Cheerleaders are known for being a big support system for the school. They keep the crowd involved at games and cheer on the athletes as they play. Kaitlyn Lewis, 12, is a Lewis-Palmer cheerleader who has been on the team all four years of high school and has led the team as a captain for two years.

Before high school, Kaitlyn did competitive gymnastics for 7 years with the Sundance Studio which got her interested in becoming a cheerleader. Cheer not only keeps her in shape but it always helps in other ways.

“It got too hard and the practice times were too intense and I just needed more of a life and I wanted to be more involved in my school. It has boosted my self-confidence a lot and I’m a lot more outgoing now,” Lewis said.

There is a big difference between high school cheer and college cheer. In high school, the cheerleaders not only go to games but they also go to competitions. In college, they are there to support. “It’ll be more fun and less stressful. It will be more about cheering for your school rather than competing,” Lewis said.

Combine cheer with school, jobs, and a social life and it seems like there’s barely any time for any of it. “Having morning practices helps a lot because I can do my homework after school instead of having to cram it all together. On the weekends, that’s when I really have a social life. It’s kind of hard to balance but I do it,” Lewis said.

Cheer can be a stressful sport, not just on your mind but also on your body. Common injuries include back problems, sprained ankles, black eyes, and stress on the knees. They try to not eat fast food or drink sugary drinks. Some people do extra workouts or even diet to keep their bodies happy.

“I’ve had scoliosis but my back just keeps getting worse and I have nerve damage in my ankles. I don’t diet for cheer or workout outside of cheer. I try to eat healthy but we workout pretty hard that I don’t need to workout outside of cheer,” Lewis said.

Just like any other sport, cheer has it’s good sides and bad sides. It doesn’t just mean going to competitions and supporting everyone during their games.

“The best part about cheer is how close we all are and how we’re like a family. It does get really tough and sometimes it’s really hard to push through but you just have to do it for your team,” Lewis said.
Lewis is a senior this year and therefore will be leaving the cheer team and Lewis-Palmer, to move on to continue in her life. Lewis plans to continue cheering in college at CSU.