The cheer team has been around EMS for a long time. During cheer, the athletes tumble, stunt, and dance. They perform halftime routines and cheer the basketball players on from the sidelines. I interviewed a few athletes on the cheer team—here’s what they said!
Questions:
-
What’s your favorite thing about cheerleading?
-
Is there anything you wish you could change about cheer and why?
-
What’s your opinion on the new uniforms?
-
What’s your biggest goal you want to complete this year?
-
Do you think cheer is a sport? Why or why not?
-
What’s your favorite stunt?
-
What’s the highest tumbling you have?
-
Why did you decide to try out for cheerleading?
-
What is the most challenging thing you’ve had to overcome?
-
What’s your biggest strength?
Athletes:
Ayla Payne
-
My favorite thing would be throwing girls up into the air.
-
I would want to be able to choose how much conditioning we do. I feel like we need more.
-
I like the uniforms, but they fit horribly.
-
I would love to be able to attempt a back handspring on a trampoline.
-
Yes, but only competition—sideline isn’t a sport.
-
I like doing switch-ups.
-
I have a back walkover.
-
I wanted to be like all the other cheerleaders.
-
Getting moved around from stunt group to stunt group.
-
Dancing is my biggest strength because I can remember things quickly and easily.
Leela Hinzman
-
My favorite thing about cheerleading is probably the stunts we get to do, because in the end it looks really pretty.
-
If I could change anything, I’d make practices 30 minutes shorter so I have more time at home.
-
I really like the new uniforms because in the light, the gems look purple.
-
My biggest goal is to get stronger so I can stunt more efficiently.
-
I do, because we have to strengthen our arms, legs, and abs to do a lot of this stuff. Not to mention how much we have to run and the skill it takes for tumbling.
-
My favorite stunt is probably inversions.
-
I just got my back walkover, but I’m working on my front handspring.
-
I tried out because I knew it would make me stronger.
-
The most challenging thing is keeping people in the air during pyramids for a long time, but it’s better now.
-
My biggest strength is probably my flexibility.
Analeigh Perera
-
The comps and all the games!
-
I wish we could do basket tosses—they look super cool.
-
I love them! They are super sparkly and adorable.
-
My goal is to advance in tumbling and jumps.
-
Yes and no. Sideline cheer, like for basketball, is not a sport, but competition is definitely a sport!
-
I love Bajas and Libs.
-
I can currently go into a backbend standing up, which is great because in 6th grade I couldn’t even do a cartwheel.
-
My mom cheered in school, and it looked like a lot of fun!
-
Probably my many, many, many injuries—from jammed fingers, sprained ankles, and even ripping my gums open!
-
I am very strong in stunting.
Lucy Wettstien
-
Making new friends.
-
Fewer cheers, because they’re hard to remember.
-
I love the new uniforms—they’re very pretty.
-
Flip over from my backbend.
-
Yes, because it’s hard work and you use a lot of muscle.
-
Inversions are my favorite because they’re fun.
-
A backbend.
-
I tried out because my sister really wanted me to.
-
For cheer: a backwards roll. Outside of cheer: fixing the electric fence because it can never be trusted.
-
For cheer: being strong. Outside of cheer: knowing how to ride a horse correctly.
Audrey Palomo
-
I love stunting and the bond with your teammates! I also like cheering at boys’ basketball games.
-
I don’t know right now.
-
I absolutely love the new uniforms!
-
I want to beat our score from state last year.
-
I think cheer is a sport because it does have physical activities, and you also have to memorize things—just like in softball or basketball.
-
My favorite stunt is inversions.
-
A cartwheel…
-
Originally I wasn’t going to try out, but all my friends were doing it, and I decided a few minutes before the informational meeting.
-
The hardest thing I’ve overcome is doing our comp pyramid from last year.
-
I think my biggest cheer strength is my herkey jump and my stunting abilities.
