Stunt Team
Athens Drive will be introducing a new spring sport called stunt. The stunt team consists of building performances ranging from two legged stunts to one legged stunts to high flying basket tosses. Stunting is a section in cheerleading that has now branched off into its own sport. The interest meeting took place Monday, Feb. 9.
The stunt season will begin in February and end in late April. Stunt will have seven games per season that students can attend, usually Friday nights. Stunt is open to all grades, but was originally made as a college sport.
The workouts begin Monday, Feb. 16 from 2:40 – 3:40 p.m. in the lower gym and continue through Wed. every week until tryouts. Tryouts are on March 2 and 3. An updated physical must be on file in order to participate.
“I’m super excited about stunt. This really gives the girls a chance to show how much of a sport cheerleading really is,” said Chenetra Mangum, stunt coach.
Every stunt team in Wake County learns the same routine, which is divided into seven different plays. The selected stunt groups from each team go head to head against each other on a divided mat. Each play lasts for 30 seconds and whichever team performs it the most firmly with the least mistakes wins points. Teams can also forfeit a play and receive no points for that section. Whichever team ends the game with the most points wins.
Stunt will have home and away games like any other sport, and there are two halves and four quarters like a football game. The first quarter will be partner stunts, second will be team tumbling and jumps, third quarter will be pyramids and tosses and the fourth quarter will be team performances. Quarters one and three are side by side competitions, while quarters two and four have teams take turns.
“I don’t really know what to expect from stunt, but it sounds really fun and I can’t wait to be a part of it!” said Allie Denton, freshman.
Before each quarter, coaches take turns having possession of the level call. This way teams can strategize and pick sequences that they are strongest in and that they believe they can execute better than the other team.
“It will take a tremendous amount of work, but it will all be worth it,” said Mangum.
