Cheerleading has implemented a competitive team for the first time in school history, according to cheer co-captain Saniya Mirwani.
Previously, the cheerleading team focused solely on sideline cheer, but now, we are competing against other schools in California, Mirwani said.
“It’s a competitive environment,” Mirwani said. “It takes away the feel that we’re doing this for a crowd, and it’s more like we’re doing this to represent the school and win,”
The team has been asking for this change for a while, according to coach Maecy Williams.
“We wanted to give the girls an opportunity to use all their skills, techniques, dances and compete to get feedback on how they can improve,” Williams said.
Co-captain Alexa Garcia explained the dance sets are now more difficult due to rising competition levels for high-school competitive cheer.
“It’s completely different than the set we do for half-times,” Garcia said. “Half-time dances are for entertainment, and are more flowy, while competitive dances are faster and much more precise.”
The dances are created by a choreographer, who examines the competition rubrics to come up with dances and stunts that would receive the maximum level of points, Williams said.
“We give them the hardest ones and see if they can work their way up to it,” Williams said. “If they can’t, we modify it to go a little lower.”
Junior Kaylynn Dang said the teams are judged based on their stunt’s skill level and the team’s accuracy in performing the stunt.
“Every team has two pyramids where everyone is connected, as well as two individual stunts,” Dang said. “If your knees are bent, or you don’t have the right technique, that’s when you get docked points.”
As a result of the stunt-based nature of competitive cheer, there have been big changes to the practice schedule, with practices and strength training occurring more frequently, Garcia said.
“We have practices every day except Friday,” Garcia said. “On Monday, it’s at 6:30 in the morning, while on Tuesday and Wednesday, we have 2-hour practices, depending on the coach’s schedule.”
There are benefits to both competitive and sideline cheer, Mirwani said. Competitive cheer takes more dedication and commitment, but sideline cheer is more light and fun, she added.
“I love sideline because you get to connect with the audience,” Mirwani said. “But for competition, I like the adrenaline of it.”.
Everyone on the team is happy about the change, according to Garcia.
“I think it’s a great change,” Garcia said. “A lot of people don’t see cheer as a sport, but since now we’re competing, it is technically a sport.”
The cheer team’s most recent competition was on December 7th, at the Branham High School Invitational, said Williams.
“We’re super proud of the girls for their first competition,” said Williams. “We can’t wait to see all that they will accomplish.”