Thursday and Friday evenings, the Timberline football players are on the field. The cheerleaders are on the sidelines. A group of girls in beautiful glittery outfits, the colorful and energetic leaders of the atmosphere on the field. They cheer for the football players with their powerful voices and dances that they all perform at the same time, but the girls with the bows are not just cheerleaders.
They are dedicated athletes who work hard to inspire the audience and support the team. They practice countless hours to develop perfect routines, maintain synchronization, and are always ready for the big show. Behind the jumps, dance moves, and stunts lies a great deal of perseverance and discipline.
I am Lola Fledderus, an exchange student from the Netherlands. I am grateful to have been accepted into Timberline High School and also into the cheerleading team! Cheerleading is not a popular sport in my country, so I thought it would be fun to do it here! In the Netherlands, I did competitive gymnastics, so everything was always individual. I always thought that team sports weren’t for me and that only I could get the best out of myself, until I joined the cheerleaders.
What I have noticed about the Timberline cheerleaders is their perseverance, discipline, and, above all, the help and positivity they show each other as a team. From the beginning, the girls welcomed me into their team. I had never done cheer before, so everything was new to me. The girls explained everything to me, how to do it, and answered all my questions with patience and love. What struck me was that when learning new stunts, jumps, or anything else, they encourage each other so much. With a team that supports you, you can go a long way. That’s something I really appreciate about the girls.
I talked with Maddie Whitehead (Sr.) and Teagan Goicoehea (Jr.), the head varsity cheerleaders, about team spirit, mental strength, and important traits a cheerleader must have.
“That means showing up to every practice, game, or comp with a positive attitude to uplift your teammates around you. Any time we have been conditioning this year, we remind ourselves how much we want to go to nationals this year in California to compete. Even though we may be worn out or tired, we think about that long-term goal we’re reaching for, and it helps us to persevere.” “Mental health plays a big role in cheerleading,” were also Goiccohea’s words. “In the sense of how much cheer alone takes out of your schedule, and all of the technical skills you have to have for it, can really wear you out. Having a strong mindset throughout the season can really help you build skills throughout the year. Being determined is an important trait a cheerleader must have. The cheer season is a year-long, and there are many expectations to live up to during that time. Showing up and giving it your all each practice, game, or comp will really help you get where you want to be in the end.”
I also talked with Maddie Whitehead: “Everyone working together to make something work well and look good is team spirit,” said Whitehead. There was a time when stunts were not hitting, and they talked as a team about it. They came back next practice and hit everything so well. That conversation about them working together helped them persevere. “You have to believe in yourself and your team for things to work; if you doubt yourself or your team, you don’t have a fun time, and things don’t work. A cheerleader needs to be strong, a school leader needs to be strong to be an example for others, and not let the things people say get to them,” said Whitehead.
So a cheerleader is not just a girl in a glittery outfit dancing with pom-poms. A determined and hard-working girl with team spirit is what a real cheerleader is.
