From putting each other up in the air to flipping their body over on command, our Competition Cheerleading team never fails to impress. As they work hard to show the best of themselves out there, they never go unnoticed while representing our school. Now that cheer season is over, we have the chance to go behind the scenes and learn what it’s like to be a part of the cheerleading program here at Apopka.

“Competitive cheerleading is when cheer squads compete against each other at a competition. At a typical cheerleading competition, teams perform a 2 and a half minute routine with music that includes stunts, jumps, tumbling. Teams are judged by a panel of cheerleading experts on difficulty and execution,” said our Head Cheerleading Coach, Ms. Bercegeay. Since cheerleading is clearly a very close contact sport, some things had to be changed for this year’s season. Luckily, they were able to pull through.

Despite the changes, Coach Bercegeay says she was still extremely excited to compete, saying that she had an amazing group of girls who worked hard despite the kinks that were put into their season. A competitive cheerleading routine may look like fun, as there is always something going on from start to finish, but it is not as easy as it looks. The team typically learns their routine at cheer camp and usually has about a month until season starts, but that wasn’t the case this year. “We were not allowed to practice during summer, and we only had a few weeks before our first competition to learn and practice our routine.”

Even with their practice time being cut extremely short, our cheerleaders have done the best they ever have this season. They put their hearts into everything they did and did not let anything get in their way of success. “We won 1st place at West Orange Classic, and we even scored high enough at Regionals to earn us a spot at States again this year. I have never been more proud as a coach.” Like every other sports team, the bond that these cheerleaders have with each other is like no other. Many have grown up doing cheer together, and to this day still have their shared passion. With their constant laughs and inside jokes, there is no doubt that these girls are extremely close. “This year was definitely the most fun I’ve had in the past four years on the team,” said Senior Emily Wilson.

Now that their season has come to an end, we see how determined our cheerleading program actually is. They are more than just pretty faces with uniforms and pom poms; they are hard-working individuals who are more than what meets the eye. And as the lovely Freshman coach says, “Love, Peace, and hair grease!”