At CMR, there are great sports teams that all work hard to excel at their given sport. However, there is one team that works tirelessly not to bring home rugs to decorate our fieldhouse, but rather to inspire crowds and athletes to do their best.
The CMR cheer is a team made up of 23 members, but most cheerleaders will say it’s more than that.
“[It’s] like you gain a second family on the first day of practice,” senior and head captain Kota Adams said. “Somebody always has your back.”
Not only is cheer a family and favorite pastime for the cheerleaders, but it’s also one of the best ways to stay fit. Sophomore Leeanna Schearer, a varsity captain, says that there’s been a huge change to the athleticism in the program just in the last few years.
“The [biggest] change happened not since I was here, but I know that in years past it’s been incredibly different,” Schearer said. She said many people don’t take the cheerleaders seriously at first, but that opinions change when they see how hard the girls work.
Adams agreed, adding that cheerleaders do full-body workouts at each of their nearly three-hour practices that occur at least three times a week. These workouts become progressively demanding throughout the year. Adams also mentioned that cheer has changed extremely throughout her four years of participation.
“More safety precautions [were taken] because the girls have become stronger and are able to do higher level things since previous years,” Adams said.
Schearer agreed.
“The thing is that a lot of teams underestimate us, but then they see our practices and they think, ‘Oh, just kidding. Cheerleaders really do [difficult] things and they work hard,’” Schearer said. She said that because of this, cheer has begun to earn a better reputation and more credit for what they do.
Adams says no one minds the workouts, though, because it keeps the girls fit and healthy.
“It’s an awesome way to stay in shape from doing something you love,” Adams said.