Current Cheerleaders Prepare for Upcoming Try-outs

Junior Paige Kovarik has always been nervous for cheerleading try-outs. Ever since not making it freshman year, she has known that being a part of the team every year is not a guarantee. 

Trying out again as a sophomore, she was still nervous, but felt more confident.

“I had practiced a lot with friends so I was more confident than I was in the past for sure,” Kovarik said.

This spring, Kovarik, currently a JV cheerleader, will be trying out for one of the 20 spots on the varsity cheerleading squad. 

“I’m kind of nervous for this year,” Kovarik said. “My only option is limited to varsity. It’s a great group of girls so I really hope I make it so I can be with them again. I’m hoping for the best.”

The try-outs consist of three different sections: a dance, a cheer and a chant. There is also an optional tumbling section, for cheerleaders to demonstrate flips and other tricks if they are able to.

“It’s not a requirement,” Kovarik. “If you don’t do it then it won’t hurt you at the try outs but it definitely helps.”

Freshman Jessica Mier remembers trying out for cheer last spring in eighth grade and thinking she wouldn’t make the team.

“I thought I did really bad on the jumps in the cheer,” said Mier. “Like when I did my toe touch and herkie.”

Now trying out for her sophomore year, Mier is especially nervous since there will be no sophomore squad next year due to the district cutting sophomore teams in most sports, including cheerleading. This means she will have to make the JV  team along with 15 to 20 other girls for next year.

“I think it’s mostly because of budget cuts,” Mier said. “It’ll be harder to make it for next year, though.”

Freshman cheerleader Erika Levy remembers the try-outs last spring being fairly easy, but is also nervous about having the make the JV squad.

“I’m assuming you have to be able to do everything that we did this year except our counts have to be a little bit better, we have to be sharper, a little louder,” Levy said. “Pretty much everything we did last year, just better.”

Try-out clinics will be held for current ninth, tenth, and eleventh graders on Tuesday, April 19 and Wednesday, April 20 from 3 to 5 p.m. The try-outs will be Friday, April 22 at 3 p.m.