Swamp Fox cheerleading a year round sport

Behind the players on the basketball court, shouting at every game of the season, sit the Swamp Foxes number one fans, the cheerleaders.
This group of 20 girls doesn’t get to take much time off.

“At the beginning its really stressful, we have a lot of pressure, we’re practicing all the time and we have a lot going on and then after its all done we can settle down with basketball season,” Jessica Coleman, varsity cheerleading captain for Feb. 2 game said.

The cheerleaders begin their year in April after tryouts.

The girls begin practicing not only cheers, but begin conditioning for next fall’s competition season.

“Everybody says well you all don’t lift weights, but they have to lift people so there is a lot of conditioning to be able to do that and they give 110 percent. They have to because the only way for them to be successful is to work super hard, Mandi Brown, varsity cheerleading coach said. “The only way we can compete is if they put forth 110 percent and they do,” she added.

Brown is a special education teacher at Marion High School. As a Marion native, she cheered in high school and was coached by Marsha Soles. When she took over as coach five years ago she decided to turn the squad back into a competitive one, like when she was a cheerleader.

“The way I coach is the way she did, she coached us to the championships and I try to do the same thing she did and it works,” Brown said.

The cheerleaders practice all summer and hold a clinic for little girls who may be interested in cheerleading.

When fall rolls around the girls practice everyday, cheer at football games and compete on weekends.

“While the football team is practicing, we’re practicing just as hard as them and getting better and better every day. We have to cheer at football games on Friday nights then wake up early Saturday to go to competitions,” Jalisa Washington, varsity cheerleading co-captain said.

Most of the cheerleaders agreed that competitions were their favorite part of cheerleading.

“I enjoy the competitive season because it shows people what cheerleading really is especially those people who say cheerleading isn’t a sport,” Washington said.

Coleman said the girls had a successful competition season this year.

“We did way better than we did last year. We got first at the Aynor competition, we’ve got second and third at other competitions, but we’re doing way better than we have any other year,” Coleman said.

After the girls finish their competition season its time for them to begin learning cheers for basketball season.

“Football is fun but I really like basketball because we can see it, its right there, so we really get into it,” Brittany Drose, varsity cheerleading co-captain said.

The girls said they are willing to do whatever they are asked because they enjoy helping out the teams and school in any way they can.

For anyone sitting on the sideline that doesn’t believe cheerleading is a sport, the girls challenge you to try what they can do.

“We stunt, we jump, we do extreme things, deadly things, we tumble we split we do all kinds of crazy things,” Washington said.

The Marion High School Varsity Cheerleaders for 2009-2010 are Ruby Paige, Maddie Pasquale, Brittany Drose, Jalisa Washington, Hannah Maddox, Grace DeMarco, Kayla Perkins, Amara Sturkey, Erika Hood, Candace Collins, Brittany Elliott, Weslyn Burroughs, Jessica Coleman, Alexis Johnson, DeShonda Lamar, Chriseon Smith, Jenna Whitman, Timeria Davis, Jade Elvis and Abbie Shelley.

Photo by Steffani Nolte
Swamp Fox cheerleaders shout from the stands at this past Tuesday’s girls basketball game.