The Fenton Varsity Cheer (FVC) athletes were not the only ones showing their tiger pride at this year’s competitions. The Cheer Dads, also known as the “Boom Crew,” also showed their support for the team. 

This group of FHS dads came to competitions wearing orange tracksuits with a megaphone in hand. When the team took the mat, the “Boom Crew” would let out a loud tiger roar to get both the crowd and the girls ready for their performance. During the routine, the parent section would say “boom” after the team landed a jump or tumbling skill, which is where the name “Boom Crew” came from. 

The idea was originally pitched before the second Flint Metro League competition by the dads of sophomores Evie Metcalfe and Ava Watson. 

“It was actually Ava and I’s dads who pitched the idea,” Metcalfe said. “They are the founders of the Boom Crew.”

There’s more to it than just showing up to competitions in track-suits and cheering for their daughters. 

“They actually practiced for competitions,” Watson added. “They had a group chat where they talked about the cheers they were going to do and where they were going to sit.” 

In competitive cheer, crowd participation is a big factor in the performance and final score. Each team is not only scored by the level of difficulty and execution, but they are also evaluated on how loud the crowd is. 

Crowd participation also helps the girls when competing; a loud audience can boost the athlete’s energy and motivate them to perform their best. In cheer especially, loud cheering gives the team an adrenaline rush to keep their round energetic and clean. 

“They really motivated us,” Metcalfe said. “In cheer, you need to be excited when performing, so when the crowd is excited it really gets the us going.”  

The cheers, roars and enthusiasm from the “Boom Crew” created an electrifying atmosphere for the FVC athletes this season and it showed during their performances.