About a month ago, the football field gained another dedicated boy beginning his commitment to the spring season, but this time, it wasn’t just another football player. Sophomore Gunnar Sexton spontaneously decided to try out for the cheer team, and before he knew it he had made his way onto the varsity cheer squad.

“I just felt like cheer was a great way for me to improve school spirit and be more involved,” Sexton said.

With strong spirits and good intentions, Sexton made his way into tryouts without any idea of what he was getting himself into it.

“The tryouts were very difficult, nothing like I had ever done before in my life,” Sexton  said. “We had to learn a dance, a cheer and lift people. I mean that was just insane.”

In addition to the physical aspect of the tryout process, candidates were evaluated through interviews.

“It was more than your abilities, it was who you are as a person as well,” Sexton said.

Prospective cheerleaders were judged on attitude and personality throughout the entire procedure, not just the interview. And with around 120 people at the tryouts, being the only male inevitably made him stand out amongst the crowd.

“They have had a guy cheerleader before, but its not really a big deal to me,” Sexton said.

Gender aside, Sexton pushed himself as hard as he could throughout the course of the tryouts, and with experience in dance 2B and theater classes, at the end of the day the only one who seemed to be doubting his place on varsity was himself.

“I definitely did not expect to make varsity,” Sexton said. “I didn’t even expect to make JV really.”

Earning his place on the team was only the beginning of the challenges he will face this upcoming year. Sexton claims to be sore only after two practices, but he is taking these and any other difficulties with a positive attitude and the knowledge that it will all be worth it in the end.

“I can’t wait to bond with my team and work together with everyone,” Sexton said. “I am most excited for the football games and the summer camp, and also looking forward to all the community service cheer gets to participate in.”

The cheer community along with the rest of Carlsbad is honored to have Sexton as a part of the cheer team to prove the real purpose in doing what they do. For him, it is about leading the school towards spirit, positivity and increased involvement, not the participation in traditional gender stereotypes.

“We are cheerleaders'” Sexton said. “Not cheer females and cheer males.”