Competing against over 400 schools across Texas, varsity and junior varsity cheerleaders JV placed seventh in state among the 6A Division 1 teams at the Fort Worth UIL State Spirit Competition on Jan. 17th.
“The moment we stepped off of that mat, we were in tears because we all knew that we all did our jobs, ” JV player Legarth said. “It was a great feeling, and [I knew] that all the hard work finally paid off was the biggest relief.”
The UIL routine the team worked on developing was a typical game day routine, including props like signs, flags were included. However, the routine was consistently changed and adjusted to assure peak performance.
“Throughout the year, if something is not going right, our coach will change it and make sure we’re performing to the best of our ability,” JV player Peyton Gunn said. “If we look at other teams and we see they have something cool, we can always modify our routine, and we just try to be the loudest we can.”
Beyond just the physical demands of consistent practices, the cheerleaders also each had a responsibility within the team. Each cheerleader knew that their individual performance would directly affect and impact the rest of the team, leading each of them to have their own personal commitment and goals to the team.
“I took a lot of my personal time and commitment out of school to go find classes that will help me and I also practice long hours after school,” Legarth said. “No one wants to let down a whole team, so you want to be perfect for them.”
One of the hardest challenges for the team this year was integrating new members into their established routine. At the beginning of the season, they struggled with new members adjusting and finding their positions within the team. Consistent and steady practice, along with getting to know each other, has allowed them to grow as a team.
“From the beginning of the season, we had people who could barely remember how to do motions, and nothing was sharp and clean,” JV player Avery Lane said. “Then we got to a point where everything was really perfect, and there were only small, tiny mistakes that couldn’t be noticed.”
Throughout the long, tedious hours in training and the expectations made of them, the cheerleaders have only been brought closer together through it all.
“You can really feel the energy from everybody and feel the commitment that everybody has,” Legarth said. “You can really rely on your team since you know that everybody will do their job.”
