Algonquin Wolves’ first cheer team springs into action
Algonquin College’s first official cheer team in its history held tryouts in the ARC gym on Sept. 12 and students felt excited, nervous and ready to go.
Ruby Whyte, a student in Algonquin College’s paramedic program, explained why she tried out.
“I saw the post on Instagram, and I’ve been cheering for years,” Whyte said.
“I’ve always wanted to do it post-secondary and this is finally the opportunity to do so. I was very excited to see that.”
Early childhood education student Jenna Harris had a different perspective going in.
“I have no cheerleading experience. I’m really nervous. Really nervous,” Harris said.
“I had like three different friends of mine send the post to me because they thought I would be good for it, and thought it was dance-based.”
Despite the jitters, the environment was welcoming and friendly, something that was very intentional for Sissi Malula, the director of Ravens Rhythm and head coach and coordinator of the cheerleading team.
“A hope is to build community, make friends, and to have them really go out and put on their best show,” said Malula.
Cheerleading competitors in Canada are about 98 per cent women and girls, according to a 2023 Globe and Mail feature on the sport.
One in three Canadians (34 per cent) say that women’s sports are “less exciting” than men’s, while 33 per cent say some sports are just “unwomanly,” according to research by the Angus Reid Institute.
The opinion on women’s sports and women-dominated sports is often attributed to perceived aspects of “femininity” found in activities like cheer. Malula aims to crush this stereotype.
“First of all, cheer is not feminine; that stereotype is absolutely that. It’s just a stereotype. It’s for all people, and I think that’s the most important part,” Malula said.
“Cheerleading is about leading in cheer, community-oriented people. We are brand ambassadors here for the college, and we really just wanna have fun and encourage people to have fun with us.
“They’re students first, making real change in the world, focusing on their careers, being able to be strong students and making positive change wherever they go.”
