Photo by Elly Herrick, Editor-in-Chief
Article by Keila Perez, Staff Writer
While many people over winter break got a chance to relax, go on vacation, sleep in and just take a break, many of the athletes kept coming into the building to keep in shape and stay on top of their game.
One of those groups was Indian Trail’s Varsity Cheerleaders, so they could get as much practice in before competition season began in early 2022.
It’s team captain Nyesha Aguilar’s favorite time of the year for cheering. Aguilar, a Communications senior, said she enjoys tumbling and stunting he most.
Meanwhile, Eboni Bernard, a Communications junior and also a captain, stated that her favorite part about cheerleading is being with her friends and the girls.
Cheer coach Kayla Estevez said she chose Bernard and Aguilar as captains because of their commitment to cheer and their skill.
“I choose team captains based on who shows dedication and who shows that they know all the cheer skills at an advanced level,” Estevez said.
Bernard became interested in cheerleading as a way to get involved in her school.
“I just wanted to be part of the school spirit, and I really like the dance and tumbling,” Bernard said.
She especially enjoys the basketball season because she loves the sport and following the team.
The cheer team has made it through many changes this season, including dealing with cheering during a pandemic. Estevez said she is proud of how the girls were able to push through the challenges, whether it meant changing the routines, putting in more practice, or learning new techniques.
Coach Estevez talked about what the team does to prepare before they even step on the mat. They begin with their chants, run laps and huddle together to give advice and positivity. Then they practice their jumps.
“So that when we compete, we are ready to go. We are ready to make sure no one is going to fall, and we trust each other…just be a team,” Estevez said.
Estevez shared what she loves about cheer and her favorite part of being a cheer coach as well.
“I like being able to watch the girls grow, most importantly, and now that we are going into competition season it’s going to be really fun to see them on the mat. Competing, just having fun and hopefully winning,” Estevez said.
“I love everything about it, just getting to know the girls, building relationships, seeing them get their uniforms for the first time,” she added. “It’s just all this new experience for the team and seeing new girls grow and get to move up to varsity.”
Along with all the fun of cheerleading, there is also the moment when the senior cheerleaders begin to think about leaving, a time for the younger girls to step up. Aguilar shared what she will miss the most about cheerleading.
“Being a senior, I’ll probably miss just the family-oriented feeling,” Aguilar said. “Eboni and the girls. That’s what I’ll miss.”
The younger cheerleaders also reflected on what the thought of the seniors leaving and no longer having that guidance and experience.
“I’m going to miss all the seniors because they are all leaving,” Bernard said. “We have a lot of seniors on the team, so it’s going to be really sad next year.”