Editor's note:
“Outside the Huddle” showcases the often unsung, off-the-field supporters who make high school football special in Akron. Follow us for the next 10 weeks as we showcase everyday heroes who keep the ball in play.
As a sophomore, Makenzie Culver ditched the boring bleacher seats at North High School’s football games for a pair of pom-poms, a cheerleading uniform and a spot on the sidelines.
Now a senior, she can only think of one downside to joining the cheer team.
“There’s much more risk,” she laughs, “because you can get hit by football players.”
When she dons her black-and-gold cheer uniform on game days, Culver puts on a seemingly effortless performance. But the pep she shows on the turf demands an incredible amount of behind-the-scenes preparation.
Culver has mastered nearly 100 different routines that she practices three days a week with North’s cheerleader squad.
“We’re always learning material… and [Culver] will not stop until she has it,” said head cheer coach RaiYana Rigby. “She does not wait for the next day for something to be perfect.”
The seven girls only perform original cheers and dances, so Culver takes extra care to master every detail.
“It’s all part of the Friday fiesta,” said head football coach Demonte Powell. “As far as them getting us hype, as far as them getting the crowd hype, the cheerleaders work hand in hand with everything.
“They’re a huge need.”
Cheerleading through anxiety: ‘I finally feel comfortable’
Culver’s passion for the sport shines through whenever she takes the field. Though she loves to cheer, her journey to the squad wasn’t easy.
As a freshman, social anxiety and panic attacks prevented Culver from cheering. Though she attended tryouts, she ultimately stepped aside to address her mental health.
When she returned as a sophomore, armed with new medication and a friend for support, she breezed through the tryouts and earned her place on the field.
Cheering has helped Culver overcome much of her anxiety, offering purpose and passion.
“In cheer, you have to be loud,” she said. “I just got more comfortable throughout [each season], … and I finally feel comfortable in the environment that I’m in. ”
Her perseverance shines through in her performances.
“She is the model, the top cheerleader on the team,” Rigby said. “It takes a minute for her to warm up to you, but once she does, she’s determined and hardworking.”
Cheerleading at football games: A six-hour commitment
Culver’s game day performance, like that of most cheerleaders, is a six-hour commitment.
She follows the same routine before each football game. First, she runs through the entire list of cheers to ensure that she won’t make a mistake on the field. Culver then packs her gear bag, checks it three times and jumps on a trampoline to stretch out.
When she joins her squad, the group warms up together before traveling to the football stadium, greeting both teams and setting up the area that North football players will run through to enter the field.
Only after kickoff do the cheerleaders settle into their sideline routines — where they will perform for the two-hour game.
North cheerleader today; medical professional in the future
For Culver, the intensity of the sport makes it special.
“I’m dedicated, so once I get myself into something, I finish it,” she said. “And I love the late nights, when the lights come on.”
Her quiet passion and energy are infectious. Each game, hundreds of fans can look forward to the enthusiasm that she and her teammates bring to the atmosphere.
“She’s definitely somebody that loves North,” Powell said. “She actually loves what she’s doing. She’s one of the leaders of that cheerleading team… a person that rallies the girls up.”
Culver’s drive also pushes her to succeed off the field. On top of cheering and playing softball, she’s a top performer in the classroom.
Her grades earned her a high school internship at Akron Children’s Hospital, where she currently works. She plans to pursue a professional career as an ultrasound tech or a registered nurse specializing in the care of sick or premature newborn babies.
While not completing homework or practicing cheers, Culver also enjoys spending time with siblings Helton, 22, and Jazmine, 14, two guinea pigs (Evie and Murphy) and Oreo, a 9-year-old pitbull.
She may have left the student section behind, but when Culver waves her pom-poms on the sidelines, her support of the high school football experience rivals none.