Cheerleading isn’t all bows, pom-poms and pep rallies. It takes a ridiculous amount of strength, stamina, and flexibility to perform the stunts they do every day. Unfortunately, the vast majority of students brush cheerleading off as superficial, and don’t consider it a sport. Cheer is one of the hardest sports at Wakefield, considering that it has the longest season, which lasts from mid-summer through the winter sports season.

The Varsity Cheer team has been practicing almost every day since the summer, perfecting their routines and cheers. These complicated moves do not come to all of them naturally. It takes a lot of work and dedication.  Not just anyone can do cheer. “A common misconception is that anybody can do anything in cheer, which is totally wrong, because you have to develop the skills.  Nothing ever comes to you just like that.  It’s not easy; it’s something you have to progress at,” says junior Victoria Matuli. Some of the girls on the team have been cheering for over six years.

Cheer comes with a lot of risks, just like any other sport. Especially considering that cheerleaders are being thrown up into the air, it increases the level of difficulty and danger. “People really do get hurt.  Lots of people think that when flyers fall no one gets hurt, but they do. You have to be careful.  Their feet are flying towards your face and you just have to pray you don’t get a concussion” says sophomore Camille Lewis.

One of the most unique things about the Varsity Cheer team is the bond that they have established with each other. Spending so much time together has obviously brought them so much closer. Junior Alyssa Scott said, “My favorite part about cheer is the girls that come with it.  The girls eventually become your family, and you can’t help but love every one of them to death.”

In addition to cheering at games and pep rallies, the Varsity Cheer team performs their most intricate routines and stunts at competitions. This year they will be attending the District Competition on Tuesday, October 10 and Monday, October 16 at Wakefield.  Both last year and the year before the team made it to Regionals, so hopefully this streak will be continued this season.

Come support your cheerleaders on Tuesday, October 10 at the District Competition here in our big gym! These girls always cheer Wakefield on, and now it is Wakefield’s turn to cheer for them.