Placer High School’s cheer team works day and night to bring intricate routines to the student body for halftimes and rallies, and yet, they go completely under appreciated. The team’s peers only see the final products, not the extreme work that gets put into each performance. On some Fridays, the team’s day starts with the 6 a.m. practice and ends at around 10 p.m. after the game is finished. In between that is usually a rally performance and band practice held right after school to perfect the routine with the band.

After all this work and effort, the cheerleaders still receive all sorts of criticism from some of Placer’s students.

Varsity cheerleader and senior Holly Hanson reveals, “People criticize us for falling during routines, but they don’t understand how much work it actually is”

Not only does the squad have the task of learning complex motions and high-difficulty level stunts, but it also has the responsibility to cheer on the football and basketball teams, following them to each away game and step in the season. The players on the field and court get constantly praised for their valiant effort given at each game, even those benched for the whole season. So, where is the appreciation for the cheer team who puts in 110% always, never receiving a chance to catch their breaths? Beside lacking recognition, the group is always encountering the fault-finders. Whether it be about the outfits they wear or a misstep in a routine, students will find a way to bash them.

“When people see the outfit we wear on game days, we get a lot of mixed opinions. I’ve noticed the majority of the faculty think they’re very classy and uniform looking. The students always make comments like ‘when is your tennis match’ and ‘why are the skirts so short’. Everyone loves our regular gameday uniforms, I’ve never heard anything bad about them,” junior cheerleader, Lydia Sanchez explains.

Though they do receive a fair amount of harsh judgement, the team is still appreciated by some.

“I always get compliments, mostly from staff but I think that’s just because that’s who I’m around. I get lots of compliments on the girls performance, I think the more complicated the stunts are, the more people do appreciate what they’re doing,” head cheer coach, Kris Lee shared.

Regardless of output, the Placer cheer team works day and night to be a presentable unit for their school, and even through the criticism, the cheerleaders keep a bright smile on their faces, and their poms held high.