Cheering: The Man’s Way

Junior+Mathew+Forrero+showing+off+his+moves+with+squad+member+Marissa+Wiliford.

Javier Cobas

Junior Mathew Forrero showing off his moves with squad member Marissa Wiliford.

Melissa Valladares, Staff Writer

In every pep-rally, football game and school event you can always spot the Cavalier cheerleaders pumping up the crowd with their moves. This year, out of all the members in the cheerleading team there is one particular member that stands out, the team’s only male cheerleader, Mathew Forrero.

Born here in the United States with a bit of a Colombian background, Forrero has dedicated himself to Parkour, a discipline of moves that trains your body to go over, under and around any obstacle in your way. With 5 years of Parkour experience and 7 years of breakdancing under his belt, Forrero has been able to do strenuous stunts. Because of Parkour, his stunning moves and flips have helped him excel in the squad.

You can always spot Forrero practicing his moves, whether it be in cheer practice, after school with his friends or even at the bus stop if the bus is taking too long.

“I love dancing. It’s something I’ve done since a young age and it makes me happy,” Forrero said.

His love for dance started by watching videos of other people on Youtube while trying to replicate their dance moves. With all the different mixtures of styles of dancing, Forrero has been able to a teach himself various moves.

When asked about his dedication to cheering Forrero said, “I’m pretty dedicated, going to all the practices and games, paying attention to the captain and trying to learn new tricks and stunts.”

Cheering is something that never crossed his mind, but that all changed at the end of last school year. A friend of his heard about the tryouts and wanted him to give it a try. Forrero made a bold move due to his love of stunts and dance moves, and decided to try out for the schools cheerleading team and made the cut.

“I hope that my ability to flip and do stunts will take me to movies or shows like Cirque Du Solie, something big to be remembered by. College wise, I’m planning on applying for any cheer scholarships available,” Forrero said when asked about his hopes for the future.

If you ever see Mathew Forrero in the hall stop by and say hi, he might teach you some new tricks. Whether he’s cheering on the football team alongside the cheer leading squad or jumping over fences doing his Parkour stunts, he will always remain a loud and proud Cavalier.