We all have witnessed that amazing moment at football games when the girl is soaring in the air, and the other girls catch her in their arms after a toss. These days there’s no one to catch the Albert Lea High School Cheerleaders.
It’s old news for the Albert Lea High School students: the cheerleading Team got cut last year. Most students haven’t noticed the difference or even care that they’re gone.
Sure, there are things that somewhat take the place of the cheerleaders. We have the robot launching T-shirts at the crowd. The blue and red painted students in the front row cheering on the football players. The dance team performing during half-time at the Homecoming game.
But the robot doesn’t wear a short skirt and do high kicks. The super-fans don’t have catchy cheers. The dance team doesn’t go to every football game.
Former Cheerleaders still care.
“Without cheerleading it’s just not the same,” said junior and ex-cheerleader Jordan Bang said.
Many cheerleaders were extremely disappointed when they heard the news. The especially devastating part was the team had just gotten brand new uniforms. They were worn only a few times before the final decision was made.
Former coach Brandy Hensche who had worked with the cheerleading Team for six years was frustrated when she got the news. While looking through old photos of the team on her computer, she had a reminiscent look in her eyes.
There are high hopes the team will come back though.
“I’m trying to get it back for my senior year, for sure,” Bang said.
The sport does have potential for a comeback. Students might hear the cheerleaders cheering at football games next year and see their hardly worn uniforms in the halls on game day. If there’s enough interest from dedicated students the team could easily reinvent itself. ALHS is full of school spirit, but it still feels like something is missing without the cheerleaders.