COURT TO SIDELINE

by Ivy Davidson design by Aidan Brown

rowing up always going to her older sister’s cheer practices, and her mother doing it her whole life, cheerleading has always been part of junior Elise Preston’s life. After being on the basketball team throughout high school, Preston will no longer be on the team. Instead, she will be on the cheer team next school year, as a senior.

“There were some personal issues that drove me to quit, but I’m still doing AAU, so I haven’t fully given up basketball. I will miss my basketball teammates the most,” Preston said.

Although cheerleading is new for Preston, she is did all she could to get ready for

“I have never cheered for a team; but growing up, I loved to go to my sisters’ practices. I got my back handspring back and I’m working on different jumps to prepare,” Preston said.

With her family’s prior experience with cheerleading, Preston has simply always wanted to take up the sport.

“I know these girls have been in this program since freshman year, so I have doubts. That being said, I’m excited about this new adventure,” Preston said.

Preston has many things to be excited for if the tryouts work out in the end.

“My favorite thing about cheer is tumbling, I am also looking forward to cheering alongside my best friend,” Preston said.

The choice to leave the basketball team and pursue cheerleading was not an easy one, but she still sees the positives of the situation.

“It was the hardest decision I have ever made deciding that I wanted to pursue cheerleading instead of basketball,” Preston said.

With this change for her, Preston is ready for her path and to start something new.

“Basketball will forever be my favorite sport and I will always somehow be involved, but I’m excited,” Preston said.

Preston found out she made the cheer team and is ready for the season.

"Opening the letter there was a lot of anticipation going through my body, but it ended up all being worth it,” Preston said. "I was truly excited about trying something new, knowing the risk, and it paying off. I was also proud of myself simply because of the courage it took to try out. There's no better way to describe it other than, I was shell shocked."