TJ cheerleaders have an impressive performance at their competition at South. photo by Andrew Villescas
The TJ cheerleaders practice their school spirit with a great year.
Cheerleading is a sport that is not just about the steps and the pom-poms, but about coming together as a family, supporting the school, and bringing students together. Thomas Jefferson’s Cheer Squad works hard, as demonstrated by their title of DPS League Co-Ed Champions last school year.
TJ Cheer attends football, girls’ basketball, and boys’ basketball games, as well as wrestling matches. Practices take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:00-7:00 p.m.. Head Cheer Coach Tyler Cobb is an alumnus from Thomas Jefferson High School, where she participated in both varsity cheerleading and gymnastics. She then went on to attend the University of Northern Colorado, where she was a cheerleader for all four years and competed nationally twice. Assistant coach Janay Lebsock has cheered throughout her life including for the varsity cheer team at Chatfield Senior High School and has competed nationally as well. Cobb is determined to have an amazing year with cheer. “As a coach, I have always wanted to ensure that the team is having fun. Often times, cheer can become very demanding and time consuming. With cheer taking up so much time, I want to make sure that cheer can still be fun and meaningful to members on the team,” she explained.
The cheerleaders spend a lot of time practicing routines and doing team exercises in the weeks before competitions; they value knowing one another and working hard to win at every competition. This year, cheer has attended the DPS League Competition at South High School where they placed second, as well as the Rock the Matt Competition at Rock Canyon High School where they placed third. The cheer team plans on participating in a few more competitions as well, so whoever wants support the cheer team should stay tuned.
Cheerleading is just as important to members of the cheer team as any sport is to other TJ athletes. Co-cheer captain and senior Jazlyn Thomas has been cheerleading for nine years and is a perfect example of what type of people are on the cheer team; she is dedicated to her academics while also remaining a role model for her younger teammates. To her, cheerleading means, “performing to the best of your ability to represent your school and team.” She explained, “being a cheerleader is also way more than just dancing and jumping. Cheerleading is just as hard as any other sport. We have to work out, push ourselves, and get just as many injuries as every other sport. Being a cheerleader means you have to build a lot of trust and use a lot of teamwork.”
The cheer team is a valuable aspect of the community and brings TJ together as a family with their school spirit. Their passion for their school is what every Spartan should aspire to achieve. For those interested in joining TJ cheer, the next round of tryouts will be held in April.
TJ cheerleaders have an amazing performance at their competition at South.
