DPSCD Cheer Competition

On Sunday, April 12th, 2026, the Burns Elementary Middle School cheerleaders stepped into Cass Technical High School for their very first competition with DPSCD, and you could feel the nerves all around them. They were quiet at first, stretching and fixing their uniforms, trying to shake off the fear sitting heavy in their stomachs. Weeks of nonstop practice had taken a toll, their arms sore, legs aching, and bruises hidden beneath their sleeves, but none of that stopped them from showing up. Looking out at the crowd, hundreds of people and more than 75 different cheer squads, it would have been easy to feel small. For a moment, they did.

But when it was their turn to take the mat, something shifted. The music started, and despite the fear, they gave it everything they had. Every motion, every jump, every stunt carried not just practice, but heart. They didn’t perform like a team that was scared, they performed like a team that refused to give up. And by the end of it, no matter the score, they walked off that floor stronger, proud, and knowing they had truly earned their place.