About a quarter of a century or so ago, cheerleading was being done mostly by females.
Now that we’re in the new millennium, it’s become just as normal to see males cheerleading as females, and Roland’s male cheerleader made sure he is going to be cheering at the collegiate level. Roland cheerleader Jack Johnson signed a letter of intent with the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith in a signing ceremony Jan. 13 inside the Roland High School commons.
Johnson said that cheerleading has pretty much always been in his blood.
“I always wanted to cheer like at a young age,” he said. “For my senior year, I decided to not care what people thought and just go for it.”
The UAFS signee also is glad that most people are OK with male cheerleaders.
“I’m glad that it (males cheerleading) has normalized this century,” Johnson said. “I’m just glad that everybody doesn’t have a big deal over it now.”
Johnson is the second Roland cheerleader to sign with UAFS as Madi Whisenant did so last year.
Johnson is finishing cheering for the first time for Roland High School.
“When he came to me last year, he was actually our trainer and manager,” Roland cheer coach Kensey Richards said. “He has been working with Coach (Lisa) Parman (Roland High School’s health teacher) through our trainer program here on campus. She told me, ‘Hey, I think (Johnson) wants to cheer,’ and I said, ‘Absolutely!’ He came to me and said he thought he would like to do this at the next level. I told him he was going to have to have at least a back tuck at the minimal. Literally, within six months, he was doing it. He has gone above and beyond. He’s done anything I’ve asked. He’s a great kid and has a great work ethic. He’s going to be incredibly successful. I would have loved to have had him as a freshman, but at the same time I’m glad he is going to be close enough. Our basketball schedule will lessen up at least during the first part of the week where I can go watch him and Madi. She is having great success over at UAFS. Next year, I’ll just have another one (Roland cheerleader) in (UAFS) uniform. We’re excited for both of them and that (UAFS) program.”
Having two straight school years with a Roland cheerleader sign with UAFS is big for the program.
“This has been a big step for our program,” Richards said. “It’s a true testament to what we do here at Roland and what these athletes put in. I’m so excited. It’s moving us in the right direction.”
The main reason Johnson chose UAFS was to stay close to home.
“It’s close to family and friends,” he said. “I really didn’t want to move away from my family and friends. I couldn’t think of my life without them.”
“I’m super excited for Jack,” Richards said. “With this being his first year to cheer, the sky’s the limit for him. He has so much growth and learning he can do. (UAFS cheer coach) Brandon Gregory is a great coach. He is going to set him up for success for sure.”
Richards actually has done a great job in prepping Roland cheerleaders to be part of a coed squad, such as Johnson will be — and Whisenant currently is — that will be made up of both males and females.
“When we started competing seven years ago, I made the decision that we would be more successful in the coed division than in all girls,” she said. “I would just pull football players, and they would just look at me like I’m crazy. If you can toss these girls in the air and catch them, you can pretty much walk on anywhere you want. This is the name of the game, and it’s been really successful.”
Johnson said one of the things that motivated him to continue cheerleading after his “rookie” year was all the emotional backing he got.
“People complimenting me on like my tumbling and my skills just gave me a boost of confidence, and I’ve just decided to keep on going,” the Roland cheerleader said.
Now that Johnson’s “John Hancock” has set his future as a college cheerleader into motion, he’s pumped up.
“There’s just excitement,” he said. “I’m glad that I’m going to be learning new things, and that I’m going to be on a good team in general. I’m looking forward to it.”
