The Only Boy on the Team

    It all started a few years ago, when I was a freshman.

    I had friends on the JV cheerleading team. I went to see them cheer at a football game. I watched as they pumped up the crowd. Their pom-poms shone in the stadium lights. They moved perfectly in unison.

    The best way I could put it is that it spoke to me. I wanted to be out there with them on the sidelines.

    But there was one problem: Everyone on the team was a girl.

    Would I have what it takes to be the only boy at tryouts?

    It all started a couple of years ago, during my freshman year in high school.

    I went to watch my friends on the JV cheerleading team cheer at a football game, and I couldn’t take my eyes off them as they pumped up the crowd. They moved perfectly in unison, all smiles, their pom-poms shining in the stadium lights.

    The best way I can express it is that the performance spoke to me. I wanted to be out there with them on the sidelines.

    But there was one potential problem: Everyone on the team was a girl.

    Would I have what it takes to be the only boy at tryouts?

    Once I started telling people I was interested in cheerleading, I got a lot of support. My stepbrother was a senior at the time. He took me aside one day. “You would be so good at this,” he said. “You need to do it.” My whole family was behind me, and that made me feel confident.

    So I reached out to the cheerleading coach. I wasn’t even sure if they would allow a boy on the team. Luckily, she was excited right away. She made sure I could get a different uniform from the usual skirt. She helped me through the whole process.

    I’ll never forget finding out that I had made the team. I ran to tell my mom, and she gave me a big hug. I knew I had a lot of work to do, but I was so excited to get started.

    One of the hardest things I had to learn was stunting. That’s when we lift people up in the air. It took me a few months to get the hang of it. I even had to do some strength training to get stronger.

    But stunting requires more than strength and skill. Trust is a huge part of it. Imagine being tossed in the air and having to trust that you’ll be caught safely!

    It felt easy for me to trust the girls on the team because they had been so welcoming. It meant a lot to me that they trusted me too.

    When I told people I was interested in cheerleading, I got a lot of support. My stepbrother was a senior at the time. “You would be so good at this,” he said. “You need to do it.” My whole family was behind me, and that made me feel confident.

    I reached out to the cheerleading coach. I wasn’t even sure if they would allow a boy on the team. Luckily, she was excited. She made sure I could get a different uniform from the usual skirt. She helped me through the whole process.

    I’ll never forget finding out that I had made the team. I ran to tell my mom. She gave me a big hug. I knew I had a lot of work to do, but I was ready.

    One of the hardest things to learn was stunting. That’s when we lift people up in the air. It took me a while to get the hang of it. I even did some strength training to get stronger.

    But stunting takes more than strength and skill. Trust is a big part of it. Imagine being tossed in the air and having to trust that you’ll be caught safely!

    It was easy for me to trust the girls on the team because they had been so welcoming. It meant a lot to me that they trusted me too.

    Once I started telling people I was interested in cheerleading, I received a lot of support. My stepbrother, who was a senior at the time, took me aside one day and said, “You would be so good at this. You need to do it.” My entire family was behind me, and that made me feel confident.

    So I reached out to the cheerleading coach. I wasn’t even sure if they would allow a boy on the team, but the coach responded with excitement. She made sure I could get a different uniform from the usual skirt, and she helped me through the whole process.

    When I found out that I had made the team, I ran to tell my mother, and she gave me a big hug. I knew there was plenty of work ahead, but I was really excited to get started.

    Stunting, in which we lift people up in the air, was one of the most challenging things I had to learn. It took me a few months to get the hang of it—and I even had to do some strength training to get stronger.

    In addition to strength and skill, stunting requires trust. Imagine being tossed in the air and having to trust that you’ll be caught safely!

    It felt easy for me to trust the girls on the team because they had been so welcoming, and it meant a lot to me that they trusted me too.

    I’m now a junior. This is my third year on the team—and I made varsity! 

    Looking back, I was nervous that kids would make fun of me for being the only male cheerleader. But honestly, I’ve gotten nothing but support. I never could have imagined that I’d have people chanting my name when we cheer at games.

    So far, no other boys have joined the team. But I have had people tell me that I’ve inspired them to do what they love no matter what other people might think. If you open your mind beyond what’s expected of you, you have so many more options. 

    I’m now a junior. This is my third year on the team—and I made varsity!

    In the past, I worried that kids would make fun of me for being the only male cheerleader. But I’ve gotten nothing but support. People chant my name when we cheer at games.

    So far, no other boys have joined the team. But people have told me that I’ve inspired them to do what they love no matter what others might think. If you open your mind beyond what’s expected of you, you have many more options. 

    I’m now a junior. This is my third year on the team—and I made varsity!

    Early on, I worried that kids would mock me for being the only male cheerleader—but honestly, I’ve gotten nothing but support. I never could have imagined that I’d have people chanting my name when we cheer at games.

    Although no other boys have joined the team so far, I have had people tell me that I’ve inspired them to do what they love regardless of what other people might think. If you open your mind beyond what’s expected of you, you have so many more options.