Oak Ridge High School Cheerleading

Division 1 champions at the SJS Holiday Invitational in 2019

Cheerleading Oak Ridge High School H I G H - F L Y I N G C H A M P I O N S by KK ROBERTS photography by KRISTEN ROEDER

Training begins with summer camps in June, ramping up to six days a week, two and a half hours a day. Perseverance and commitment are absolute musts. Workouts are intense and physically draining; they include mastering stunts, tumbling skills and complicated choreography. Competitive cheerleading is a sport of champions in many ways, and the Oak Ridge High School (ORHS) cheerleaders proved themselves more than worthy in the 2020 National Championships held in Orlando, Florida this past February.

After placing in the top three in their division three times in the six years they have been competing at the national level, the ORHS cheer team won  rst place in the UCA Super Varsity Division I. Says junior Kailey Timms, “Competing is the best feeling ever because it’s all of the hard work you put into the season wrapped up in less than three minutes.  ere is nothing like the rush of putting it all out there on the mat.  e championship is like the work of the past six seasons all paying o for one amazing moment that makes it all worth it.”

According to Head Coach James Blunk, who has managed the team since 2015, “We have the highest scoring di culty in our team’s routine. Skill levels evolve and change every year, and we push the envelope and practice skills no one else has.” Bearing this in mind, the ORHS cheer squad’s accomplishment is even more impressive.

Cheerleading came to America from Cu is a British former footballer and England in the late 1800s, consisting cheerleader who believes that, of the two, initially of Princeton University men cheer is the tougher sport. In writing shouting on the sidelines of football about cheerleading  nally getting provigames. Inevitably, the sport’s evolution has sional recognition by the International been one of gradual and de nitive change. Olympic Committee, Brinkhurst-Cu From the originally male-dominated roots emphasizes that it’s exceptionally di cult to the inclusion 40 years later of women, to “master the trifecta that cheerleading is the meteoric rise of competitive cheer essentially made up of [sic]: gymnastics, has created a sport that showcases team acrobatics and dance. Stunting—throwing spirit, athleticism, dedication and, above people high into the air, catching all, trust in your fellow teammates. Senior them, and holding them above your Tessa Roeder elaborates head, safely—is no on that, saying, “My fa“The experience of mean feat.” vorite part of this team competing at nationals is In this vein, is de nitely the family unmatched. It gives you Brinkhurst-Cu atmosphere. We are all so close and that is what makes our team special!” Recognized as an o cial sport in 1999, the best feeling walking off that fl oor knowing everything you worked for paid off. Actually notes, “In 2013, it was named the most dangerous sport in America for women. According to the report competitive cheer winning was the cherry it accounted for 66% is overseen by the on top of the cake and of catastrophic sports Universal Cheerleadstill doesn’t seem real.” injuries for girls, and ers Association (UCA), founded in 1974 by Je Webb. Webb, chairman —Lucy Bunce, Oak Ridge High School junior 37% of the cheerleaders they studied had symptoms of concussion that of the International hadn’t been reported.” Cheer Union, is also credited with changAs with any sport, injuries can occur, ing cheer from a school-based endeavor but safety is a crucial and integral part of to a competitive sport. Sideline cheer the training. According to USA Cheer, routines developed into challenging feats the national governing body for the sport of tumbling, tossing, stunting and even of cheer, “Safety is paramount to the “ ying.” Rule changes over the last decade protection of athletes and a vital part of have generated more daring routines. “We the mission of USA Cheer.” Coach safety have been able to add some things that certi cations are mandatory for entry into were allowed in colleges,” says Blunk. competitions, and regulations are strictly  e rigorous training and practice reenforced. quired to make the grade as a cheerleader Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, cannot be overstated. Charlie Brinkhurstsafety instruction has been modi ed to be

available online. According to usacheer. org, “With the recent COVID-19 health crisis and its e ect on gatherings and travel, cheer coaches and o cials have missed opportunities for rules and safety training at state and national conferences . . . USA Cheer will be o ering access to comprehensive rules training through its education platform.”

Training has also been suspended due to COVID-19. Blunk says, “Everything has been put on hold. We’re all trying to adjust to the new guidelines.”

Unfortunately, the medical crisis also impacted the squad’s chance to celebrate

their victory. “ ey couldn’t receive all the usual accolades, and they didn’t get a chance to celebrate together at a banquet with an awards ceremony,” Blunk notes. “We will have to special deliver the championship rings.”  e UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship is the most prestigious high school championship in the country, nationally televised on ESPN every year.  e  rst UCA Championship was held in 1980 with only 20 teams competing. Held this year in Orlando, Florida, the UCA competition hosted 950 teams. According to tv.varsity.com,

“ at’s 19,848 spirited athletes and 3,173 passionate coaches dreaming of white satin jackets!” In total, cheer squads from nine countries and 34 states competed this year. To clarify, the eponymous white jackets were introduced in the early 1980s to accompany gold medals, and they have been a coveted representation of cheerleading excellence ever since.  e ORHS squad is usually comprised of between 20 to 30 cheerleaders, and this year’s team had 28 members, with all high school grades from freshman to seniors represented. “[ e COVID-19 crisis] is really hard for the seniors who deserved to

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celebrate with their team before they head to college,” says Blunk.

Nonetheless, the victory was a sweet reward. “Winning was absolutely amazing. I’ve been cheering most of my life, so for all of the years of hard work to pay o being surrounded by my teammates was a once-in-a-lifetime privilege I will never forget,” says Roeder.

“Cheer is everything to me. It’s fun, challenging, exciting, and has shaped me into who I am. I love the sport and the people who are a part of it. I’ve done it my whole life, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.” —Ashlyn Keledjian, Oak Ridge High School senior

Blunk, a former Sacramento State cheerleader and the college’s current cheer coach, has been an instructor with UCA for 10 years. His passion for both cheerleading and his team is clear. “Training is physically and mentally challenging.  ere is not one person on the team who doesn’t want to be there,” he says. Eighty cheerleaders have already registered for summer camps, but ironically, as a team, they have had to adjust to being apart. Says freshman Miah Baro, “My favorite part about being on Oak Ridge’s team was just getting to work with all my teammates and being able to have gotten such mates and being able to have gotten such close relationships with many of them.”  is sentiment is echoed by sophomore Mia Ricci, who says, “My favorite part was “My favorite part was we were all there to do the same thing, and we had all the same goals.”

Blunk says, “Because we won the championship, ESPN televised not just part, but our entire performance.”  e visibility and popularity of com

petitive cheerleading is growing by leaps and bounds, in more ways than one. For these cheerleaders, the common overriding passion is how much cheer means to them personally. “Cheer means everything to me. I feel at home on that mat and in the tumbling gym,” says Timms. “Cheer has gotten me through loss and pain and given me happiness and hope. Cheer is the best escape.” best escape.”

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