Ready for another season of drill-like dance routines and exhilarating lifts, the College’s cheerleading team circles up in the dance studio. Dressed in athletic attire, I huddle around with them — hoping to prove my worth.

After a brief stretch, the first order of business is to go over what went right and what went wrong during the last game.

Some of the critiques are harsh, ranging from not smiling enough to cheesing too hard during a routine.

As the only male in the room, I feel compelled to address the large pom-pom shaking elephant in the room.

“How many times have you seen (the movie) ‘Bring It On’?” I ask. “Because I’m sure it’s not as many times as I have.”

The laughter dies down and I am feeling in good company. I express my curiosity in the cheerleading team and what joining can bring to someone who has not done it before.

“Even though it’s not a sport I’m familiar with, I love cheering for the basketball team now,” says junior Hannah Sones. “Cheerleading has given me the opportunity to experience new things.”

“The best part of the cheerleading team is how well everyone gets along,” says first-year Katherine Kane. “I love everyone on it; they’re my friends.”

There are currently 10 people on the cheerleading team — half of them brand-new.

“I saw a Guilford cheerleading video on YouTube last year when I was getting ready to transfer from High Point University,” says junior Aly Rock. “I was a cheerleader there and I wanted to continue at Guilford. I’ve been a cheerleader ever since I was a child so it’s a passion for me.”

Despite the large number of fresh faces, the team has come together well under the leadership of junior captain Jeannine Harrell.

“This is my third year cheering for Guilford,” says Harrell. “I’ve been here to see the team evolve as our senior members left and to be able to step up and take a leadership position just goes to show how proud I am to be on this team.”

Harrell leads the team in all of their drills — splitting time between routine and lifting in the dance studio, and plyometrics and weightlifting in the gym. I am immediately thrown into the action, spotting front and back during the initial lifts, ready to assist their flyer in case of an emergency.

Fortunately, the team executes near flawlessly. Being part of two practices, it is apparent to me that our school’s cheerleaders take their role seriously.

“Strength, a loud voice, a little bit of rhythm, a love of sports and the willingness to commit,” says Harrell. “Those are the qualities a good cheerleader must possess.”

In the gym, we test our core and upper body endurance on the dip bars and through ab exercises incorporating a medicine ball.

Individually, everyone practices standing and stretching on the balance trainer. For the sake of my ankles and pride, I skip this task but make up for it when it comes time to flip a 45-lb. plate in the air to simulate a lift.

After an hour and a half of working out we are growing sore and tired. My experience with the cheerleading team has been wonderful and I have nothing but the utmost respect for everyone on it.

“We may be labeled as a club but we’re so much more than that,” says senior Vanessa Madonna. “We work hard, play hard and love what we do. I only started cheering last year and can already do twists in the air. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it.”

So if you catch yourself at a game this fall, pay extra special attention to the cheerleaders down on the field — they are not something you will want to miss.