Senior Addison Thompson has been involved in cheerleading since she was young, but she did not join the Baldwin High School competitive cheer team until last year, when her friends convinced her to try out.

“I started cheering when I was 5 years old, and had cheered in Premier (Gym and Cheer),” Thompson said. “Last year was my first time cheering for the school.”

Leah Moeller was one of the people who convinced Thompson to join the school cheer team last year.

“She came on the last day of tryouts because she wasn’t going to do it, but we convinced her to do it,” Moeller said.

Junior Carly Dowhy is in the same stunt group as Thompson and has grown to know her.

“She thought this would be a really fun and new experience,” Dowhy said.

One common theme in all the cheer groups that Thompson has participated in over the years is that the team becomes very close.

“It just feels like a family – like they’re all my best friends, and I’m always with them,” Thompson said. “It’s just the kind of bond we have together.”

Moeller credits Thompson for motivating the team during certain points of competition.

“She gets very motivated,” Moeller said. “She’s a reason why I always want to come back to cheer practice.”

Cheerleading helped shape Thompson’s personality because she used to be very shy.

“It made me come out of my shell, and I feel like my actual self,” Thompson said. “I don’t have to pretend to be someone I’m not.”

Moeller complimented Thompson on her teamwork with the new members of the cheer team.

“She’s the person who goes up to and talks to the freshmen whenever they’re new to cheerleading,” Moeller said. “If someone needs a ride, she’ll always take them.”

Thompson said her favorite memory came from last year when Baldwin took second place at WPIALs.

“That accomplishment was cool to me because everyone did so well,” Thompson said.

Thompson hopes that nationals this weekend will go better than states, where Baldwin finished ninth. 

“We didn’t do our best at states, but I think we can still do well at nationals,” Thompson said. 

Thompson advises newcomers to cheer to not get frustrated.

“Cheerleading is a hard sport, but you just have to keep going at it and try your best,” Thompson said.