Having freshmen on the West Forsyth varsity cheer squad was virtually unheard of before 2015. Now a senior, Alaina Withers changed West Forsyth history by being one of the first freshmen ever to make varsity cheer.  

“I was shocked because I wasn’t expecting to make the team as a freshman since there hadn’t been a freshman on the team in recent previous years,” Withers said.

When this year’s cheer season started, varsity cheer coach Lori Harper accepted 20 girls, four of them being freshmen, to be on the West Forsyth varsity cheer team.

“This year is no different than last year with the number of younger girls on the team. Just like all other high school athletic activities on campus, the best athletes, no matter what year they are, make varsity and the next best make JV,” Harper said.

Coach Harper took over the West cheer program in 2016 and also works for Varsity brands. Harper has done many things to improve the program as a whole into something she and her team can be proud of.

“The very first thing I did year one was to get the team into uniforms that were the correct school colors. I redid the choreography to the traditional school fight song to include signs that say “Go Titans” and I added signs in general to most everything that we do. Tradition is very important to me. Tradition creates memories and school pride. So we make “spirit signs” and things for the locker rooms as often as we possibly can,” said Harper.

Additionally, Harper has continued to bring several freshmen on varsity cheer. This year, Harper has recruited four freshmen: Alexandra Parker, Ally Hodges, Mckenna Singer and Hallie Jo Shelton. The number of freshmen that have made varsity cheer has varied throughout the years, but Harper sees it as an opportunity for the kids to grow up in the program.

“I was excited to make the team as a freshman. It allows me to develop my skills over the next three years to become an even better cheerleader,” Shelton said.

Being a freshman on varsity comes with lots of responsibility, as well as a great deal of recognition. With opportunities to step up as a leader on the team and show their work ethic as an athlete, the cheerleaders are also able to show their coach their development and leadership skills.  

“It’s not really extra pressure, more like honor. It made me feel like I was good at what I did, but it’s harder to fit in because most people are older,” Parker said.  

For some of the freshmen, cheer has been a part of their daily lives since they were around the age of 3 or 4 years old. Hodges and Singer both participate in cheer at Cheer Extreme Allstars and are on Senior Elite, a level-five team. Parker participates in all star cheer at Carolina Spirit Athletics and is on Leopards, a junior level-three team, and Great Whites, a senior level-four team.

“It is a struggle to figure out and juggle the several practices a week, but it teaches me how to manage my time well,” Singer said.

Being on a varsity cheer squad requires lots of hard work and dedication to the sport, where you are expected to work at the highest standard. Varsity is a completely different caliber then JV in the way that the foundation of cheerleading is somewhat already set and they are expected to go in and do their best to give all they have to the team. So for a lot of freshmen, being on a Varsity squad can be intimidating.  

“I was extremely surprised and happy when I made the team because it gave me an opportunity to challenge myself,” Shelton said.

With the end of season soon approaching, the team will lose six seniors, including Withers. The freshmen will be challenged to take on possible captain or other leadership positions.

“I hope that the freshmen have fun and enjoy their first year soaking it all in, because four years goes by faster than you think. Our freshmen are great assets to our team and I know they will continue to grow the program here at West,” Withers said.

As this season will soon come to an end, there are many things that Withers and Harper wish for their current freshmen as they continue to grow up in the program.

“Being a freshman on varsity has taught me a lot and allowed me to mature quicker, which was essential in high school. I miss my ‘big sisters’ so much and I hope that my younger ‘sisters’ will feel the same about me after this season,” Withers said.