Lakeland High School’s cheer team is made up of primarily girls; however, they do feature one male student, Colin Killian.

Killian has been on the cheer team since the 2021-2022 school year. 

“My girlfriend, Charlie, convinced me to go to one practice, and I liked it, so I kept coming back,” said Killian. 

Killian did have some worries about the feminine stereotype that could come with being a male cheerleader. 

“I was kind of worried at first,  but whenever people made jokes, I just accepted them. I didn’t let the jokes get to me, and people started to cool off,” said Killian. 

Charlie Dickerson, a junior at LHS, is also on the cheer team. 

Thanks to Dickerson, Killian is now a part of the team. 

“The whole team always asked other guys to join the team because it will improve our team,” said Dickerson. “Guys are stronger, so they are just naturally better at cheer. I was super glad that Colin decided to join the team.” 

Having a guy on the team only means more strength to help out. Coach Cynthia Peck is glad to have a male brought onto the team.

Peck believes that having a guy on the team gives the team more strength to work with. 

“Our cheer team focuses on athleticism, so the environment hasn’t really changed, but he does bring a different kind of strength and perspective,” said Peck. 

Being a guy on the team has its own advantages as well. 

Cheer originally started as a male sport, but over time changed because of men leaving for war. 

“There is a misconception that boys are a minority in cheer; however, collegiate cheerleaders are equal in number, both male and female,” said Peck. “In addition, a male cheerleader is more likely to get a scholarship in cheer.”

Over the past year, Killian has impressed the people around him with the development he has made. 

Peck has noticed the growth in Killian over his time on the cheer squad. 

“He has gained a lot more strength and flexibility,” said Peck. 

Peck is not the only one noticing the improvements Killian has made. Some of the cheerleaders have also seen the change. 

Dickerson has seen an improvement in Killian. 

“His toe touches have gotten way better. They used to need a lot of work,” said Dickerson. 

Killian has come to love cheer and encourages other guys to join the team.