While the cheerleading routines look familiar on the field and sidelines, changes behind the scenes are reshaping the squad’s structure and schedule this season. This new approach, implemented over the summer, reflects an effort to broaden the cheer program.
Before the changes, cheerleading was broken up into two seasons: fall and winter. Students could choose if they wanted to cheer for both or only one season. Fall cheerleaders perform for football games, while winter cheerleaders perform for boys’ basketball and bocce games. In recent years, Winter Cheer began to become strained, as fewer and fewer students joined the extracurricular. Last year, there were four girls on the Winter Cheer squad, some of whom were unable to make it to every basketball or bocce game.
Due to the decline in involvement, athletic director Mr. David Bodamo and principal Mr. Steven Mott decided to conjoin the fall and winter cheer squads to create a combined unit, like many surrounding school districts. Starting this year, individuals who hope to join the squad must participate in both fall and winter cheer.
“If anything, having to do both is a positive look on things because it gives you more experience as a cheerleader,” Abby Probst (11) said.
Unless a student participates in a fall sport that inhibits their ability to engage in fall cheer, they will not be able to join Winter Cheer, because they held tryouts in the spring of last year. Additionally, if they quit cheerleading and try to rejoin after winter cheer is over, they will not be permitted to come back.
Usually, the cheer program consists of two different squads: varsity and junior varsity. Junior varsity was for any girl who was going into ninth or 10th grade, or if it was their first year cheering. However, since the football team does not have a junior varsity team this year, all of the squad members are in varsity cheer, regardless of whether they initially made varsity during tryouts or not.
The squad noticed a fair increase in membership this year compared to previous years. They’re welcoming several freshmen this year, most of whom participated in their Winter Cheer the previous year. The squad will be led by captains Kallie Brown (12) and Alexis Hatt (11). It will also, like previous years, be led by head coach Ms. Alyssa Barone and assistant coach Ms. Maggie Lewis.
“I think we will have a lot of productivity,” Lewis said. “I think the program will now start building bigger and better, so I think it will do good.”