Seeing the Sidelines

Cheer team supports football program each Friday night

There is more to cheerleading than just standing on the sidelines. Cheerleaders at Anderson High School make a push to build strong relationships with each on and off the field, unifying them even more than they were last year. 

Ava Baxter (10), a sophomore at Anderson and a member of the cheer squad, expresses how vital having a close relationship with her other team members is and how that makes her experience enjoyable.

“My favorite thing about cheer is probably just the fun environment and the relationships between all of us and our coaches,” Baxter (10) said.

Elise West (12), a senior cheerleader, also points out how their team bonding and relationship building throughout the 2025 fall season has differed from her previous years on the team.

“I just think we’ve spent a lot more time together this year…and our coaches make a point to get the girls to be close and friendly,” Elise West (12) said.

Another notable difference from last year’s season is the team’s additional roles in football games. 

“This year varsity is doing halftime at every home game, which is fun,” Baxter (10) said. 

One of the main reasons the girls love cheering is for the connections they build between each other and the friendships that form. Mary Overbey (10), a sophomore cheerleader, feels that she has met some of her best friends through her time cheering at Anderson. West (12) seconds that.

“[My favorite thing about cheer is] just being able to connect with the students in our community,” West (12) said.

Overall, the girls enjoy spending time with their friends while being immersed into the excitement of football. 

“I’m...looking forward to cheering with my friends, having fun, [and] just being in the football game environment…for a lot of wins hopefully to continue,” Baxter (10) said. 

“[I’m looking forward to] all the rest of the football season and going to [the] playoffs,” West (12) said. 

“I like the environment of football and…the community that Anderson has around football,” Overbey (10) said.

In order to prepare for games, the cheerleaders work hard every day, having practice and lifting two days a week and an additional competition practice for those who compete. On top of having games on Fridays and Saturdays, they sometimes have competitions on Sundays.

“We have around ten [competitions] a year and…it goes through February," West (12) said. 

The girls do many activities outside of practice in order to improve, including weight training and individual practices. 

“A lot of people go to tumbling classes or some people…work on stunts individually which helps us get better,” Overbey (10) said. 

“I would say [we improve by] just focusing on our lifting and getting stronger and better and connecting as a team,” West (12) said. 

Their preparation began in the summer, with a four day cheer camp at Great Wolf Lodge, where they spent all day practicing new cheers and dances to compete with the other teams at the end of the week. 

“We have cheer camp every summer, and every time you…get to meet a bunch of new people and…I feel like it teaches you a lot of good social skills that you’re going to have to use in the future,” Overbey (10) said.