Adrenaline runs through their bodies as they stand on the sidelines during football games, but now UC High’s Girls Cheer Team is going back to participating in competitions and fighting for many wins in their future.
After the school provided new uniforms, pompoms, and the news that they were going to start up a Competition Team, many of the girls were more than thrilled. Senior Cheer Captain Mariah Lee said that they decided to bring back the Cheer Competitions Team because Coach Deja James felt the team needed something more to do rather than just performing during school football games, but they also wanted to get more people involved in cheer. Lee also felt this was a bigger opportunity for the team to bond and get more out of the sport.
Senior Alani Sandoval said that last year they got a new cheer coach. James has been with the school for a year now and decided it was important to return competitive cheer to UC High. There are three routines that the team performs. The teams are evaluated on how well they execute their routines. The three different routines they perform are cheer, band dance, and fight song. The very first competition was held on December 2, and the next is January 13. The last one will be held on January 20. They will all be held at different school gyms. Lee said that although they evaluate the teams on their routines, the scores are also based on the stunts, dancing, and cheering that the team performs.
“Once we seniors leave, I hope this legacy of the Competition Team will grow and not stop after one year as it did last time,” said Senior Cheer Captain Kiera Smith, referring to the last time UC High Cheer participated in competition; that came to an end early because of COVID-19. Lee also said that she hopes the team supports each other and gains more love for cheer than they already have through their participation.
Sophomore Kylie Tang said, “Good team bonding is important and has set the path for future generations.” Tang hopes to be a leader for UC High cheer and provide a path for girls who are interested in cheer in the future. “We’ve gained skills, and not only stunt skills, but life skills like responsibility and motivation as well,” said Sandoval.
Sandoval said that the team practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays for an hour and a half. She hopes to get a CIF patch as well as a trophy or banner to hang up in the activity room. This would be a very significant accomplishment within the history of UC Cheer, and leave a legacy for the seniors. Smith said that she hopes the team grows in confidence. Practice takes a lot out of them, but she hopes the team will have as much fun as they possibly can.
“We’re excited about it. It’s something new, different and super exciting to show everyone what we have been working on,” said Lee. Tang said, “I’m excited about the competition, because I have never competed before.” For most of the girls this will be their very first competition, and they all hope to succeed.
“Competing against other schools is going to be fun and we know, looking at their skills, comparing other teams to us, we are going to do well,” said Smith.