2019 Basketball Cheerleading
Nathalia Davison
Nathalia Davison
Considering that the first game is on November 12th, basketball season is just around the corner. Tryouts for basketball cheerleading were held on September 18, 2019. This year there are eighteen varsity cheerleaders as well as twenty junior varsity cheerleaders. Coach Bell is the varsity coach, Coach Curran is the JV coach, and Coach Spiegel is the head coach over the whole cheerleading program.
This year, the basketball games are earlier than usual. “Four, I think,” Alisha Mitchell, Sophomore and JV Cheerleader at Hillgrove, tells how many practices they have until the first game. Every year, in every sport there is always some type of competition. “McEachern [for Varsity] like, okay then Marietta [for JV],” Jordan Bektemba, Sophomore and JV Cheerleader at Hillgrove, talks about potential competition this season. Performance needs to be great. Coach Katie Curran, Hillgrove literature teacher and Cheer Coach, says, “Excellent, as usual, because they have Coach Bell and myself,” talking about the Hillgrove cheerleaders. And for the basketball players, “I have the utmost faith that Hillgrove sports, we’re going to be amazing.”
Basketball players are not the only ones who prepare for the basketball games. “We work on the cheers we are having problem[s] with, or the [ones] we have, but need to be cleaned up,” Mitchell states. They also have to keep in mind the new cheerleaders on the team. “Well, as far as JV, we are definitely just working on bringing the freshman up to speed. We have a lot of awesome sophomores that are returning from last year that have got it down pat. So we’re just working on getting the freshman where they need to be, knowing all the cheers and looking sharp before [the first] game.” The cheerleaders practices are not just for perfecting cheers though. “Yea we do warm-ups. We do laps, we add one [lap] everyday until we get to 10. Then, after that we stretch, then sit ups, then sometimes [we] do planks and squats.”
Fans get a super fun, or not, experience at the games, but what about the cheerleaders? “I feel hype at the game, ready to buck, and [I] love to get hype with my girls. I love it,” Mitchell states. Although they may get a rush, they also have to keep some things in mind. “Definitely always stay focused on the game so that you know what is happening with the plays and the boys [as well as the girls]. Also it’s very important that all the cheerleaders understand that they are out there representing Hillgrove. So they need to do that to the best of their ability by staying positive and cheering on our team in a positive way,” Curran states. Bektemba thinks, “That we’re here for fun, not because we have to be. And to keep smiling and just enjoy yourself.”
This year, there are less JV games. Come out to as many JV games as possible and show support for not only the players, but the cheerleaders as well. Do not forget about the varsity games too!
This year, the basketball games are earlier than usual. “Four, I think,” Alisha Mitchell, Sophomore and JV Cheerleader at Hillgrove, tells how many practices they have until the first game. Every year, in every sport there is always some type of competition. “McEachern [for Varsity] like, okay then Marietta [for JV],” Jordan Bektemba, Sophomore and JV Cheerleader at Hillgrove, talks about potential competition this season. Performance needs to be great. Coach Katie Curran, Hillgrove literature teacher and Cheer Coach, says, “Excellent, as usual, because they have Coach Bell and myself,” talking about the Hillgrove cheerleaders. And for the basketball players, “I have the utmost faith that Hillgrove sports, we’re going to be amazing.”
Basketball players are not the only ones who prepare for the basketball games. “We work on the cheers we are having problem[s] with, or the [ones] we have, but need to be cleaned up,” Mitchell states. They also have to keep in mind the new cheerleaders on the team. “Well, as far as JV, we are definitely just working on bringing the freshman up to speed. We have a lot of awesome sophomores that are returning from last year that have got it down pat. So we’re just working on getting the freshman where they need to be, knowing all the cheers and looking sharp before [the first] game.” The cheerleaders practices are not just for perfecting cheers though. “Yea we do warm-ups. We do laps, we add one [lap] everyday until we get to 10. Then, after that we stretch, then sit ups, then sometimes [we] do planks and squats.”
Fans get a super fun, or not, experience at the games, but what about the cheerleaders? “I feel hype at the game, ready to buck, and [I] love to get hype with my girls. I love it,” Mitchell states. Although they may get a rush, they also have to keep some things in mind. “Definitely always stay focused on the game so that you know what is happening with the plays and the boys [as well as the girls]. Also it’s very important that all the cheerleaders understand that they are out there representing Hillgrove. So they need to do that to the best of their ability by staying positive and cheering on our team in a positive way,” Curran states. Bektemba thinks, “That we’re here for fun, not because we have to be. And to keep smiling and just enjoy yourself.”
This year, there are less JV games. Come out to as many JV games as possible and show support for not only the players, but the cheerleaders as well. Do not forget about the varsity games too!
