Remembering your high school years can feel like an assault of unwelcome nostalgia. Trying to figure out who you are in a mire of other awkward, gangly, and sometimes cruel, kids can be rough — if not altogether miserable. So when one Maine cheerleader discovered she was the only performer left on her squad, she chose to do something that would not only make her stick out from the crowd, but completely rile them up!
Needless to say, being a teenager is one of the most difficult times in a person’s life. So standing out in high school isn’t always ideal. For Kaitlyn Berthiaume, however, standing out was pretty much her game.
See, entering her senior year at Messalonskee High School, the 17-year-old had so much to look forward to. Kaitlyn was very close to her classmates and very well-liked at her small, rural school in Oakland, Maine.
It was almost impossible not to like Kaitlyn. She was hard-working and extremely passionate, especially when it came to her love of cheerleading. Going into her final year of high school, she expected this to be the best season for the squad.
The only problem was there was no squad. Before summer was even over, it became apparent that Kaitlyn was the only girl signed up to cheer that year. She could hardly believe it. All those bright stadium lights had just gone out on her.
While some girls might cheer just for the social aspect, Kaitlyn was truly passionate about the sport. As she swallowed the initial disappointment of the squad-less squad, she now had to face a big decision— to cheer or not to cheer?
As it turns out, this wasn’t a tough decision at all for Kaitlyn. Squad or no squad, she was not going to miss out on her senior year of cheer. If standing alone in front of the entire school was what she needed to do, then that was exactly what she would do!
Funny enough, Messalonskee High School actually retained two cheer coaches, Annie Dobos, and Maila Couture. This meant that not only was Kaitlyn acting as an entire cheerleading squad, but she was also outnumbered by her coaches!
Still, this didn’t deter anyone from supporting Kaitlyn’s solo squad. Coach Dobos and coach Couture were all in for training Kaitlyn for the season. In fact, because there was only one girl to coach, Kaitlyn got a lot of attention, which she matched by taking her training very seriously.
As the first football game approached, Kaitlyn’s confidence began to waver. In theory, continuing the cheer squad was allowing her to do what she loved; but in practice, it still meant standing totally alone in front of a giant crowd.
Not one to back down, Kaitlyn had to trust that her spirit would carry her. The night of the first game, the solitary cheerleader walked out on the turf in front of coaches, teachers, and peers. Little did she know, she wasn’t really the only cheerleader out there that night.
Word had spread around town about the girl who was taking on a season of cheer all by herself. Students and parents alike were in awe of Kaitlyn’s feat and wanted to show their support for her bravery. And how do you show support for a cheerleader?
Cheer! That’s right, not only were the students of Messalonskee High School familiar with all the cheers, many of the parents were, too. As Kaitlyn kicked off the game with some school spirit, the stadium erupted in enthusiastic echoes.
It seems fitting that the school mascot was an eagle, a symbol of courage, strength, and power. This was exactly what Kaitlyn now represented, not only to Messalonskee, but to the entire community. Talk about a leader!
Many parents commended Kaitlyn’s confidence, telling local news she was truly an inspiration. But no one was a bigger cheerleader for Kaitlyn than her mom, Kim. When Kim first found out Kaitlyn was going to be Cheering alone her senior year, she said, “my heart just sank.”
Kim knew how much her daughter loved to cheer and the thought of her standing up in front of a crowd alone, understandably, conjured up motherly concerns. Kaityln’s confidence and positive attitude were contagious, and Kim couldn’t stand to see her daughter lose this part of herself to discouragement.
But as Kaitlyn nervously stood up on game night, what really stood out was her unassailable resilience. Kim couldn’t have been more proud of her daughter. Both of her parents were completely in awe of their little cheerleader.
While Kaitlyn’s cheering obviously caught the attention of locals, many news outlets were also impressed by her story and flocked to know more about the solo cheerer. What they found out, though, wasn’t much of a surprise…
Everyone loved Kaitlyn! Her dad might have said it best when he told Inside Edition, “It’s very, very emotional and very, very inspiring.” If a 17-year-old can stand alone for what she loves, then we all can. That is something everyone can cheer for