Oakmont‘s cheerleaders have been working hard during practices and over the summer to prepare to cheer at football games, rallies, and competitions.

“We work so hard on routines so it’s a nice feeling when we finish a routine and are happy with it,” sophomore Bianca Barrios said.

The cheerleaders train vigorously through daily practices on their own time. Some have started cheering as young as 4 years old. Cheer is able to give the participants an opportunity to be more present in school activities as they cheer at various school events.

“I’ve built many friendships with my teammates throughout the years…we all hang out before the games and do dinners and activities together,” varsity captain, senior Allisa Graham said.

These cheerleaders are not only cheering on the sidelines or at rallies, but they are also building friendships and developing long term relationships among each other that help the team work more efficiently. They create bonds that are able to last a lifetime.

“My favorite part of cheer is stunting because I’m a flyer, and I think it’s really fun while [also] challenging me,” sophomore Bailey Townsend said.

The captains work together to choreograph the routines and also work with as many people as they can to teach them what they came up with. They make sure everyone is happy with what is being put out and that they are comfortable and confident doing the dances and stunts. With competitions coming up, they are hard at work perfecting and practicing their routines and adding a little spice to put them on top.

“Cheer has taught me a lot about hard work and perseverance and how to work with other people, while also giving me opportunities to be a leader,” varsity captain, senior Jenna Reppas said.