Bringing the energy and spirit
Goldie Rapp
This month’s Athletics Spotlight has been contributed by Sam Bima, class of 2024.
“B-B-BRU, I-I-INS, B-R-U, I-N-S, BRUINS, BRUINS, BRUINS!” The famed ending to the SBA fight song is one that you will hear at the beginning of every sporting event or from a bruin sports team coming down the lane following an away game.
In the fall and winter, this song is sung by many different teams, but it is practically owned by one in particular. The St. Bede cheerleaders are a group that you hear in the background of your favorite football and basketball clips. Their chants and cheers trigger memories for alumni who are present at today’s events.
In my prior article, I had the opportunity to speak on the SBA wrestling team and the fraternal brotherhood that coach Sam Allen has produced. If wrestling is like a fraternity, I look at cheerleading to be more like a sorority. The sisterhood of former and current members includes being there for one another, late nights in the gym and hustling to learn countless cheers and performances.
My older sister, Mallory Bima ‘15, was a cheerleader for St. Bede. I was in attendance for countless football and basketball games, even going so far that I know most cheers by heart still to this day.
Cheerleading is a sport that relies heavily on teamwork. How could they perform the stunts if one person is off key by a split second? It takes countless hours of rehearsal and trusting one another.
In volleyball, you have to trust that your teammates will get the kill or serve it over the net. In basketball, you have to trust that your teammates will find you open in the corner or make that game tying shot. Cheerleading is no different - you have to trust that your teammates will remember the cheers that you have practiced or trust that they won’t let you fall when they are holding you up above their heads.
For this article, I had the pleasure of speaking with four-year cheerleaders Ella Burris and Teagan Hewitt about the true meaning of cheerleading.
Cheerleading is a sport that you can be taught, and one that teaches you about yourself. Burris said that to her “it’s all about positivity and teamwork;” for Hewitt, “it’s bringing energy and spirit to the football games.”
Football games are what seem to be the biggest hit with the cheerleaders. For Homecoming, they come up with their halftime performance that will be performed in front of hundreds before BruinsJam. They also decorate the lane with streamers and signs promoting the football team. Cheer is just like football and volleyball in the sense that they start in the summer prior to the first day of school.
Hewitt stated, “Cheer begins in June and goes until the end of February, so you really get close with your teammates and get to be good friends with all of them.”
My takeaway from the interviews was that, just like other St. Bede sports, life-long friendships are made and grown throughout their time being a part of the team.
“Throughout my years of cheer, I have continued to cherish the amazing memories I have created with my teammates,” said Burris.
I have loved hearing the cheerleaders during my time at St. Bede and even prior to my time at St. Bede. The Bruins have a great duo teaching these young ladies in Sydney Eustice ’15 and Dani Claggett ’14. Not only are they both alumni, but also former cheerleaders themselves. In the wise words of former principal, Mrs. Mershon, “That’s it, That’s All, Go Bruins.”
Sam Bima ‘24