The 2023 WAIBT season brings new, well-deserved appreciation to female sports as cheerleading at Arcata High School plans to begin cheering for both male and female basketball games. The team will be splitting their game schedule between boys’ and girls’ games to show school support for both genders.
Although the cheer captains and coaches have made attempts to begin cheering for both male and female sports teams in the past, it didn’t actually become a reality until this year.
“We’ve tried to do it the past two years, but it’s not common so I feel like that needs to change,” junior cheer captain Fallyn Miller-Griggs said.
The team is excited to finally be able to make these changes.
“They’ve gotten more excited to cheer for the girls teams just because friends are on that team,” Miller-Griggs said.
The cheerleaders’ responses to cheering for female sports have all been positive. The girls on the team are looking forward to being able to support their fellow girls and their close female basketball player friends.
“While they’re cheering, I’m gonna be cheering with them,” sophomore football cheerleader and varsity basketball player Tae Wolford said.
She looks forward to hearing the cheers she knows so well being shouted for her and her basketball teammates.
Female basketball players are exhilarated to finally have some support for their games.
“I think it’s exciting. I think it’s something new,” Wolford said.
Many of Arcata High’s girls’ sports players notice they receive less student support than boys’ sports do.
When asked to compare the student support at girls’ versus boys’ basketball games, sophomore Josie Cunningham mentioned how she noticed the boys receiving more support than the girls. She became excited by the news that there will be cheerleaders for the girl basketball players too now. The girls are excited that they’re starting to get the recognition and support they deserve.
Cunningham said, “That’s crazy! Wow.”
Hopefully, this new development will improve what Josie Cunningham considers Arcata High School’s “weak, embarrassing student section.”
Girls basketball welcomes cheer squad
December 8, 2023
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About the Contributor
Ryenne Kile, Opinion Editor
Ryenne Kile is a reporter for the school newspaper, The Pepperbox. She reports on current events and issues taking place in the school and in the community. She is in her senior year at Arcata High School. She has previously completed multiple advanced English courses and a creative writing class, which have significantly improved her writing throughout high school. She enjoys demonstrating school spirit while attending school sporting and social events, which she is looking forward to reporting on for The Pepperbox newspaper.