By: Hugh Lowing
March 7, 2024
When people think of cheer, they think of the girls on the sidelines during football games. However, what people don’t think of is the sport of competitive cheer. It’s way different from sideline cheer, especially in the way it is set up. In sideline cheer, you dance in one place and try to make people excited about a game. Whereas in competitive cheer there are rules and certain things you have to do, as well as various rounds in which you have to do something different for each. The sport the world should know more about is competitive cheer, along with the people who dedicate their time to be a part of a team/family. For example, Jennifer Lambers.
Jen is what her teammates at Hamilton High School Competitive cheer team call her. Jen is a senior, a role model, and a team player. Jen has been in competitive cheer for 5 years and she had to change a lot about her schedule to make things easier for her. This is a day in the life of an athlete competing in competitive cheer, Jennifer Lambers.
To start the day, Jen wakes up at 6:00 AM and begins to get ready to go to work.
She then works from 7:00–11:30 AM.
11:30 AM–12:00 PM Jen starts working on her English class/Tech Center homework she has for the day.
12:00–2:25 PM Jen goes to her cosmetology school (at the Tech Center).
2:45–5:30 PM Jen has cheer practice
Finally from 5:30–9:00, Jen gets ready to do it again the next day.
“Cheerleading is not only physically challenging but also mentally challenging. You must have passion and self-discipline to succeed.” Said Jen Lambers in an interview.
Competitive Cheer is a sport that doesn’t get enough recognition, yet this has never been a problem for Jen or her teammates at Hamilton High School. For 6 years these girls have been thriving in the sport they love and they continue to have fun doing it.