Where's the respect and support for Valley cheerleaders?
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Being a cheerleader at Loudoun Valley High School is a time-consuming commitment, one the girls and their families happily sign up for every year.
During the fall season, the cheerleaders cheer at every football game and attend volleyball games to support their fellow Vikings, all while preparing for their own competition. They decorate the field for homecoming, cheer the entire game, and then clean up all the decorations before they are dismissed to get ready for the dance.
In winter, they cheer at every home basketball game (boys' and girls'), travel to basketball playoff games and attend gymnastics, wrestling and swim meets. They work VikingFest, Sophomore Orientation, Back to School night, and the Waterford Fair.
They also volunteer time to help the youth cheer squads, conduct cheer and tumbling clinics, and help the youth wrestling league with its home tournaments. They have performed halftime routines at Navy football and basketball games, and at the 2008 Gator Bowl.
Yet, they were not allowed to perform their short competition routine at either of the two pep rallies at their own school. Who leaves cheerleaders out of a pep rally?
The Cedar Run District Cheer competition was held recently at LVHS. Were you there? Well, if you support Battlefield HS, Osbourn HS or Heritage HS, you probably were. Sadly, the other teams who came to compete brought as many, or more, student supporters than Valley had in our own "house."
To the Valley students who were there! The energy that you all brought to the gym while the Viking cheerleaders performed was amazing! To the handful of football players who came, on your own, after practice and waited patiently in the hallway while school officials debated whether to let you in or not, thanks for sticking around and not taking "No" for an answer! Your support and encouragement means so much.
It is disappointing, though, that so many other Valley student athletes and athletic staff were not there to show their support for the cheerleaders. In most high school sports, teams get 10 or more chances during a season to compete and to prove themselves worthy of advancing to regional playoffs. Is it too much to ask of their fellow athletes, who these girls support all year long, to come support them for three minutes? I guess at Valley it is.
Funny how a school who boasts so much about tradition can have so little school spirit.
Kimberly Hauck
Purcellville
As a former Loudoun Valley Cheerleader I agree with these statements, as well as speak for other former cheerleaders when I say we often felt under supported.
Posted by chauck
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It’s about time someone spoke up for the cheerleaders!
Cheerleaders have been at every sporting event I have ever attended, and for the cheerleaders to be denied support from the other athletic teams and staff is unheard of!
Posted by DSharp
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