As hundreds of people fill the seats for a football or basketball game, the cheer and drill team warm up, getting ready to perform in front of a lively crowd. Yet, at a cheer or drill competition, only a handful of that crowd attend–almost none are football or basketball athletes.
“It’s just something that’s been socially acceptable as of recent years,” drill captain Taylor Bligh said. “The only people I ever see come to drill performances outside of spirit season are parents. We never get any students.”
Cheer and drill competitions tend to be daylong events. Last year, drill’s meet was in Yakima, and cheer’s was in Battle Ground – over two hour long drives.
“Football is a social gathering as well as supporting a team at Liberty,” Bligh said. “But for drill, because nobody else goes, nobody’s enticed to go.”
Football coach Steve Valach views this dynamic differently.
“I hope everyone feels like there’s a mutual appreciation,” Valach said. “But if football were to go support one of the others, it’s not like there’s a bus. It’s not part of the school event.”
Nevertheless, many athletes still urge for further support.
“I would cheer for these people for seasons, and they wouldn’t even know my name. Whereas, I would know their number, their name, and I had to go to all of their games, even if I didn’t really enjoy it,” senior cheerleader Charlotte Soliven said. “I think sports and activities that are mostly participated by girls just aren’t taken seriously. That’s as simple as it is.”
Athletes argue that it would also be beneficial for the cheer and drill athletes to have a large, supportive crowd.
“If football and basketball can come watch us, it would help our score to have people in the audience, just like how it helps their game to have someone cheering them on,” senior cheerleader Elizabeth Buck said.
Recently, there have been efforts to attend important drill and cheer events. In the cheer showcase on November 6 at Liberty, dozens of football players came to support the cheerleaders’ performance.
“I feel if they support us, we should give it right back,” junior basketball player Tyson Burley says.
Others are less excited by the idea of a larger audience.
Sophomore Vanessa Castaneda explains that a lot of the routines only make sense if those watching are a dancer of some sort. There are styles that could cause laughter from the audience, which could divert the athletes’ attention.
“It’d be a little bit of a distraction to perform your routine while having someone you don’t know well being there,” Castaneda said. “So because of that, I don’t necessarily want them there.”
Still, Bligh takes a moderate stance.
“If you take yourself out of the situation, it seems unfair because we support them, but they don’t support us,” Bligh said. “But, when you know the context about it, it makes sense.”