Behind the pom-poms and glittery uniforms, San Marin’s Cheer squad gathers both on the field and in the community to organize activities to try to bring members together beyond performances.
This year, their goal is to go beyond a performance. Their activities focus on building connections among students and promoting school spirit.
Preparation begins months before the first game. Training starts during summer camp and open gym sessions, where they learn initial routines and begin conditioning. Practices include sideline cheers, stunts, and halftime performances. Groups of players create new routines, selecting music, choreography, stunts, and counts that work for the entire team. After tryouts conclude and the roster is set, the team begins practice.
Junior Varsity Cheerleader Sophia Babbler has been cheering for three years and knows the dedication it takes.
“It’s a lot of work putting together a routine, and it can take a lot of time, but it’s so great when it’s finished,” Babbler said.
Junior Varsity co-captain Abby Veccaro has been a part of cheer for one year and believes it is an underappreciated sport.
“Don’t look down on cheer, it’s a sport. We put just as much effort in as other athletes; we are out there in the baking sun and throwing literal humans in the air,” Veccaro said.
“The impact cheer has is so beneficial; football wouldn’t be what it is without cheer. It wouldn’t be as exciting or have the same atmosphere.”
Varsity Cheer coach Kristen Wright hopes to see both teams doing traditional pep rally-style dances with more stunts and, in doing so, creating more engagement with the crowd.
“I want to bring traditions back to the school, and to create connections that the school can be proud of,” Wright said. “I want to bring back traditional school spirit and rally styles, with crowd engagement.”
Funding is an ongoing challenge; they do not get any substantial funding from the district or sponsors. Efforts like the annual popcorn sale and car wash can help bring in some funds. This year, the car wash sales brought in $2,500. Most of this money will go to funds for summer camp, and not equipment for cheer.
“Uniforms cost $1,400, and then we have to buy shoes, poms, and then travel prices, like gas,” Veccaro said.
With the amount of out-of-pocket expenses, this raises the question of whether funding limits athletes from joining the program. Coach Wright agrees that the expenses can limit athletes from joining the program.
“It 100 percent limits who can join, and it shouldn’t be this way,” Wright said. “But we’re aiming towards doing loaner uniforms, so hopefully next year this won’t be an issue.”
As the season comes to a close, these qualities will remain at the heart of the team’s impact, both on and off the field.