Our Mission at My Boyfriend Apparel
At My Boyfriend Apparel, giving back to our community and the world around us is at the heart of what we do. While this is our very first official fundraiser since building the brand, supporting others—especially young people who are following their passions—has always been part of our mission. MYBF has always been about more than clothing; it’s about community, support, and showing up for people in meaningful ways. And now, as we kick off a brand new year, we have the honor of supporting two athletes whose story is truly unique.
A Late Start, a Last-Minute Opportunity, and a Big Dream
This season was the first time Franklin High School Cheer welcomed male athletes to the program. Meer and Marcelino joined during their senior year—and not early in the season, but very last-minute. Because of football, volleyball, and other commitments they were previously involved in, they weren’t able to begin cheer until weeks before their National Qualifier.
Anyone familiar with cheer knows how rare this is. Cheer typically requires months of training, preparation, scheduling, and financial planning. Learning an entire routine, timing, formations, sidelines, and performance expectations in such a short time is nearly impossible, but they showed up with heart and put in the work every single day.
Not Expecting Nationals—But They Earned It
With such a late start, Nationals wasn’t something either athlete expected or planned for. The hope was simply for them to try something new, challenge themselves, and enjoy their senior year. But they exceeded every expectation.
Meer and Marcelino performed at their National Qualifier, and Franklin qualified for the National School Spirit Championships (NSSC) for the first time ever in the Coed Gameday Division. This season will also mark the first time Franklin sends male athletes to compete at Nationals.
The NSSC—held February 6–8, 2026 at the Walt Disney World® Resort—is the most prestigious high school cheer competition in the country.
Why We’re Fundraising
Because everything happened so fast, the team wasn’t expecting the financial realities of Nationals to arrive as quickly as they did. Cheer is not a cheap sport, and Meer and Marcelino never anticipated they would be preparing for a national-level competition in their very first season.
On top of travel and competition fees, the school does not have funding available to provide their uniforms.
To help make this opportunity possible:
Our goal is to raise at least $3,500 to cover the essential costs—getting them to Nationals and securing the uniforms they need.
There will still be additional expenses beyond this, but $3,500 is the minimum amount required just to get them there and properly equipped.
This fundraiser is also an important milestone for My Boyfriend Apparel. As our first community-centered fundraiser, we genuinely want to reach this goal—not only to support Meer and Marcelino, but to show that MYBF can continue giving back and creating opportunities for others in the future.
Why Meer & Marcelino Align With Our Values
Meer and Marcelino represent the values we stand for—showing up for yourself, breaking stereotypes, choosing courage, and pursuing what you love no matter what others may think.
Their story reflects everything MYBF believes in:
• stepping outside your comfort zone
• following your passion
• challenging outdated norms
• uplifting others through positivity and heart
Supporting them is not only about helping them get to Nationals—it’s about standing with athletes who embody the message our brand was built on.
Even if all you can do is share the fundraiser, share the videos, or help spread the word, we appreciate it more than you know.
From Their Perspective
⭐ Meer
1. Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m an 18-year-old senior attending Franklin High School. I play football and run track there, and outside of school I go to the gym and spend a lot of time with family and friends. I also dabble in photography.
2. What made you decide to try cheer your senior year?
I was first exposed to cheer during a pep rally routine between the cheer and football teams, and I really enjoyed it, so I decided to give cheer a shot. I thought it would be cool to do something new for my senior year. I also have many friends on the cheer team, and the environment the team had really drew me in.
3. What has cheer meant to you since you joined the team?
Since I joined the team, to my surprise, cheer has meant a lot to me. It has meant giving my all, especially because I can see how much it means to the girls. Every practice, you can see how badly they want to win, and that mindset rubs off. Cheer has also begun to take up much of my week, which I never would have expected. The family we’ve built means a lot to me because we go through everything together and are there for each other in every aspect.
4. What has your first year in cheer been like?
I’ve taken a much bigger liking to cheer than I ever expected. If my one-year-ago self saw me right now, he would be very surprised. In the beginning, it was challenging to learn everything since I joined so late in the season. While others already had the cheers and movements down, I was still learning what the movements were. Eventually, I got the hang of it, and so far our season is going well. With more practice and fine-tuning, I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us moving forward.
5. What’s something you wish people understood about guys in cheer?
I wish people would stop stereotyping guys in cheer as weird or something demeaning. Cheer is a sport that offers and requires just as much challenge and effort—if not more—than other sports. Cheer challenges you physically with every rep and mentally by pushing you through fear and frustration. Once you overcome those challenges, cheer becomes one of the most enjoyable and gratifying experiences.
6. What would it mean to you to compete at Nationals for the first time, especially knowing this would be the first time Franklin has ever had guys competing at Nationals?
Competing at Nationals this year would be an amazing accomplishment—not only for me personally, but for Franklin Cheer in general. Competing at Nationals would literally be writing history for Franklin, which is why it means so much. By competing at Nationals, we aren’t only writing history for Franklin, but also making an impact beyond our school. We are challenging what it means to be a male cheerleader on any team, and that means a lot to me. I’ve also never experienced Nationals in any sport before, so I’m excited to see what it’s like.
7. How does it feel knowing people are supporting you and your journey through this fundraiser?
It feels amazing knowing that people aren’t only supporting us through this fundraiser, but also male cheerleading in general. This fundraiser was never meant to be only about us—it was meant to be something bigger. Creating growth in male cheerleading can change the way the world sees cheerleading and the dynamic of the sport.
⭐ Marcelino
1. Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a 17-year-old senior at Franklin High School. I play volleyball and run track, and outside of school I go to the gym, box, and work as a photographer. I’m also an up-and-coming influencer as well.
2. What made you decide to try cheer your senior year?
I wanted to try something new and fun. Most of my previous sports were very physical, so I thought cheer would be a different experience—though now I know how physically demanding it actually is. I also had a lot of friends on the team, and I loved that cheer has no boundaries for how great you can be at it.
3. What has cheer meant to you since you joined the team?
It’s meant a lot more to me than I ever expected. It takes a lot of my time during the week and weekends, but I enjoy every moment of being part of the team and this family.
4. What has your first year in cheer been like?
The first couple of weeks were really difficult because I had no experience. I didn’t know the cheers or motions the way the girls did, so I had to work extra hard to catch up and make sure everything was clean. Ever since then, we’ve been practicing perfection in our routine so we can look and feel our best when we perform.
5. What’s something you wish people understood about guys in cheer?
I wish people didn’t think it was “weird.” Cheer is just as fun and challenging as any other sport—if not more mentally challenging. People also don’t realize how rewarding it feels to unlock a new stunt or tumbling skill.
6. What would it mean to you to compete at Nationals for the first time, especially being one of the first male athletes from Franklin to do it?
I think of it as making history. We are the FIRST to do it, and that means everything to me. I’ve competed at Nationals for other sports before, but we never had to qualify for it the way cheer does—or meet such a high standard once we get there. I think it’s going to be an amazing experience and I can’t wait to see what’s in store.
7. How does it feel knowing people are supporting you through this fundraiser?
It feels amazing knowing people aren’t just supporting us, but also supporting the growth of male cheerleading. The cheer community needs to bring more awareness to male athletes—especially in high school—because it would make coed teams so much more competitive.
From the team
⭐ Team’s Statement
“Having male athletes for the first time has brought a completely different atmosphere to the team, and in such a positive way. The boys always bring really good energy, and it adds a nice balance to our team culture. On all-girl teams, it’s pretty normal for things to get a little emotional sometimes, especially because everyone cares so much and is really passionate about what they do. But the guys naturally keep things light and fun, which has helped our team chemistry so much.”
⭐ Coach’s Statement
“As the coach, having guys on the team has been a different experience in the best possible way. Being a former male cheerleader in college, this is the type of environment I always hoped to build for my team. Having Meer and Marcelino join this year has made that vision real. They’ve changed our team dynamic in such a positive way, helped us grow, and pushed us to a higher standard. We’ve always worked hard in our all-girl routines, but stepping into coed has challenged all of our athletes to grow in new ways. Even learning to stunt with guys, teaching new grips, and adjusting technique has made everyone better. The energy and fun they bring is something I appreciate so much, and I truly hope this is the start of more guys joining cheer at the high school level.”
How You Can Help
By purchasing the Superfan Fundraiser Tee—or simply sharing the campaign—you’re directly helping Meer and Marcelino get to Nationals and supporting Franklin Cheer through this historic season.
Thank you for being part of their story and helping cheer them on in every way possible.
Shipping & Presale Windows
• Orders must be placed by midnight on January 18 to be included in the first production run, which is expected to arrive before Nationals (Feb 6–8).
• Orders placed after January 18 will be part of the second production run and will most likely arrive after Nationals, once the team returns. These shirts are expected to be ready the week of February 9.
• A second pickup window will be offered for these orders, with details communicated as we get closer to that date.
Local Pickup Option:
• Local pickup will be available at Franklin High School.
• The first pickup window will take place between February 1 and February 5 for orders included in the first production run.
• Customers who select the pickup option will receive an email with the exact pickup date and time at least one week in advance.
Follow Their Journey
Follow their competitions, behind-the-scenes moments, and Nationals prep on Instagram and TikTok at: @myboyfriendapparel
