Athlete of the Week – Laleilee Philachanh (11/7)

Laleilee+Philachanh+%28Girls+Varsity+Cheerleader%29+standing+in+between++football+players+Zachary+Henning+and+Mulumba+Wa-Kalonji.+

Ornela Grigoryan

Laleilee Philachanh (Girls Varsity Cheerleader) standing in between football players Zachary Henning and Mulumba Wa-Kalonji.

Q: What is your name?

A: It’s Laleilee Philachanh.

Q: What grade are you in?

A: I’m a freshman.

Q: How old are you?

A: I’m 14 years old.

Q: What are your pronouns?

A: My pronouns are she/her.

Q: Why did you choose to be in Grandview’s Girls’ Varsity Cheerleading?

A: Because I have always been doing cheerleading, since I was about five. 

Q: If there wasn’t any cheerleading, what other sport would you choose?

A: If there wouldn’t be any cheerleading, I would probably do Poms. 

Q: Are there any other sports that you would play?

A: Then I would play basketball. 

Q: Are there any activities that you do outside of school?

A: Nope.

Q: Do you practice outside our school?  

A: Yup, yes I do.

Q: Does your practice get hard at times?

A: Yes it does, especially during competition season.

Q: What is the hardest and easiest part of cheerleading?

A: The hardest part about cheerleading is perfecting hitting a 2-minute routine without a single breathing point, and the easiest part of cheerleading is hyping up the student section and making games fun.

Q: Do you think you will do cheerleading next year? Why or why not?

A: I will be doing cheerleading next year. I love being in the spirit program.

Q: What is your team like?

A: My team is very supportive, and they feel like a second family. They’ve seen my worst and my best and haven’t judged me even once.

Q: Would you recommend cheerleading to others? Why?

A: Practice does get hard sometimes, and the reason for that is because if stunts aren’t hitting it gets really frustrating, and mental blocks make practice even harder, but at the end of the day it’s all worth it. So yeah people should join, it’s great.