Maddie Ozminkowski poses with an SXU Football Helmet. Maddie Ozminkowski
There has been plenty of controversy on whether or not cheerleading is classified as a sport., However, when we look into the dedication and sisterhood of cheer, we can clearly see the competitiveness of sport authenticity. Sophomore Flyer Cheerleader, Maddie Ozminkowski, considers cheer to be a sport through her own personal experiences.
Ozminkowski’s origins started when she was three years old. She started cheering when she was 7-years-old. Her best friend transitioned to cheerleading, which Ozminkowski followed.
“I had always liked cheerleading even though I was a gymnast first,” said Ozminkowski.
Since cheerleading and gymnastics relate to each other in the aspect of high levels of mobility and flipping, the transition from gymnastics to cheerleading was easy for Ozminkowski. The only difference between the two is that gymnastics is a little more independent than cheerleading.
In cheerleading, everyone on the team works together to when demonstrating a performance. Like any team, there are positions each working together to accomplish a goal in a small time frame.
“Most sports get to play in games that last 1-2 hours with several opportunities to score and win. But with cheerleading you only get a 2 minute and 30 second routine that you have to execute perfectly on the first time,” mentioned Ozminkowski.
Due to Ozminkowski being a part of a state championship cheer squad, she recognizes the dedication towards accomplishing a goal.
Ozminkowski attended Oak Forest High School who won the state for competitive cheer twice in 2021 and 2023. Ozminkowski was on that squad both years they won.
After graduating high school, Ozminkowski was prepared to lay her cheer days to rest and pursue academics at Saint Xavier University (SXU). Little did she know there would be more to her story. One day, Sophomore Flyer Natalie Saenz, offered her to join the cheerleading squad. Ozminkowski accepted the invitation to join the team as she continues to compete in cheer at SXU.
“… I will forever be grateful that I chose to try out my second year. It has brought me so many new opportunities, friends, and I love trying new skills,” Ozminkowski explained.
Ozminkowski additionally spoke on how tasking cheerleading was, thus being a reason she wanted to quit cheer. Cheerleading isn’t easy, as everything has to get done in a detail-oriented fashion. If a cheer member gets flipped in the air, catches, tumbling, or just remembering the routine, it all adds up towards each team member playing a vital role in the whole performance. Regardless, Ozminkowski wasn’t going to let that be a reason for her not to do what she dedicated so much of her life on.
“This sport is very physically and mentally demanding and staying in the right mindset isn’t always the easiest. Your coaches will always push you to be the best athlete you can and sometimes it could be draining for the athletes,” stated Ozminkowski.
When adversity faces Ozminkowski, she looks up to other college cheerleaders like her. Those being Gabi Fuller and Maddy Brum.
“They are excellent examples of what a well rounded athlete should be. I love watching all of their tumbling and stunts,” said Ozmimkowski.
As prominent as cheerleading is on an intermediate, high school, and college level. Opportunities beyond that point are hard to come across because of the limited opportunities that are offered. Because of that, Ozmninkowski remarked this would be one of her last years doing cheerleading.
With a focus on cheerleading, there is a balance that all cheerleaders have to maintain while attending school or work, and managing a social life.With good time management comes good mental health, which Ozminkowski takes pride in because of her ability to manage all of it.
“…it is easy to get burnt out. It’s important to remember to put your mental health first to make sure you can reach your full potential,” mentions Ozminkowski.
No matter how you spin it, cheerleading is a sport, it can be as mentally tasking like football, and it can be as competitive as basketball. But what ties it all together is the companionship aspect.
Although there are guys who partake in cheerleading, the sisterhood that forms is a powerful link. When all working together, it’s not just an artwork, but a display of the hard work put into the sport.