If there could only be one word to describe this year’s cheerleading squad, it would have to be perseverance. The squad was composed of freshmen and sophomores from two separate high schools. They didn’t have the leadership of upperclassmen and they had to put their trust in other students they had never met or even seen before.
Their hard work and determination paid off on February 19th and 20th when they won the entire competition in Galveston becoming National Champions. They couldn’t have set a better reputation for the GRHS cheer squad. The expectations for the new squad this upcoming school year are sky-high after the sqaud’s ultimate victory.
“[The goal is] to be as good as we currently have [been] (if not better), strive through to work our hardest and to be our best,” said cheerleading coach Mrs. Thomas about the squad’s goal for next year.
However, their season began long before school was even in session. This summer the girls attended summer cheer camp here, where they learned the basics of cheerleading. After they mastered that, they headed to Sam Houston State University to attend an official camp where they met with other cheer teams from across the state. The squad not only learned valuable skills but they also bonded with each other and gained new friendships.
“It was like a little reunion of friends, and we got to see a bunch of other high schools and we admired their skills. The whole time we just strived to be as good as they were,” said sophomore cheerleader, Ciara Jasso.
When school finally started they worked just as hard cheering at various football and basketball games. They also led the spirit parades down Main Street and performed in many pep rallies. As the fall began to turn into winter, the cheerleaders began working on their competition routines. Despite how easy they make it look, the cheerleaders put in tons of effort to perfect their stunts and routines.
“We worked at…a competitive gym,” said Mrs. Thomas. “We worked about two hours a week. We would train, stunt; we’d just run through the routine and just practice, practice, practice.”
They went to five competitions this season winning second place at their first competition, first place at their second, Grand Champions at their third, and fifth place at their fourth. To top off the season, they won National Champions at their final competition. The squad exceeded everyone’s expectations this year with these phenomenal achievements.
“They did a great job for…being a brand new team from different schools,” said Mrs. Thomas. “They really worked hard together and have become national champions.”
Having won many competitions and earning such an outstanding reputation, it is hard for Mrs. Thomas to say what the best moment of the season was.
“There are lots of good moments; we had football season, camp, competitions, basketball. I wouldn’t really say there was a best moment. We had great times throughout the whole year,” said Mrs. Thomas.