The Mustang

Issue date: 2/23/06 Section: Sports

Front Row: Laure Jones, Vanessa Edwards, Colleen Hedges, Darrelle Dupre, Kelly Scott and Megan Daugherty. Back Row: Tim Flores and Simon Sotelo III

The Western New Mexico University Cheerleading squad is group of dedicated and self-motivated individuals who are no strangers to hard work. They practice four times a week for two hours at a time. Their practices include stunting, dance, cheer, and condition extensively. They work hard outside of practice by fundraising with raffles to pay for their own expenses. They even helped fundraise for the Katrina Relief Effort.
Cheerleaders are not recognized for the extreme risks they take and the courage that they have to face a large crowd of spectators. They put themselves at risk for serious injuries, so they must have a deep trust for one another when performing stunts. These individuals must be strong physically but also appear cheerfully spirited, that is something that others sports almost never have to do.
Laure Jones has been coaching the squad for the past three years. She feels that "these young men and women work very hard for the University in representing Mustang spirit and pride and in supporting Mustang athletics. This is the third year I've had the honor to coach them and the program has improved by leaps and bounds. They may not have a win & loss record, but with the on campus activities the team takes part in from August through March and their community service they are definitely a group the university and community can be proud of."
Many people do not consider cheerleading a sport, however Colleen Hedges, who is both a flyer and base, explained that cheerleading has "just as much if not more physical activity and injuries then other sports and it takes just as much strength and dedication."
Cheerleading has all the same characteristics that other sports have; they practice regularly, they compete, and they put there bodies through intense physical activity and get injured just like any other athlete would. There are other ways to compare and even contrast cheerleading with other sports. Stunt team member, Simon Sotelo III made a clever comment when he compared cheerleading to football. He pointed out that football players wear pads and helmets to protect themselves and cheerleaders do not. Even though football players may have more rigorous physical activity in their game, cheerleaders are just as likely to get the same injuries when tumbling or stunting.
Co-captain Kelly Scott is a former basketball player and she used to be just as skeptical as other people when it came to considering cheerleading as a sport. She now appreciates the sport and feels a deeper sense of trust from her cheer mates.
Cheerleaders play an important role in school spirit and support. They boost the spirits of both athletes and spectators and create a positive atmosphere at every game. With Jones as coach of this dynamic group, the possibilities are endless!

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