It’s that time of year! The cheer tryout informational meeting was held on Monday, Jan. 27 at 6:00 p.m. in the CTE building. Students must have attended this meeting with a parent/guardian to try out in March.
“We went over the contract and what the expectations are to be a cheerleader, what the requirements are, if you’re passing and you’re behaving and kind of what the timeline looks like,” head cheerleader Anna Claire Mckenzie said. “Even if you’re not 100% sure if you want to try out, but you’re considering it, you have to come to the meeting to get the information because a lot of the questions will be answered that night.”
Students trying out must have four teacher referrals, be academically eligible (passing all classes), and demonstrate good conduct. The meeting serves as a way to help students and parents gain a better understanding of what it means to be a cheerleader.
“We just walked through the whole tryout process itself and what that week will look like, what the actual tryout itself will look like, and then when they would find out about cheer,” cheer coach Laura Hairston said. “So it’s logistics, but it’s also culture and them kind of getting to know me too.”
Following the informational meeting is a cheer clinic that will allow students the chance to learn important material, practice stunts, and prepare for the upcoming tryouts. Additionally, middle school and JV cheerleaders can take private lessons to help prepare them for tryouts and build confidence.
“I have the privilege of coaching private lessons for middle school and JV cheerleaders,” McKenzie said. “It is considered my side hustle, but I have been able to grow relationships with those girls and be a mentor to them, not just helping them with cheer.”
Students have ample time to prepare for the upcoming tryouts on March 22, and even if a student doesn’t make the team this year, there’s always next year to try again.
“I’m going to prepare for cheer tryouts by going to Anna Claire’s lessons,” eighth-grade cheerleader Ruby Runnels said. “It’s okay if you don’t make it the first year because you can try out later on and you’re going to get better the more you do it, so don’t not try out because you think that you’re not good enough yet.”
The cheer team plays a vital role in school spirit, with their energetic presence at football games, pep rallies, and the Christmas and Spring shows.
“I’m excited for pep rallies because we get to see the new cheerleaders in action,” junior Xianna Kendell said.
The cheer team’s energy is felt not only by the football team and students but by other school organizations as well.
“Cheer is another sort of family that drill team gets to have,” junior Dragonette Peyton Jacks said. “It’s like a whole other sisterhood that you get to learn more about and it’s just a great experience to be a part of.”
With consistent preparation and practice expected from them in these upcoming weeks, Coach Hairston reminds cheerleaders to not lose sight of what cheerleading should be.
“I want it to be a fun experience for them,” Hairston said. “I also want them to remember that, whether they make it or not, it doesn’t define them. At the end of the day, they’re young women, they’re beautiful, they’re confident, and that’s what I want them to bring to their tryout.”
