By Teodora Iovi, BEAT reporter
Brunswick Cheerleaders Perform
During every basketball game in Brunswick, there are always cheerleaders on the sidelines who support and cheer on the team to encourage them to try their best and play to the greatest of their ability. These cheerleaders normally cheer on the sidelines and perform their full routine during halftime. However, on Saturday, December 1, the cheerleaders got an amazing opportunity to be in the center of the spotlight.
The Brunswick Middle School Cheerleaders got the chance to go to a Cleveland Cavaliers game and perform their very practiced cheer routines during the halftime show. Even though they performed with other talented cheerleaders from other schools and districts, it was still an amazing opportunity for everyone.
During that afternoon, the cheerleaders began their practice at the CSU (Cleveland State University) Recreation Center. They started practice at 12 pm and practiced for four hours before they took a dinner break and then prepared for the game. The game started at 8 pm. At the halftime show, it was their turn to shine.
Morgan Woodring is an eighth-grade cheerleader who has been cheering competitively since she was four years old. Woodring mentioned that the routine during the show took only about one minute, but they had spent over six hours practicing it so that it could be perfect. The routine included many perfectly timed moves that had to be completely in sync so that it would be a smooth performance.
"The hardest part of the whole routine was trying to stay in time with the over 400 other girls that were performing at the same time. We had practiced it so much that I didn't even have to think about what I was doing. I just did it," Woodring explained.
During that afternoon, the cheerleaders began their practice at the CSU (Cleveland State University) Recreation Center. They started practice at 12 pm and practiced for four hours before they took a dinner break and then prepared for the game. The game started at 8 pm. At the halftime show, it was their turn to shine.
Morgan Woodring is an eighth-grade cheerleader who has been cheering competitively since she was four years old. Woodring mentioned that the routine during the show took only about one minute, but they had spent over six hours practicing it so that it could be perfect. The routine included many perfectly timed moves that had to be completely in sync so that it would be a smooth performance.
"The hardest part of the whole routine was trying to stay in time with the over 400 other girls that were performing at the same time. We had practiced it so much that I didn't even have to think about what I was doing. I just did it," Woodring explained.
Many people think that cheerleading is one of the easier sports since there is no physical contact involved. Woodring rebutted this by explaining, "Our practices are two hours, from 3:30 to 5:30pm, and we have them three days a week. We spend the first hour and a half warming up and going over our cheers and routines to perfect them for games."
The cheerleaders have over 50 cheers or chants that they use to cheer on the boys during their games. Additionally, they have routines which are around one to two minutes long.
"Also, this year since they are building a new middle school, the seventh and eighth-grade cheerleaders from Willetts, Edwards, and Visintainer Middle Schools are all combined," Woodring added. "In previous years there were two teams, one for Willetts and a separate team for the cheerleaders from Visintainer and Edwards."
The eighth-grade cheerleaders on the team from Visintainer Middle School include Morgan Kolesar, Olivia Mascia, Lexi Dempsey, Faith Glass, and Morgan Woodring.
"Cheer isn't about popularity or looking good. Cheer is about supporting the boys and the district of Brunswick," Woodring concluded.
Teodora Iovi, an eighth-grader at Visintainer Middle School, is one of over sixty student "backpack journalists" (grades 6-12) in the award-winning BEAT Video Program. The program is sponsored by Scene75 (www.scene75.com), RPM, Plum Creek Assisted Living Community, Baskets Galore, Bullseye Activewear, Danbury Senior Living, Brunswick Eagles 3505, 100+ Women Who Care Medina, and the Brunswick Rotary Club. Go to www.thebeat22.com to learn more about the Program, or visit https://thebeat.viebit.com to view videos produced by the students.