A woman flies into the air, and for a moment it seems like she’ll never come down. She spins, flips and plummets toward the mat with four men prepared to catch her – the same ones who nearly threw her into the rafters seconds before.

There was no foam pit, just the arms she safely landed in. The teammates laughed together while setting her on her feet. The confidence and trust shared between them was so strong, that when their coach said to do it again, there was no hesitation.

The Central Michigan University Cheer team relies on male members to perform stunts like this. However, coach DaRron Johnson said he's been struggling to find men for the coed team.

“On a coed team, the guys do all the lifting,” Johnson said. “It’s important to have guys on the team because it increases our skill level and the things we’re able to do.”

Johnson has been a part of the program for nine years building human pyramids and voluntarily launching humans into the air. There was a time when he was out there doing it himself. He was a member of the squad for five-and-a-half years before becoming an assistant for a year-and-a-half. He’s been the head coach of CMU’s women’s and coed cheer team for just over a year.

“It didn’t used to be as bad,” Johnson said. “When I first started, we had about 16-18 guys. It’s a little bit stricter now when it comes to rules with the athletic department.”

Up until a few years ago, prospective team members did not have to have a physical done until after they’d made the team. There’s also a sickle cell test; a series of college-athlete deaths related to the condition led to the NCAA instituting mandatory screenings for sickle cell in 2010.

“Since everyone has to get it done before trying out, a lot of guys don’t want to get the test and physical done not knowing if they like cheer or not yet,” Johnson said. “It would help if they get to practice with us first to see if they like it or not, and if they decide to try out then they can go get everything done.”

Johnson said there’s more to cheerleading than getting ready for football games. The team also performs at basketball games, volleyball matches, wrestling meets and a long list of other events.

Teams go through a lot of preparation to compete at the UCA Collegiate Cheerleading National Championships in Orlando, Florida. It requires staying in shape, as well as maintaining and improving their skills at every practice. Last year the women’s team finished 10th in the Division 1A Finals.

Johnson said anyone interested in joining should simply come to a practice.

Contact and tryout information is available on the cheer team's website. You can also direct message the CMU Cheerleader Instagram.

“The best thing is just come in, check it out, see if you like it and then you can make a decision if you want to continue after that," Johnson said.

The men who are on the team said they like the challenge of cheerleading and the camaraderie of the team. Flint graduate student Aaron Martin-Green, a five-year veteran of the squad, said there were multiple reasons why he joined the team.

“Well one, it’s not the typical thing you see from male athletes,” Martin-Green said. “Two, it was something challenging. I used to shy away from things that looked too difficult. I gave it a try and fell in love with it.”

Macomb junior Hunter Burns, a brand new addition to the squad, said he wouldn’t be there if it hadn’t been for Martin-Green.

“Cheer is like getting adopted by a family," Burns said. "These people all want to accept you, and teach you, and nurture you and put you in a good place. (Being on the team) takes something as daunting as tossing a human being in the air and makes it as simple as writing your name on paper.”