Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to entertain the audience, or for competition. Competitive routines typically range anywhere from one to three minutes, and contain components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting. According to Wikipedia, “School spirit is the sense of identity and community shared by members of the school.” This can apply to any type of school, from elementary schools to universities. Wikipedia also states, “Members of a school can manifest spirit in the exhibition of school colors in dress and decoration, in attendance at athletic events, or verbally in the form of chants or cheers.” Cheerleading often associates with lots of school spirit. Why cheer without school spirit? It is definitely a package deal that both demand a lot of hard work, dedication, and effort.

According to Wikipedia, “Educators in primary and secondary education often associate proper behavior with school spirit, especially in the context of situations when students are outside the school itself. Because student behavior reflects on the school, representing it well shows a degree of student investment in their school.” When asked what she thinks is most important about cheerleading, student and cheerleader at the Wayne City High school Alivia Dillman answered “the most important characteristic in cheer to me is the happy, positive vibe you put off to the crowd during a game. If you don’t show any interest or enthusiasm during a game, neither will the crowd. The crowd leads the team, and we lead the crowd.”