Cheer is not just a girls sport.

Brenden Harris is a senior from Elgin High School and has been cheering for a majority of his high school career.

Brenden shares that what led him to pursue cheerleading was the desire to try something new that would push him to grow.

“I decided to start cheering to try something new and challenge myself. I also wanted to create new lifelong friendships with my teammates,” Harris says.

Cheer was the perfect sport that allowed him to both build relationships and grow as an athlete and a person. Harris has grown to love cheer for many different reasons.

“My favorite part of cheer,” Harris says, “is getting the crowd involved and being able to display my skills in a fast-paced manner. I love cheer because I get to be a part of a family-type environment that always supports and accepts me. I am proud to be able to show other boys that they could join cheer even though it’s displayed as a ‘girls sport.’”

Although cheer is not always easy, it has allowed Brenden to learn many valuable lessons that he will keep with him. “The biggest lesson I have learned is how to manage my time with all the games and competitions while also maintaining my grades,” Harris says. “I also learned how to trust my teammates. Cheer is a team sport and if you don’t have trust it is hard to win and have fun.”

Choosing to become a cheerleader was a decision that has ultimately made a big impact on Brenden’s life. He was sure to leave some words of encouragement to anyone who may want to step out of their comfort zone and try cheering:

“The advice I would give someone interested in cheering is to be a team player, work hard and always try to keep improving.”