Once again, the cheerleading squad is setting up for another year and a new team. The team held clinics before spring break, and will hold tryouts on March 23rd.

“I would encourage anyone that is interested in cheering, come out!  We love what we do, and it’s something to be happy to be a part of,” Coach Lucy said. “We’re athletes; we run, we condition, we work hard, we get bruises just like everybody else and enjoy everything we do.”

Working hard is definitely on their agenda, as the most sought after goal for this group is to compete at state again. The new show will have more stunts and tumbles leading up to an impressive school spirit. Coach Lucy says there is more to cheerleading than just the team’s routine.

“The best part of cheerleading are the skills you learn and the relationships you build with your coach and teammates,” Coach Lucy said. “You get the opportunity to be cheesy, loud and proud to show your true self.”

Through many events such as going to Airfx and sleeping over at each others houses, this group builds the family environment. For some girls, such as Charlisa, this environment enables a comfort zone where she can let her girly side out.

“When we first met each other basically we were all arguing and we didn’t get along, but we started going out to the beach, we started going out to eat, we started hanging out, and now i just (laugh) I know her, she is like a little sister to me.”

This bond helps them get through challenges together although they hope that they have fewer challenges than last year. One of the challenges they hope to overcome is the belief that cheerleading is a lesser sport than other athletics.

“When I first started, we got things like thrown at us, we got made fun of in the hallways,” Donna Preslick ’16 said. “I don’t want that to happen to these girls because they’re all really nice.”

Most importantly, Coach Lucy is making sure to make an impact on every cheerleader.

“I want to teach my girls and boys to be well-rounded individuals and take pride in what they do.”