21-time state champions. Constantly showing up for football, basketball, you name it. But waving pom poms and supporting sports teams on the sidelines is not the only job of the cheerleading team. Each year, a routine full of flips, lifts, and dancing is choreographed for the team to perform at the school pep rally, halftime of basketball games, and a few competitions a year, culminating at UCA Nationals in Orlando, Florida.

The Gibbons Cheerleading team not only won their 21st state championship this season, but received the honors of the highest scoring varsity team, to whom is awarded the Carolina Cup. In 2023 the program won this accolade for the first time since 2015, and the fourth time in Gibbons cheer history. They qualified for UCA nationals this season, receiving a bid at their first competition of the season, but unfortunately fell short of advancing to finals by one place. But, unless you’re a part of or close to the cheerleading program, you probably didn’t know that.

The average person constructs this idea in their head of the stereotypical cheerleader, usually participating in what is called sideline cheer (waving pom poms, dancing, etc.), but that is only half of the truly accurate picture. Tryout season officially starts for Gibbons cheerleaders in late April, and the season usually ends with participation in UCA Nationals in mid-February. So, as practically a year-round sport, cheerleading bleeds into both the fall and winter sports seasons. 

Before tryouts, there are clinics once a week offered to start in early March, up until tryout week. That makes a genuine break from cheer a grand total of two weeks. Two. Weeks. The pressure to practice and gain skills, as well as keep up over the off-season blurs the necessity of having a proper break. 

Not to mention the academic stress that plagues both the first and second semesters. Picture this: you arrive home from practice at six o’clock and lay down for what seems like two minutes. Suddenly you get up and realize it has been two hours, and you haven’t done any of your homework. Unless you utilize your flex period for work only, nights with practice entail straining your eyes at the computer into the wee hours of the school night. 

Cheerleaders are not even awarded the title of “student-athlete”, despite all the hard work they put in to balance school and 2-hour practices 3-4 times a week in both the fall and winter.

If not practice, most off-days rotate between either football or basketball games, and most 3-4 year varsity members will rarely experience the thrill of the student section. Being a part of the team is a tremendous sacrifice where you must be willing to give 100% in all areas every day, not just cheer, in order to succeed. Cheerleaders, just like any other athlete, must truly love what they do and be willing to sacrifice free time, weekends, and even summers to reach their full potential with their team. 

Their passion and dedication keep the spirit of Gibbons flowing throughout other athletic programs, and our school as a whole. And yet, often cast off to the side as an “activity”, cheerleading does not receive the respect it deserves for the contributions it makes to the accolades and essence of our athletics.