Justin M. Jones
Triangle Reporter
Two years after cheerleading rejoined Bryan athletics, the squad is looking to recruit two male cheerleaders.
Although unknown to many, the squad had already been given permission from the college to have guys on the team.
“It has been almost since the beginning that I could have guys [on the team],” said Head Coach Janice Perron. “It just didn’t come up until last spring.”
“From a cheerleader’s point of view, I believe that male cheerleaders would be a great addition to our squad,” freshman Christy Corwin said. “The level of stunts we could execute with the help of male cheerleaders would stun the crowd and would add an extra spark to our routines.”
In addition to “stunning the crowd”, the squad hopes having men on the team will help attract more members due to safety reasons.
“If there were guys on the team, more girls would probably want to join,” freshman Keshia Wilkey said.
As for the current team chemistry, everything seems to be going well.
“We all get along with the other girls and Coach Perron pretty well,” said freshman Krysta Anderson. “I don’t think having guys on the team will mess with the dynamic because there are a lot of squads with guys on them.”
Sophomore Katie Page has been on the squad for both years and is looking forward to its future.
“As far as I know, we already have 12 recruits lined up for next year,” Page said. “With stunts we want to progress farther than last year.”
“We could get 4 or 5 [guys] for next year or still have none for a few years. It’s all up to the recruits just like in other sports,” said Perron.
Despite the permission granted to the team, there are still obstacles.
“I don’t think we’re allowed to have just one male cheerleader because it would look stereotypical,” Page said. “It would come across as ‘Why do they only have one?’ or ‘Did they pick him up off the street?’”
The squad’s mission won’t change regardless of the possible addition of males to the team.
“The cheerleaders really want to work on getting a positive image out there,” Corwin said.