On Sept. 15, Cardozo has its first annual cheer interest meeting for any students interested in trying out for the team. At Cardozo, cheerleading is one of the many sports teams that students can join. The team, led by Coach Sky and Coach Brown, has been a staple of the community for decades. However, cheerleading is far more than just a sport or team to help students engage in physical activity.
Those who attended the interest meeting found out that cheerleading has high standards and expectations. With Cardozo being a school that strives for academic excellence to prepare students for a successful future, being on the cheer team helps students stay on track. Students have to maintain high grades, as well as stay out of trouble, to be on the team.
Those who are on the cheerleading team also hold a big responsibility of helping spread school spirit, especially at games. Cheerleaders have the job of making sure the crowd is excited at games and hype them up when watching games, inspiring them to root for our players and our school. Although cheer has its main factors of physical fitness, leadership skills, and team building, it also becomes the responsibility of student athletes that represent the school itself. Those on the team are easily identifiable due to the uniforms they wear on game days, so it’s easy to spot when they are not doing the right thing. Both coaches hold those on the team to a high standard.
Cheerleading as a sport is more than meets the eye, as it is more serious in physical strain than it appears. Cheer is one of the more hands-on sports, as it requires more physical contact with teammates. As well, it takes a physical toll on the human body. Players need to be flexible and also give it their all at games and at practices, which means they need to take care of their bodies and their health.
Cheer involves the lifting and carrying of other teammates, which can be incredibly difficult and requires a level of trust and team bonding that most other sports don’t require. Cheerleaders are trained to catch bodies, which makes them have to work even harder to keep their physical physique in shape. The element of also having to entertain and keep crowds excited even when a game is not going well shows that cheerleaders need to be happy and outgoing and bubbly. Cheer has a lot of factors that many don’t notice nor consider.
The discipline and time management required to be a student athlete is also something that cheerleaders need to consider. While cheer is often not taken seriously, as people see it as just girls in uniforms, that is not the case as here at Cardozo. Student athletes strive for success and go above and beyond when it comes to academic excellence and practicing for their sport.
Cheerleading distinguishes itself from many other sports through its blend of athleticism and spirit. Unlike other sports that focus on competition against opponents, cheerleading combines athletic elements and expression. It teaches teamwork and synchronization, creating an engaging environment. Each member of the teams’ contribution is vital to their overall performance.
Being on cheer also helps to inspire spirit and pride in Cardozo overall, for both those on the team and those not on the team. Being a cheerleader is much more than just wearing a uniform and holding pom-poms, it comes with responsibility and pressure that not many are up for.
