El Capitan cheer has held up a reputation from the very beginning. The team has only improved over the generations. Bringing home a national champion title last year only proved this further. This year the team has worked hard to own up to this title, preparing to win it a second time. Saturday, December 2nd, was the first competition of the season. Varsity put in the work leading up to this date, all the while keeping in mind that while you may not be able to judge a book by its cover, first impressions are everything and that first page needs to be brilliant. Every single lap ran, every high kick, every jump, every run through, every four hour practice had to be worth it.

  If you have ever participated in a sport, you know what it is like to be a part of a team. You also know what it’s like to dedicate yourself to something that will make you work 110% in order to achieve your goal. Cheerleading is viewed in many different perspectives. Some may think cheer just means to wave around sparkly pom-poms and cheer on the ‘real sports’. Others know that cheer is just as much of a real sport as football or soccer. The definition of sport: an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. Cheer requires skill that few people actually have, and those that do obtain this skill still need to be built up both mentally and physically to even make it through one day of practice. Even more so, to be prepared for a competition. Some people wonder, what is a cheer competition? A cheer competition is an event where teams from all over meet up and are split up into divisions based on ability and/or skill level. These teams have to perform a routine that has been worked to perfection, in front of a panel of judges that will evaluate the routines. A certain amount of points are obtained for different sections of the routines. These scores determine what rank you are in awards. The team with the highest score in their division wins first place. The amount of teams you compete against can range anywhere from one to one hundred other teams. The goal is to beat them all. El Capitan puts in work everyday after school at practices that range from two to six hours! We overcome struggles and work together to be the best team we can be. We put aside everything: illness, family, friends,  and we all work towards a common goal...first place.

  At 6:30 am multiple cars pulled into the parking lot at El Capitan High School. The team left  the warmth of their vehicles and entered the school wrapped in blankets and backpacks. It was December 2nd, the day of the first competition. The team arranged to meet at the school early Saturday morning to get in one more hour of practice before loading onto the bus. The team had been having some struggles. There were issues with the routine, and people were sick and tired and stressed. However, as stated previously, in order to be a part of an advanced team like ours you must forget about the struggles and put in 110%. The short practice was successful, and the team loaded the bus worry free. The drive to Union City is about 2 hours not including traffic and the food stop. As usual varsity pulled up to an In-N-Out Burger. El Capitan’s varsity team made it a tradition to stop at In-N-Out whenever they have an out of town activity. It’s meant to be good luck, and it must be working. After the food stop the bus continued to James Logan High School where the competition was being held. Many of the team members were nervous upon arrival.The large cheering crowds, the stern and serious panel of judges, and the giant mat surrounded by loud speakers and cameras will definitely give you a reason to be.

  Coach Jacque led the team outside the warm up area. El Cap knows that by stretching and warming up parts of the routine outside prior to warm ups, you can save essential time. Every team is given 7 minutes to use a mat backstage in the warm up area to prepare their routines one last time before performing in front of the judges. The team must wait patiently as tension builds and more and more people get that sinking feeling. Other teams were dropping stunts and making other mistakes which can create more stress before performing. When El Cap took the mat, they owned it. Another team cheered them on from the side, promoting the notion of good sportsmanship. After the short seven minutes of warm up time the teams go ‘on deck’. The ‘on deck’ area is usually a hallway or tunnel that leads to the main performance area. Teams wait on deck to be called out the the mat to perform in front of the judges and the crowd. El Capitan takes the time on deck to pray and fulfill all their other lucky superstitions such as lucky stunt group handshakes, or retying your shoes twice before performing. Once the team was called out, they set up for the cheer. The crowd was roaring, parents calling out their kids’ names from the stands. El Capitan’s varsity cheer team hit once again!

  After the performance El Capitan waits it out while other teams perform. At every competition there is an awards ‘ceremony’. All the teams at the competition take a seat on the mat. It is common for teams to form circles, hold hands, bow their heads, etc. The judges have already evaluated all the teams in each division and the announcers receive the scores from the judges and announce the winning teams accordingly. The announcers will first announce the division, and then each team that competed in the division. After the shout outs, they announce who won first place, second place, third place, and so on. After a team is announced they are awarded with a plaque and ribbons for every member of the team. At the larger competitions you may receive trophies, jackets, backpacks, or even rings. El Capitan competes in the large varsity coed show cheer division. El Capitan was awarded with first place and the highest score in El Capitan cheer history! What a way to start the season..EC what..EC squad!