Dashing from the gym doors, junior Hailey Belcher runs to change out of her baggy basketball shorts to don fitted cheer workout gear. Catching the final leg of cheerleading practice, Belcher jumps from the court to a peppy routine with her fellow cheerleaders.

Belcher began this balancing act last year, when she first transitioned from cheer in the fall to basketball in the winter. Unlike other sports, the cheerleading season is year long, continuing through the winter sports’ season.

Basketball coach Nick Wood and cheerleading coach Shannon Biggerstaff attempt to work in tangent to allow Belcher to participate in both sports.

“We kind of have it down that she will go to all of basketball and then come here when she has time at the end of her practice,” Biggerstaff said.

The greatest conflict this causes for the cheer team is in its stunt groups. During basketball season, Belcher is no longer a back spot. Although she still works with the same stunt group, Belcher has a new teammate, senior Audie Monroe, as the back.

In cheerleading, the backs are the supporting force for the stunt group from behind. They call the shots, deciding when other members go up and what the group should perform. While stunting, they hold the flyer’s ankles to secure the stunt.

“We switched someone else in to have her back,” Biggerstaff said. “It’s sometimes harder on the girls to not be able to do as many pyramids and things.”

Despite this disruption in the cheer lineup, many fellow cheerleaders are sympathetic to Belcher’s situation.

“She’s very useful in cheer, so sometimes it’s harder for stunt groups without her,” sophomore Emily Easum said. “But I’m glad she can balance both of them because she’s a great basketball player, too.”

The most trying challenge for Belcher is missing some of the benefits of cheer. Although she gets to participate in every basketball game and at least the end of most cheer practices, what Belcher often misses is team bonding time.

“[I’ve missed] some of those little activities that aren’t mandatory,” Belcher said. “If I have the other sport to do then I’ll go to one and have to miss the other. It does kind of suck sometimes because that’s when the teams get closer together, but I make it work.”

In the upcoming cheerleading competition on Feb. 2, Belcher will not be able to participate, having not learned the routine. Additionally, Belcher did not get to cheer during halftime for a girls’ basketball game Jan. 18 because she was playing.

However, Belcher and many of her teammates try to view the situation in a positive light. Fellow basketball player, senior Anna Wright is impressed by Belcher’s ability to balance these two time-consuming sports.

“She gets the best of both worlds pretty much by doing cheer and basketball,” Wright said.

The support of her teammates and coaches inevitably allow for Belcher’s success in her double life.

“I feel like I need to make sure I’m dedicated to my teams and know I’m still going to be there even though I’m doing both sports,” Belcher said. “So it’s kind of like proving that I can do both and be able to balance both of them.”