We chant at all of your favorite sporting events, from when the sun beats on your skin in the stands to when snow covers the ground and students pack into the humid gym. We conduct the pep rallies, scrambling at the last minute to orchestrate a smooth experience for all 2,200 students. We take on all the responsibilities of being the heart and spirit of Stafford. While this may be all students see us cheerleaders for, I can assure you that this is just the surface of what it means to be a Stafford High School Cheerleader. While we smile and kick on the sidelines, seemingly standing around and looking the part, we have an entirely different world that the student body doesn’t get to see. An entirely different life away from the school’s view. Behind the scenes, we devote our high school years to something so much deeper than wearing bows and beads. 

Coming off of a VHSL Championship 2022 season, we have met that time of year, once again, to put our hard work and dedication on the state mat.

When I came into high school, I never would have imagined to be immersed into such an indescribable group of people and coaches who treat cheerleading as breathing air. A group of normal students who become relentless athletes that put their bodies through the unimaginable from August to that first week of November. 

This time last year, I was excited for states, sure; but I didn’t quite understand the tears streaming down the senior’s faces during their speeches to the team. I didn’t fully relate when the coaches said, “you may not get it now, but one day you will.” I just went through the motions. I got along with my teammates, but didn’t create bonds. Just a freshman on the team, going through every practice expressionless. This season is an entirely different beat in my chest. 

As any cheer season goes, we have faced obstacles. We have been met with adversity. From staying hours after practice ended, to redoing the entire routine, to the entire team being completely spent after the second round of regionals, hardly being able to walk off the mat due to sickness and injury. Not only has this season required everyone to give 110% physically, we had to adopt a brand-new mentality to get through it all. We told ourselves we need to “stay hungry”. Not hungry to beat others, but hungry to be above average. Hungry to push through anything put in front of us. The hunger heading into states needs to be more insatiable than ever, considering this year’s routine is significantly more physically demanding than past acts.

In this season more than ever, down time has become reviewing practice videos from the day before. Instead of spending hours on TikTok, we watch routines from past competitions, over, and over, and over, and over again, giving ourselves mental critiques and taking notes to the point of obsession. 

“Why would you guys sacrifice all of this time to hardly be considered a sport?” To be frank, we don’t do it for recognition. We don’t do it to prove anything to anyone. We don’t do it for trophies. I would say the biggest thing we crave is that feeling that it was all worth it in the end. That sense of accomplishment that all the tears and hours spent together were all part of a bigger picture. We are charging this Saturday (November 4th) with the hunger to leave all we have on that mat and truly believe all the preparation meant something.