By Derrick Smith

Cheer teams put in a lot of work to be ready to cheer on their school’s team as well as to compete in competitions. They also have to occasionally add new things to their repertoire. For some teams, this could cause a problem but not for the Plainview cheer team.
“Our team’s biggest strength is their willingness to try new things,” said seventh-year head cheer coach Wendy Russell. “They want to improve our skills as a cheer team, but they also strive to find new ways to motivate the fans to support our teams.”
Senior Emma Moore, who is one of three team captains says that she enjoys all aspects of being a part of this team.

“I love how supportive we are to each other,” she said. “That really helps our team chemistry. Also, I enjoy leading the crowd and how it can change the entire atmosphere of a game.”
The squad has also won its share of awards from the camp they attend and Russell says it shows that the team’s work is paying off. At camp, they won first place in camp dance, first place in camp cheer, and they also brought home the “top banana” award for the top spirit award and the 2021 Academic Achievement Award.
Avery Fuller, who is also another cheer captain, says that she likes that they are supported by the student section.
“I enjoy cheering for our peppy student section,” the senior said. “I also enjoy when we can collaborate with other spirit groups throughout the year.”
While the team cheers together, they also like to spend time together away from school. Recently, they went to The Ardmore Club House Ropes Course and Zipline. Russes says that the team had a great time.
The team works hard to get the crowd involved at games and that is something that senior captain Brooklyn Heller loves most.
“I enjoy getting the school involved with activities such as pep rallies, and pumping up the crowd on game days,” she said. “I also enjoy getting to know each person on the squad and encouraging them to push themselves.”