With blue-gold pompoms reflecting under fluorescent lights and shouts echoing off gym walls, the Boothbay Region High School (BRHS) cheerleading squad are fixtures of the winter sports season. They’ve made appearances at the boys and girls varsity basketball, and Unified games and recently started cheering during at-home football games again.  

But there’s still the topic of an age-old debate. Is cheerleading itself a sport? The answer is simple for coach and former BRHS cheerleader Michele Barter. “Get out on the mat and throw people up in the air and do tumbles and tell me it's not a sport.”  

It’s strenuous work that requires dedication outside practice time to ensure they’re ready to complete their routine during competitions. Routines are also constantly being adjusted, with upwards of 10 to 15 iterations before they are finalized.  

“You spend so much time together, and you learn to trust each other so much. Trust is a huge thing with all of our stunting, and you just have to learn they're going to catch you,” said junior Sarah Harris. 

This year, the squad won the Spirit Award at the Mountain Valley Conference in Class C. They didn’t make it to states after competing in regionals but have previously attended in 2023.  

For junior Maddie Andreasen, who just completed her third year on the squad, competitions are an essential part of the experience. It allows the team to appreciate and support the sportsmanship of their peers, as well as validate their own skills. “We put in a lot of hard work, and to go and show everyone that is just really special, honestly.”  

But it’s not all work and no play. Several members highlighted their favorite social aspects, whether it was laying on the mats together while they get critique or going out to get dinner as team.  

The cheerleading season is now over, but Barter still has plans — namely, fundraising for new competition mats (about $11,000 for a set), which were last replaced in 1999 when she was on the squad.  

She’s also looking ahead to the future of the program. While the team has grown over the past few years, Barter says that recruitment is still one of their main difficulties. Unlike when she was a teenager, there is currently a lack of local programs that give preteens a foundation in tumbling, dance or cheering. “(If) you don't have those core skills, it's really hard to make that next step up (to high school cheerleading.)”  

Last year, the cheerleaders took it upon themselves to introduce the sport to K – 4th graders as part of their fundraising. The team taught some basic cheer routines that the kids then got to show off during football halftime, which turned out to be a massive success with parents asking for its return. Barter hopes to do more such fundraisers or pop-up events to get kids interested.