Sports

Ruby Red Cheer offers well-rounded athletic opportunity 

Avatar photo

Anna Waskey

After some stretching and light warmup, the athletes jump straight into running full outs —stunts, tumbling, jumps — practicing their two-minute and 30-second routine for at least an hour. At the end of practice, they take 15-20 minutes to end in positive circles and team bonding. This is what Ruby Red Cheer practice is all about.  

In 2020, Taylor Rostallon saw a need for a competitive cheer team in the community and took the initiative to set it in motion. A former Franklin High School sideline and competitive cheerleader, Rostallon passed on a passion for the sport to her daughter, who decided she wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps and cheer competitively.

“That’s primarily why I [started Ruby Red Cheer], because of my daughter. It’s in very high demand and I feel like we’re continuing to grow,” Rostallon stated.  

With athletes from various counties and various schools, the team has grown to consist of 45 athletes and five coaches. 

“We get a lot of new athletes, but we also have many athletes who have started and ended with us.”  

RUBY RED Cheer offers Macon County a competitive cheer team opportunity for all ages.

“I would tell anyone currently doing cheer or interested in joining cheer to understand the importance of discipline and teamwork. Every single person on the team plays an important role and is crucial to the success of the performance. So, taking that into consideration, it’s very important that you do your job properly and strive to be the best you can for the team,” explained Macon Early College (MEC) senior Lathea Breeden, a member of the cheer team. 

Competition cheer is different than sideline cheer (like at ball games); competition cheer starts in August and goes through April. 

“Our choreographer comes from Austin, Texas, and he teaches the routine, which we work on from August until we begin competing in November,” said Rostallon. 

Once the official season starts, the team travels across the South, competing until the season ends in May. The sport does not end there, however. In June, Ruby Red Cheer hosts stunt and flyer clinics to get new athletes adjusted to the program before they try out. Tryouts then start in July, and the team begins learning the routine shortly after, in August. 

“We have an end goal of going to Walt Disney World. It’s by invitation only, so if we score the highest, we’re offered a bid to go to Disney World. Back in November we actually did get the bid to go, so we are super excited about that,” Rostallon announced. 

Ruby Red Cheer competitors will travel to Florida in March. 

“Overall, cheering for Ruby Red has been so exciting because we are always learning something new and challenging ourselves; every competition is a chance to showcase that. It’s been very eventful, with winning the Quest National Championship in 2023, going to Texas for Nationals, and learning new skills. It’s also been very unpredictable because every season there are obstacles we face and must solve for the team, but it all comes together in the end,” noted Lathea.   

Focusing on physicality and more

“We want to provide a safe space for our athletes and make sure that they continue to cheer and to love the sport; to not only grow in their physical aspect, but also their mental aspect.”  

Therefore, in addition to training athletes to cheer on the mat to the best of their ability, Ruby Red Cheer offers mental health checks, team bonding exercises, and academic encouragement. 

“My overall experience has been amazing with Ruby Red. I love the people so much and the team is genuinely a family. I’m always so excited for practice because I get to go there and have fun, even when things are hard. We always find a way to lift each other up and be positive!” said MEC senior Sara Young. 

“Our ultimate goal is for our cheerleaders to be personable, kind, and to show grace where grace needs to be shown when they go out in the real world,” remarked Rostallon. “I’m grateful for my coaches during my years at FHS. Coach Jennifer Turner Lynn, who coached me throughout high school, was phenomenal. I still go to her today; she put the bug in my ear to continue to grow and do the best for our athletes now. 

“We also like to provide opportunities for our athletes; some of our cheerleaders will be going on to cheer collegiately, and we like to be part of that journey,” she said.

As for the future of Ruby Red Cheer, Rostallon wants to purchase land, own a gym, and continue to offer more opportunities. 

“I want to provide summer day camps and afterschool programs for the community. That is something I would enjoy, and something I feel the community needs — affordable daycare and after-school programs.”  

Anna Waskey is an honors student at Franklin High School.