A cheerleader’s work is never done. After a six month season full of commitments from routines under the beaming football stadium lights to crafting banners for basketball players, the cheerleading season concluded on March 15. After a brief postseason, the team prepares for the new season – transitioning into captain elections and tryouts.
Although the team is months away from performing at games again, tryouts took place March 25 and 26, sorting out next year’s Varsity and JV. Juniors Mary Noblitt, Liza Martinez, and Mairin Putnam as captains alongside next season’s team results.
As a returning varsity cheerleader, Putnam ran for captain alongside five other candidates. She expressed that she has a mature understanding for what falls on her shoulders by taking up this leadership role.
“Some of the captain’s responsibilities are helping the new girls and trying to push everyone to be their best so that everyone feels confident and good in their performance,” Putnam said. “I want to be a part of that and overall have more team bonding to bring a positive atmosphere too.”
Though the current senior captains’ season has concluded, they continue to help the squad practice new material during tryout routines, which include different partner combinations, moves to memorize and choreographed tumbles.
Building on past-season progress with tryout material is intended to build trust and communication within the new team.
Putnam’s criteria for tryouts values both skill and the character of each person.
“What makes a good cheerleader is not solely the amount of skill that you have, it is also the amount of effort,” Putnam said. “Talent is one thing, but a lot of it comes down to stage presence and potential. Your attitude and how you present yourself as a person matters more than people think.”
Practices for the new squad begins in April with the new captains teaching the fundamentals. Over the summer the entire team will then unite for cheer camps and competition to further prepare for the fall.
After tryouts, each cheerleader is notified about which level they have been selected to through a letter along with two to three JV and Varsity captains. Graduating senior captain Seri Steinbrecher shared how there is potential to be a leader outside of the position as individuality impacts the team culture.
“We have leaders all around, whether it’s first year sophomores or other seniors that weren’t captains,” Steinbrecher said. “Everyone brings their own individuality and when we work as a team, I think that everyone has the ability to be the leader in their own way.”
