Competitive cheerleading is an extremely competitive sport and takes a lot of time and dedication. Despite Dover’s open array of competitive sports, we don’t have a competitive cheer team. 

Competitive cheerleading ranges from chanting cheers to very intense physical activity. Cheerleaders perform to support other sports teams, to entertain audiences, or for competition. Cheerleading routines often range from one to three minutes and contain components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting. Cheerleading is also a very popular sport that many people find interest in. Since cheerleading is highly competitive and popular among young people, why does Dover not have a team anymore? 

Basketball cheer coach Kaitlyn Rowand has some thoughts about why we should have a competitive cheer team. Rowand says, “I am planning on bringing back the competitive team next school year, I intended on doing so this year but there was very limited interest this year!”

Some of the students have even voiced their opinions on whether or not they want a competitive cheer team at Dover. Freshman Chelsey Zuno says, “I think that a competitive cheer team would be good for us. A lot of people would actually join and it would be fun for us!” 

When they bring the school cheer team next year it would not be a requirement to do basketball cheer in order to do the competitive team. Rowand says, “I believe that has turned quite a few people away from competing for the school. I would not make it a requirement that you had to cheer for basketball but would not turn you away if you wanted to participate on both teams.”

Cheer teams also usually have levels to them, such as level one, two, three, and all the way up to seven. Rowand states, “High school competitive cheer is based on the size of the squad and of course if there are any male cheerleaders on the team to move you to coed.” 

Depending on how many girls join or try out would depend on what decision the team is in. “All high school competitive teams have to follow the high school PIAA rules for stunting and tumbling which is why it is based more on size (small, medium, large) than skill level like traditional competitive squads,” Rowand says.