Though the football game is why they came, many of the Shenendehowa Plainsmen fans stay for the Junior Varsity (JV) cheerleaders despite the bitter cold. Fans wonder how the girls can stand the weather in their small green and white uniforms. When the group in front of the stands starts their routine, filled with gymnastics and difficult choreography, the audience forgets about the cold as they are being mesmerized by the girls being hurled into the air in front of them. These kinds of routines performed at school games won the Shen JV cheerleaders first place, and a rather large trophy, at the Ultimate Cheer Fest at Hudson Valley Community College held on January 27th. Both the JV and Varsity teams won top honors their respected divisions.
Being a cheerleader requires physical strength and endurance, just like any other athlete. The season lasts from the second week in August to the second week in March. The try-outs for the squad prove that the few girls picked will be able to handle the workload. "(It's a) long and grueling process," JV Coach Jessica Abrams said. "The first set of try-outs is for the football season. We condition the girls for two weeks, meaning you have to run a 10 minute mile, 40 pushups in 40 seconds, and 40 explosion sit-ups in 60 seconds."
This doesn't include the several other football and basketball games that the cheerleaders perform in throughout the year. In addition, the squad spends time preparing for competitions. The team tries to travel to as many competitions as possible, mostly getting through to local competitions, including Suburban Council. "My favorite part of cheerleading is actually competition season" says Shen cheerleader Kayla St. Clair, "because the whole team has worked together to be something amazing.
When we get to competition and kick butt, we feel awesome!" In the past few years, Shen's cheerleaders have become stars in the athletic department, even though cheerleading is not considered a sport at the school. "It is most definitely a sport because we practice really hard" argues St. Clair. "It's not easy holding a girl above your head doing crazy things for over a minute. It just takes a lot of hard work and (a lot of) time to become a cheerleader and it's not what most people think it is." Abrams says that the cheerleading club advisors go through the same paces as other coaches throughout the school, helping balance the club vs. sports status with the cheerleaders. "We are overseen by the athletic department. We carry the same safety certifications as other coaches, like CPR and first aid.
We go to the same coach seminars and we meet with the athletic director (Matthew Jones) to go over the upcoming season," she said. Though the training is grueling and long, with only one day off per week, the connection between the coach and her team runs deep. "I've watched them grow. To see the tremendous amount of growth, it's incredible. It's like watching your kids grow up. So much change happens, and to see their progress as people. It's really the only reason why I do this," she said.
