Cheerleaders Gear Up for Competition Season

-By: Annabel Schneider-
The cheerleading team helped inspire the boy’s football team to the FCIAC title this season. Now it’s their time to shine. As well as cheering for basketball, the winter cheer team will begin the season on Dec. 17 at 7pm at home against Trumbull and on Jan. 22 at the first competition at Sacred Heart University. Leading the team along with senior captain Ally Reis is her senior co-captain Michele DeCarlo (pictured).
“It was a lot of fun cheering for the football team. When they win, it makes it even better. We go to every game, so to be there for them when they won was great,” Michele said.
The winter season for cheerleading is similar to football in that they cheer for basketball; however, along with basketball the team goes to its own competitions. Cheer teams come and each one performs its routine and is it is scored. Then judges announce the scores.
“The fall season went pretty well. Our new coach is doing a wonderful job and we have definitely improved. I can say the program is going to be even better next year, seeing as this fall half of our team was new girls we were kind of limited because we had to teach so many people but they all did a great job,” DeCarlo said. “The winter season started last week and we have been doing pretty well. This year we are competing all-girl at FCIACs and I hope we can place top six out of the 13 teams there are. Personally I hope to get All-FCIAC in individuals.”
Michele said she may continue cheering next year if her college has an all-girl team, but not coed because in order to cheer coed, girls have to be flyers. Michele is a base.
“I love how cheerleading has so many different aspects and things built into it like dance and gymnastics. My favorite part is stunting (when we put people in the air).”
Neirad asked Michele who was the team’s biggest challenge this year. “At competition every team is our competition, but usually we just aim to get a better score than New Canaan, which we did last year."