Tumbling into history
Senior cheerleader Chris Trammell at the Battle of 287 pep rally.
In 2013, Waxahachie High School had its first male cheerleader. Six years has passed since then, and now another has joined the ranks. Many schools would say that celebrating this achievement is useless or unnecessary, but they haven’t seen what Chris Trammell can do.
Trammell, a senior, is in his first and only year as a cheerleader for WHS, and his introduction to cheer was rather unusual.
“I lost a bet, so I tried out. I ended up making varsity, so I decided to stick with it,” Trammell said.
The varsity cheerleaders are excited to have him on the team.
“It’s really fun to have him around because we can get a guy’s perspective on cheering and tumbling,” said varsity cheerleader Abby Rose.
“I actually really like him being there because I feel like we work well together and we can bounce our ideas around with each other,” mascot Belle Winn said.
Winn also said that having Trammell on the team “breaks the stereotypes, and crowds will get more hyped up when they see a male cheerleader.”
Being the first male cheerleader in six years also comes with its own set of pressures. Trammell had to learn and cram all the cheers and routines before the first game.
“Being the only guy on the team, I have to do these tricks differently than them,” Trammell said.
When he’s not cheering, Trammell is active in broadcast journalism, and is interested in law enforcement after high school.
“I really want to be in law, but I still haven’t decided what college I want to go to yet,” Trammell said.
Trammell has a lot on his plate with college coming up right around the corner and his new role in cheerleading, but, when he leaves this school, he won’t be soon forgotten.
“He is a very memorable person,” said broadcast teacher Conrad Bates. “Chris is one of those people who lights up the room with his personality and energy.”
Chris Trammell will be remembered as one of the only male cheerleaders this school has ever had.