The Cascade High School (CHS) cheer program has grown substantially in the past two years. The number of cheerleaders has doubled in the past four years and their involvement in community events and the school has increased as well.
Most people are familiar with “cheerleading [as],” according to Britannica, “[a] team activity in which elements of dance and acrobatics are combined with shouted slogans in order to entertain spectators at sporting events and to encourage louder more enthusiastic cheering.” At Cascade, cheer has primarily been featured during pep assemblies and on the sidelines of football and basketball games.
In recent years, Cascade cheer has grown to include much more: send-offs for teams headed to state, support for additional sporting events, volunteer work at community events, a cheer camp for aspiring Kodiak cheerleaders, the organization of a pep rally, support for Veteran’s Day, and visits to students at Peshastin-Dryden Elementary School.
In four years as a cheerleader, senior captain Sofia Oropeza has seen the transformation firsthand. “I feel like my freshman year of cheerleading there [were] only five of us, so it was kind of hard to be involved; my senior year Coach Jenny likes to push us more into going to volleyball games and cheer on other sports,” said Oropeza.
Captain Paola Ramirez (12), who has cheered for CHS for two years, has also noticed differences in the team. “I feel like we’re doing more community service events, and think the team is healthier because all the girls get along and there are not cliques within the team,” said Ramirez.
Captain Samantha Crossley (10), in her second year of CHS cheer, said, “Last year it felt like just a huge group of friends, but this year it feels more like family. Coach Jenny has helped us to get girls out of their comfort zone. She makes you do it even if you do not want to, it gets uncomfortable, but it helps you prep in life.”
This year, during the football season, the cheerleaders were able to go to the Peshastin-Dryden Elementary school and show the kids how to behave. They recorded a video of their mentoring which helped to establish them as role models for the younger kids.
The differences haven’t only been noticed by cheerleaders themselves. “I think we have more high-spirited cheerleaders than we have had in the past. Coach Crossley does an excellent job of having expectations, having the cheerleaders involved with different sports and activities this year than they have ever been,” said CSD Athletic Director Tim Barnes.
Natalie Montesinos (10) and Lily Renner-Singer (9) both mentioned that “the growth of the Cheerleading program was possible with the support of the community and with the support and help of our Coach Jenny. If there was a different coach, I do not think we would be where we are now as a team.”
The next step for the team will be to support the basketball season.
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