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| Senior cheerleaders remember |
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| Written by Danetta Barker | |
| Wednesday, 25 February 2009 | |
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By Danetta Barker Their voices are heard above all else, their hard training is seen in the muscles of their arms and legs, their dedication is seen in their eyes. A closer look reveals the heart and soul of the Fleming County High School Cheerleaders. For 10 years seniors Sydney Rosser and Laura Peterson have worked hard at cheering on the boys they have come to love like brothers. The girls have also worked hard at something else – competition. Their efforts paid off with a top five ranking in state competition. Although the honor means very much to Rosser and Peterson, the journey has meant so much more. “It takes a lot of heart on everybody’s part to win,” Rosser said. “We are lucky to have 16 girls who have heart.” The two seniors began cheering together when they were at Simons Middle School. They have been together ever since. As freshmen, they learned from the older girls. Each year they grew and began to teach the younger cheerleaders what it means to be a cheerleader at Fleming County High School. As seniors they decided that they wanted to guide the other girls and help with anything they needed to make the team strong. “We didn’t want them to feel like it was all about us,” Rosser said. During their high school careers the girls earned passage to state competitions. This year they wanted more than a trip or a place among the top 10, they wanted to break the top five. “We had a goal to be top five,” Rosser said. Peterson said the team went in and did what they had to do to place higher than any other team in the history of the school. The days before the competition were wrought with mishaps. The routine wouldn’t come together. The girls kept missing their mark. Then the work, dedication and training fell into place. “Three days before we left we hit it (routine) three times in a row,” Peterson said. “You work for six months and have two and a half minutes to show them what you’ve got.” Endurance and a mental attitude is what it takes to place in the top five, according to the seniors. By not missing a practice the whole school year Peterson and Rosser knew that had done all they could do to make the team strong. “My boyfriend came back from Iraq for two weeks and I still went to practice,” Peterson said. “We are that dedicated.” Rosser said cheering is her first love, it comes before boys. “Way before boys, we cheered,” she said. Just as they had cheered the boys at football and basketball games, many of the football players turned up to cheer on the cheerleaders during the regional competition. “It felt great having them there,” Rosser said. As the school year comes closer to an end Peterson and Rosser think back and ahead. While they have loved cheerleading, they know it has been a strain on their bodies. Both girls have suffered injuries. Rosser had a fractured ankle and Peterson had a dislocated shoulder. The care they received during their recuperation has made them both want to help others in the same way. “We want to be physical therapists,” Rosser said. Both girls received treatment from a facility in Mt. Sterling. “They helped us so much when we were injured that we would like to that for others,” Peterson said. Their days in the sun may end with graduation, but their hearts will be forever linked to the squad. “We are going to miss them and we will be back to support them during tryouts and practice,” Rosser and Peterson said. |
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