By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Like the cowboy, the cheerleader has become an American icon. The young ladies - and young men - may not receive the same glory as the players on the gridiron or basketball court, but they serve an equally crucial function at sporting events. Senior Leah Mai, a member of this year's varsity cheer squad at Great Bend High School, enjoys hyping up a crowd before a big game.
"It's fun to see everybody get excited before the game and even between," she said. "During the whole game, you see the expression on everybody's face, even the players, just the excitement for everybody."
Another unsung hero at varsity sporting events are the marching and pep bands. Elle Anne Reed, another senior cheerleader at GBHS this year, knows how the cheerleaders and crowd can both feed off a good band performance.
"Games would not be the same without them," she said. "It would be very silent. Nothing would be as exciting without them there. Whenever we go out for timeouts, they were there and we shine through them."
Reed and Mai have been cheering since the seventh grade and both have been dancing much longer. During last Friday's basketball games against Hays High School, both replaced their cheer uniforms for a dance routine between the boys' and girls' games.
"I just love performing," said Reed, who also tumbles down the sideline during games. "No matter what it is: dance, cheer, singing, I love to perform."
Like all sports, cheer comes with its own set of risk. GBHS cheerleaders do not do any high-flying acrobatics but there is still a learning curve for pyramids and other stunts. Senior Briley Richter, who began cheering for the Argonne Competition Team when she was seven, said any mistakes on stunts must be addressed quickly.
"We're always trying to learn if it's the flyer that's doing it or the bases doing it," she said. "We're always trying to figure out where the issue is coming from so we can fix that."
Coach Sarah Burkhead said a lack of consistent personnel can make stunting even more difficult. Mai said it all comes down to trusting those teammates you do have.
"I'm personally not a flyer but seeing it from their standpoint, it's a big trust thing," she said. "You have to learn to trust the people below you and that your team will be there whenever you fall."
The Panthers have had plenty of success on the gridiron and hardwood this academic year. Regardless, Mai, Reed, and Richter all agree that cheering in front of the larger crowds at football games is more fun - even without the controlled climate inside the GBHS gymnasium. Richter said there are also safety benefits to being outdoors.
"There's more of a cushion on the track than there is on the basketball floor," she said. "I personally think if anything were to go wrong, it would be better to be on a track than a basketball court."
Cheerleaders are active throughout games but especially during full timeouts during basketball games. Some squads have preset routines to follow during games. Burkhead likes to keep options open.
"I always have a plan, then I kind of leave it up to the girls to talk and communicate about what they want to do, which cheer they want to do during a quarter," she said. "It's kind of both. We plan but I also give them some free range to be creative."
All three students also agreed on the perks of being a cheerleader, from the camaraderie, to the hype, to the way little kids look up to them and imitate what they do.
"I also like seeing the little kids we influence in the crowd," Richter said. "There are always little girls and boys who are so happy to see us."
Mai and Reed are joined by senior Addie Sheets and junior Heidi Jording as members of both the cheer and dance squads.
Other members of the cheer squad this year are: sophomores Khloe Trudeau, Makayla Suppes, and Brooklynn Mayberry, and freshmen Sydney Bailey and Delisha Karshan. Sophomores Aleah Petz and Beth Hammeke are cheerleaders for basketball season only.
Great Bend hosts Liberal this Friday with girls' action tipping off at 6 p.m.