Peet freshman cheerleaders cheer at their last football game last Tuesday

The Peet cheerleaders had their last football game of the season last Tuesday. Freshman cheerleaders are trying to make the most out of their last year in junior high cheer before they move on to high school cheer. 

Darby Irwin has been cheering at Peet since seventh grade, although before Peet she did the high school cheer clinics. She said, “I’ve loved cheer since I was little. It’s a fun environment, and we get to watch a lot of different sports.” 

She also said she enjoys cheering at the football games. “The high school football games are the most interesting to watch.” 

Her third year cheering at Peet, Claire Fecht said, “I joined because I wanted to meet new people and try it out. I liked the support that is around cheer. It was fun trying new things out and accomplishing my goals.”

The cheer team is not like any others, as it has a welcoming, supportive atmosphere. Irwin said, “I like that we grow close. It’s like a family.” Fecht agreed and said, “I like that people are supportive and we help each other when we’re struggling.”

The cheerleaders practice on Monday and Wednesday for about one and a half hours each practice. Typically they have games on Tuesday and Thursday. These hours can be rough on the cheerleaders, but Irwin said it was worth it. 

One of the most impressive parts about cheer is the stunts. If someone is newer to cheer, the stunts can be difficult to figure out. Fecht said, “Some of the stunts are hard, but with a lot of practice they can get easier.”