The University Academy cheer team has been busy cheerleading at this school year’s games and pep rallies. With some new cheers that have been introduced at football games, the cheerleaders have made the crowd more hyped and excited than ever.
The cheer team is coached by Manager of Upper School Operations Ms. Susie Jackson. Under her direction, the UA Gryphons have 15 cheerleaders, with six of them being seniors, three of them being juniors and six of them being sophomores.
Aaliyah Lee, a senior at UA, has been cheerleading since her freshman year.
“I wanted to become a cheerleader because I love performing in front of people and making them smile,” Lee said. “It is also a form of expression for me.”
One of Lee’s favorite things about being a cheerleader is getting the crowd involved during games. She also likes to help the underclassmen when it comes to learning new cheers.
Lee’s favorite cheer is “Rock It” because it shows the pride the cheer team has in the school and it gets the crowd hyped, she said.
While being a cheerleader is fun, there are also some difficult parts that come with it.
“One of the most stressful things about cheer is coming up with dances for halftime or pep rallies,” she said, “and when the game is intense and the cheerleaders have to continue to be positive even if the crowd and players aren’t.”
While Lee has been cheerleading for four years, Brooke Williams, a junior at UA, has only been cheering for one.
“I wanted to become a cheerleader to … better myself in dancing, participate in sports that were enjoyable and improve my friendships,” Williams said.
While one of Lee’s favorite things about cheerleading is getting the crowd involved, Williams’ favorite thing about cheerleading is the environment. She said at first she was nervous, but being in the presence of her fellow cheerleaders makes her feel less nervous because everyone is so uplifting and positive.
With the positive and uplifting energy Williams gains, she has the confidence to do her favorite cheer, “Fired Up.”
“I like that cheer because it’s genuinely fun to do, especially with the ad libs and slow stomping.”
Being a junior and a cheerleader can be a lot of fun, but it also comes with a lot of responsibilities. From having to study or go to tutoring to learning new cheers, it can become stressful, Williams said.
The UA cheer team is working to keep fans hyped and having fun at football games, and soon the team will be cheering at basketball games, too. So come to the next game and experience the UA Gryphons cheer team.
