Last year, Alliance brought back its athletics teams after a five-year hiatus. With the basketball team once again playing home games, the sidelines needed a little pep. Jasmyne Robinson, a middle school math teacher, gathered a group of scholars to form the Alliance cheer team. She said the group started with about 20 students.
The squad started out in a comfortable environment, cheering at Alliance home basketball games. While the group started with little knowledge in cheerleading, they picked up on the sport and sharpened their skills. The team shared their abilities with the community, performing at a local high school’s halftime show.
While the squad got better with each game and performance, the biggest beneficiary came when the pom poms were put away. Robinson said she saw her team build confidence throughout the year and find a sense of belonging.
“It’s bringing together a group of girls that might not hang out outside of the cheer team,” Robinson said. “It’s also giving them something to look forward to, and teaching them awareness and accountability.”
The work for the Alliance cheer team didn’t end when school was over for the year, though. Over the summer, Robinson met with her team twice per week to practice and continue improving.
Summer is parade season, and the squad performed in multiple events, including in downtown Cincinnati for the city’s annual Juneteenth parade. It was also an opportunity for the team to raise some money. They held a car wash fundraiser and a popcorn fundraiser to help bring in money for the team.
Headed into their second year, interest has boomed, with about 35 students at tryouts. Robinson said she has one goal for her team in the 2024-25 school year.
“My main goal is for us to participate in a competition,” Robinson said. “There is a big seventh- and eighth-grade statewide competition, so my goal is for us to compete in that.”
While more chances to compete and perform are ahead, so is the opportunity for each scholar to grow their confidence and find belonging in their team.
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About Alliance Academy of Cincinnati
Alliance Academy of Cincinnati is a tuition-free, public charter school in Cincinnati, Ohio, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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