share.

“We’re all here for the same reason. We have the same goals in mind…we’re really good at working through an injury because everyone on the team is so close,” said Reil.

Reil energizes the crowd while her teammates hold her steady, a symbol of trust and unity between the girls.

Their competition days are long and fierce. Three days long and taking up most of the day, Jenks Cheer competes regionally and nationally, and they consistently finish on top. They’re scored on stunts, energy, technicality, and voice.

On November 15, they competed in three categories and came out as Gameday State Runners-Up and the #1 All-Girl Cheer Gameday Team in the state, proof that diligence and hard work do pay off.

Junior Sophia Bolden and Sophomore Lyla Summerlin celebrate a Trojan Touchdown. "Everyone on is super close so it’s really easy to trust everyone," said Reil.

Regardless of what others may say, the Jenks Cheer squad blows through stereotypes with their athleticism, talent, strength, and love of the game. These girls who put in countless hours full of blood and sweat don’t get nearly the recognition their hard work warrants. So the next time you’re at a pep rally or basketball game, pay attention to the dangerous stunts and cheer along when you can to give Jenks Cheer the focus that it deserves.