The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
REVVING UP A CROWD
Cheerleaders provide sparks of energy for Friday night football
“I think it is very important that we keep the crowd going even if we are losing 50-0.”
Friday nights in the fall are known to bring about excitement for high schools as football players take to the fields in brightly lit stadiums in front of crowds there to cheer on their favorite teams.
In between the crowd and Editor’s note: Friday nights in the fall are a big deal for high schools as football players and coaches take the field under the bright lights. But the games are also an exciting time for others and this is one in a series profiling some of those student groups.
— North High School Cheerleader Maddi Bunnell
the players though is a group
of people who help keep up the energy and excitement for both the fans and the athletes.
High school cheerleaders whose goal is to provide cheer and encouragement for the players and keep the fans excited also look forward to Friday night.
North High School cheerleaders Maddi Bunnell, Alyssa Vara and Clara Pittock, all seniors, spend their entire week after school practicing and gearing up to take to the sidelines and inspire their team to a victory.
For Maddi, although this is her first year cheering, football has been a part of her life since she was a toddler. She grew up with a brother who played the game and now dates a football player.
“I just have always loved football and going in there and supporting the boys no matter whether they are winning or losing,” Maddi said. “its just a great time.”
Alyssa who has cheered since she was 4 years old, finds excitement in being there to support the student section and and getting the crowd cheering, but she feels her most important role is supporting the players and encouraging them to keep their energy up throughout the game.
For Clara, who also started cheering at age 4, the games bring about an excitement she has a hard time describing.
“It’s just a different feeling when you are down there on the field cheering on the boys rather than being in the student section,” Clara said. “We are the closest ones to the boys so they can definitely hear us when we are yelling and keeping them confidant.”
Maddi finds enjoyment keeping the crowd pumped up no matter how the game is going.
Alyssa feels that the energy they give out to the crowd comes back to them. While they are keeping the fans encouraged the fans keep them going and that in turn keeps the players going.
“It’s just the energy for me that makes it so special,” Clara said. “Feeling the crowd’s reaction to a touchdown or even just making the ten yards and seeing the student section going crazy and screaming, just to feel that energy, I have no words for it.”
All three cheerleaders feel that their roles are crucial in keeping both players and fans inspired and helps prevents and feelings of discouragement even when a game isn’t going in their team’s favor.
“I think it is very important that we keep the crowd going even if we are losing 50-0,” Maddi said.
The three girls are all in agreement that the most important attributes a cheerleader can have is a great personality and the ability to smile through anything.
According to Clara, the cheerleaders believe in keeping positive and leaving whatever problems they may have at home or outside of the game so they when they come in they are smiling, jumping and putting their best energy forward, because she believes the players feed off their energy.
“If you are not smiling and people are watching you it just brings the whole mood down,” Maddi said. “But if you are happy and jumping around and having a positive attitude no matter what the game situation is it makes the whole atmosphere better.”
The cheerleaders believe their roles extend beyond the games as they try to keep the whole school in a positive mindset during school functions and pep rallies.
The three girls believe it’s not just the team and fans that they have an impact on but the community as well.
“I feel that even outside of school you have to be positive and have a good attitude towards everything,” Alyssa said. “If you are out and you are wearing that uniform than you are representing North High School and you want to represent with positive energy all the time.”