By Kaye Hauschild
Middle School Coordinator, Lakehill Preparatory School
Time for true confessions: I have been a cheer lover forever. It is not a well-known fact, but I never achieved the rank of cheerleader as a student. Oh, I tried out and have some very funny stories for my family to retell of my trials and errors. Not being on the cheer squad did not lessen my cheer. Instead, I became a member of the pep squad, drill team, spirit sign painting club, ribbon seller, and anything else that let my love of spirit shine.
One normally leaves cheer behind when formal education ends, but I was a lucky cheerer. I got to cheer at work. In my first school, I quickly joined the ranks of the cheer people, coaching a squad of ninth graders in my hometown. When life moved me to Dallas and Lakehill, I followed the stomps, claps, and chants to my colleagues, Mrs. Harris and Mrs. Durbin, and asked for the chance to share the Lakehill love. I have lived happily ever after since then.
Cheer has changed a lot since I first hit a megaphone on the ground while yelling, “Lakehill….Warriors!” We used to have super strict try-outs for our squads that left other cheer lovers off the field. When we realized that every other sport at Lakehill allowed every student to participate without try-outs, we happily joined in the fun. Our squads have ranged in size from five to twenty-five in my twenty-something cheerful years at Lakehill.
For a cheer lover like me, life could not be better! Whether Varsity or Middle School, Lakehill cheer brings me the joy and spirit that we share with our fans.
Along the way, I have been lucky enough to find others like me, those who love Lakehill and cheer alike. And beginning this spring, I am passing the opportunity to lead our Varsity squad to the amazing and awesome Mrs. Becker and Mrs. Burt. I will continue my stomp, clap, and cheer with the Middle School cheerleaders and look forward to those amazing times when we get together, two squads as one. “Lakehill……Warriors!”