Paul Kane Cheer Team

The rise of cheerleading at Paul Kane

CHEERLEADERS ARE OFTEN thought of as morale boosters for athletes and sports teams, but not necessarily as athletes in their own right. To those doubters we say, you’ve probably never seen what the Paul Kane cheer teams can do. For the last six years, the junior girls and senior co-ed cheer teams have not only been pushing the school’s football team to achieve greatness, they’ve been achieving greatness of their own across the province and on the international stage. But their success doesn’t come easily. The coaches and the students work hard to perfect their routines and inspire a sense of community on home turf and abroad. In fact, if there is one thing these teams know better than any other athletes, it’s how to spread cheer—holiday or otherwise. Take a look.

Competition cheerleading got its start in the 1950s in the United States but didn’t reach Canada until the 1970s. Even then, it wasn’t accepted as a sport in all parts of the country. And now, only Quebec, Nova Scotia and Alberta officially recognize it, though more and more provinces are trying to change that. In Alberta, cheerleaders have enjoyed official recognition since 1984, and that has allowed the sport to prosper here.