More than Just Pom Poms: What It Takes to be a Creekside Cheerleader

While many appeared caught up in the excitement of last week's annual Battle of the Valley flag football game between Creekside and Canyon Middle School, some may have missed the sporting event happening on the the field at that same time.

A major highlight of the evening was the jumps, cheers, stunts, and organized routines of both middle schools’ cheerleaders and mascots. 

I have always appreciated the hard work that goes into being a cheerleader. Two of my sisters made the team and were cheerleaders for El Cerrito High School back in the day.

They spent a great deal of time practicing for pep rallies, assemblies, parades and games.

I took closer look at one of Castro Valley’s middle school squads: the Creekside Wildcats. 

Former students of mine, Kailani Frey and Angelica Duarte, happen to be on this year’s team. In addition to Creekside’s cheerleading squad, I knew that Kailani grew up participating as a Junior Raiderette.

With that in mind, and having attended the Battle of the Valley, I wanted to follow up with these outstanding student athletes. I met with the squad as they were finishing preparations in the Creekside multipurpose room for the flag football playoffs during a rainy afternoon.

“As the advisors, Ms. Jenny Gosselin and I are responsible for organizing tryouts, games, practices, meetings, field trips, fundraisers and competitions," said squad advisor Esther Knapp. "We make sure that the lines of communication are open with parents and cheerleaders.” 

The team is coached by Jenee Acker, who grew up in Castro Valley and cheered at . She volunteers her time to coach the Creekside cheerleaders.

"She leads them in a way that encourages teamwork and a positive atmosphere," Knapp said. "Jenee talks to the kids about how important communication is with one another during cheer. She also reminds the cheerleaders that they are representing the school which means that they not only have to be good citizens, but also get good grades and be enthusiastic members of the Creekside community."

As soon as I entered the cafeteria, Knapp called the team to order and introduced me. The squad then gathered around to share what their cheerleading experience means to them. 

First of all, allow me to introduce the team: 

• Captain: Kaitlyn
• Co-captain: Taylor
• Angelica
• Bruce
• Courtney
• Isabel
• Jodie
• Kailani
• Laura
• Leah
• Lexie
• Makayla
• Nicole
• Rachael
• Rita
• Shannon

As a cheerleader at Creekside Middle School, how are you making a difference here at school and in the community? 

Rita: By making it more spirited. 

Laura: It prompts good attitude.

What do tryouts involve for the cheerleading squad? 

Bruce: We had to create a cheer and perform it at tryouts. 

Nicole: We had to show how much spirit we have and dress up crazy. 

Makayla: We got football buddies. We had to give them candy, decorate their lockers, and we wore t-shirts with their name on it. 

Why did you decide to become a cheerleader? 

Bruce:  I’ve always enjoyed watching cheerleaders when I was little and looked up to them, and I enjoyed dancing. 

Rita:  I looked up to the cheerleaders and it has been a passion of mine for a long time. 

Angelica: I just thought it was fun from the beginning. I don’t know. Last year I saw them and it looked like a lot fun. 

Leah:  I love to dance. One of my friends was a cheerleader last year and that inspired me to do it. 

Kailani: I went to the big games in fifth and sixth grades. I watched the cheerleaders the whole time and I tried to memorize their cheers and I wanted to show my parents the cheers at home. 

Shannon: I used to be a gymnast and I thought cheerleading would be a fun thing to do at school.

Jodie: I wanted to try out for cheerleading because during my first year here, I would watch the cheerleaders at the assemblies and I wanted to be one of them. 

Isabel: Cheerleading is a much different sport than all the other sports. I like to play soccer but it’s much different. It’s fun to pump up the crowd and get everybody excited. 

Kaitlyn (Team Captain): Well, my brothers watch ESPN a lot and one day there was a cheerleading competition on at Disneyland. Soon after I saw this, the cheerleading tryouts were happening at school and I tried out with my friend and made it. 

Nicole:  A lot of my friends were doing it and I just wanted to have the experience of being a Creekside cheerleader. 

Makayla: I go to a lot of college football games and the cheerleaders are really nice. Everyone just says cheerleading is not a sport but it’s really a lot of work.

Has anyone else taken gymnastics or dance before joining the team?

Taylor (Team Co-Captain): I’ve been a dancer for a really long time and I like to perform and get people excited for the big game by cheering. 

Courtney: I love to dance and cheerlead and I thought being a part of the team would be a fun way to be an active part of the school. 

Laura:  I used to dance and do gymnastics and this is a combo of both and it sounded really fun.

Unlike many other sports, cheerleading is one sport where you must always be positive and full of energy. How are you able to tune out problems you may be having while you’re out there on the sidelines? 

Taylor: I forget about it and deal with it later. 

Mrs. Knapp: Leave it at the door. 

Makayla: I talk to my sister. She’s my best friend. 

Laura: When I cheer, everything else goes away. I focus on that one thing. Everything else doesn’t matter. 

Isabel: Before I perform I think of my audience as my best friend. They wouldn’t insult me. Since the audience is my friend, they would support me no matter what. 

Nicole: I love to cheer and so if something is bothering me I just get over it because I don’t want to ruin something I’ve worked so hard to prepare for. Once you’re doing it, you just kind of forget about it. 

Bruce: Just memorizing the steps to all dance, like any other subject, if you get it wrong the first time, you just have to fix your mistakes and go on. If you get down, the crowd will recognize. 

Kailani: If I make a mistake, I don’t stop and look around because it’s obvious. I just keep on with the dance. 

Rachael: Sometimes before a really big performance or assembly I get nervous, but once I’m out there and cheering I don’t get nervous. I enjoy it. 

Leah: Even if I mess up I keep smiling because if you have a look on your face, everyone will notice it. 

Kaitlyn: When you mess up, the audience doesn’t know because they don’t know the routine. I don’t really stress about it if my kick is two seconds late. 

Rita: Whenever we’re performing I pretend we’re only dancing as one, not separate. I pretend we’re at practice. 

Makayla: It’s story time. (Laughter) We were at an assembly for the big game and I did my toe touch and I fell. I got back up and kept on dancing. No one noticed it. 

Once this middle school experience is over, who here is interested in continuing with cheerleading? 

Every hand goes up in unison. 

Have you had the opportunity to do any traveling together? 

Kaitlyn: Over the summer, before school, we went to UC Davis for three days for cheer camp. It was a fun bonding experience. The one part I remember the most was in our dorms one night, we went to the meeting room and we turned on the TV. It was on TLC and it was on Toddlers and Tiaras. We all had a pageant runway show. Bruce loved that show. We said, “What happens in the dorms stays in the dorms.” 

What is the most difficult part of what you do? 

Shannon: Stunting — where you lift people in the air. Everybody has to do his or her own part. The flier has to be tight. The bases have to be able to lift and catch.

Kailani: Everything has to be together or we can risk falling. I’ve actually fallen before and I know how dangerous it is. I’m not really scared anymore. 

Laura: Teamwork is probably one of the hardest things to do. It’s everything — the dancing, the cheering and the stunting. 

Jodie: The hardest part was at the beginning when we’re not all in the same grade and we didn’t know each other. That’s how camp helped. 

Makayla: I have something to add to Laura’s comment. We all have strong personalities but it all works out. We love to joke around like that.

Bruce: Hearing comments about me, personally. I’m a guy cheerleader. You can say that. I just say, “At least I had the guts to try out. You didn’t.” 

Nicole: I have a lot of guys come up to me and say, "I wish would have tried out."

And just like that, my interview with the Creekside Middle School cheerleading squad came to an end. The team assembled into formation and three girls were then hoisted into the air.

Each held a different sign — go, fight, win — as the team performed their signature cheer with great precision. Their voices echoed as one throughout the multipurpose room and confident smiles beamed off of their faces. 

With a playoff game about to begin across campus, the team finished preparing their routines and headed out into the rain for their next assignment: rooting on the Wildcats to victory. 

The students that make up the Creekside cheerleading squad are dedicated to doing their best. They represent their coach, school, and community with spirit and enthusiasm. Moreover, these students, their coach and advisors are examples of all that is good about the . 

The next time you enjoy a sporting event or other school activity around town, keep your eyes out for these outstanding athletes and let them hear you cheer!