Being a cheerleader means having dignity and representing the school through your actions. Everyone on the team has to work as one to perform the dangerous stunts that take place almost every day. Trust, friendship and hard work are just a few of the qualities that cheerleaders must have. Through intense practices and team bonding exercises, the Manitou Springs High School Cheerleading team has never been stronger. The new coaches bring a new flavor to the team. Both coaches have been involved in cheerleading at Coronado High School and this has taught them advanced skills. They both participated in cheerleading throughout high school and college as well.

“[We do] A lot of work at practice and it’s going to be a great show. We worked so hard,” said Emily Combs (10). Combs is new to cheerleading, having only started this year. However, she finds it very enjoyable and was very excited for Leagues on Thursday, November 15 at James Irwin. After months of hard work, it paid off. The team took first in the COED division. It was their first win in many years and earned them a banner and plaque in the gym. The routine was described as “brilliantly executed” by Kayla Hendricks (9). Now, after the tremendous win, the team is now competing at state which takes place in December of this year in Denver. Clearly, they will have to pull off all the stunts in order to win.

Serena Holvenstot (9) said the cheerleaders have a mentally and physically hard practice almost every morning at 6 a.m., meaning the team has the passion to choose to get up at nearly every day at a very early hour. This shows the team has grit and a passion to succeed. On Wednesday, there is also tumbling practice. This unique practice takes place at trampoline world, where other schools such as Coronado also attend. This is to help the team be the best and cheerleaders they can be. A large portion of the team hasn’t cheered before, much like Combs. Yet each member seems to be improving greatly. Combs has expressed she’s getting better at doing flipping with the use of a secure harness. After the football season, the main cheerleading sport is over. The team is planning on cheering for basketball, hopefully, both male and female games.

“The routines are going to change slightly, but not that much,” Holvenstot said. Each routine includes flyers and countless stunts that keep the audience entertained throughout the whole show. Whether it’s scores or players the cheerleading team always makes a big splash. The cheerleading team also wants to enrich themselves in other communities, lead to having a sister team: The Air Force Academy Cheerleading team. This means that at the competition they cheer extremely loud for each other since that is a crucial part of the judging process. They also occasionally practice with each other.