After weeks of training, through exhausting practices and aching muscles, Sofiya Ulybina (10) knew she was prepared to protect her squadmate.  It was game night her freshman year, and the bright, tall lights lit up the stadium. Ulybina squeezed the ankles of her group’s flier. Her brain was consumed with only one thought: don’t let her fall.  

After a decade of competitive dance, Ulybina decided to pick up cheerleading her freshman year. Her friend had suggested this sport to her when she was looking for something completely new. On the cheer squad, her height and strength led her to become a backspot—a position that provides stability and safety for the overall stunt and the flier. 

 “I didn’t have an opinion on any of the roles like basing or flying, so in the beginning, I was neutral towards [the role of backspot],” Ulybina said. ”Now that I’ve seen all of the positions, I’m definitely really happy that I chose [this] role. It makes me feel  really strong. I like to have that control.”

Every stunt group consists of four athletes: two bases, a backspot, and a flier. The backspot is at the back of the group and the two bases stand at the sides to work together to safely throw the flier into the air. 

“There is a lot of pressure because I’m the first person to see if the stunt is falling,” Ulybina said. “I’m always the one who catches [the flier] since 99% of the time they fall backward and not to the side.”

Being the safety net of the group requires lots of strength and confidence from Ulybina, and she said that her job can be frightening.

“My mind just goes blank, I have to focus, and think about what I’m gonna do in the moment to stunt safely and execute all my cheers to my best ability,” Ulybina said.The pressure is highest during game days, but Ulybina has been able to find ways to ground herself even with the added intensity of the entire school watching her throw girls 10 feet into the air and then safely catching them on the return trip. 

“I think to myself, ‘Just get the flyer up there and keep her up there, whatever it takes,’” Ulybina said. “If she falls, then I think about how I’m gonna be catching her.” 

But Ulybina isn’t isolated in her position. She has her teammates to reassure her and keep her grounded. The relationships she has made with the other members of her squad are the glue sticking each stunt she performs together. 

“I’ve seen [my stunt group] improve during camp and I’ve stayed with my flier since all of last season,” Ulybina said. “We have that bond where we trust each other. I’m not going to let her fall and [I know] that she is not going to wobble around.”