WAUKEE, Iowa — Over the past few weeks, the Waukee competition cheer team has been hard at work practicing stunts and routines in preparation for the state competition in November.
On that day, they go from sidelines to center stage.
"I think a lot of people when they think of cheer, they think of sideline cheer like cheering for the football team," said senior Madeline Bart. "In competition, we're cheering ourselves on. So, it's like a different environment. Like we come to work, not to cheer for someone else."
There aren't many chances for them to compete, so every time they step out on the mat, they want to make it count.
"As competition cheerleaders, we only get like two or three performances and sometimes only one," said senior Kiya Barlow. "It's nice to finally have everybody watch you and watch the work that you've been doing for like the last six months most of the time."
Like any other sport, putting on a good performance requires teamwork, skill and perseverance.
"That is a lot of work and like you have to put in the time and the effort to get it to look that good," said freshman Lily Stairs.
It can also be incredibly demanding — lifting, throwing, catching, tumbling, dancing and cheering to the beat of the music for about three minutes straight. The margin for error is razor thin, creating a high-pressure environment.
"It's hard physically but it's really about telling yourself mentally that you can keep going and keep pushing through it," said senior Claire Johnson. "You can hit it so many times and still like, you're nervous at the beginning of your routine. But it's all just really in your head."
While challenging, it's also rewarding and creates bonds on and off the mat.
"Being on a team where the trust is so important, you all become so close together," Johnson said. "Getting to just go out and perform doing the one thing that we all love so much you know, when you get those hit moments it just feels so awesome and I'm excited to do it one more time."