There is more to Florida than just the beach and parties. This February, the Varsity Shadow Ridge Cheerleading Team will be traveling to Orlando to compete in the National High School Cheerleading Championship, hosted by the Universal Cheerleaders Association. The event is considered one of the most prestigious cheerleading competitions in the United States.
Due to the competitive nature of the sport and more specifically, the competition, it won’t be too easy. First they will have to qualify and continue to strive for perfection in everything that they do. Sophomore Harper Wright is a varsity cheerleader at Shadow Ridge High School looking forward to this competition and challenge. Wright started cheerleading in the 5th grade, since then she has been in love with it.
“I think something individually I want to work on would be building more confidence in our routine and trying to perfect it,” Wright stated.
The cheerleaders are some of the most competitive athletes at Shadow Ridge due to their hard work and dedication. The year round competition and practice creates a team culture that expects the best effort of these athletes. This culture helps them prepare for February when they hope to win the National High School Cheerleading Championship. Ayla Madsen, also a sophomore at Shadow Ridge, isn’t new to these expectations. Madsen made varsity cheerleading as a freshman and is an important part of the team, even as a sophomore she is a leader and sets good examples for others.
“Our goal as a team would definitely be to win and give it our full effort,” Madsen says. “We always want to try and give our best effort and hope to win.”
The cheerleaders are a tight knit group of friends who support each other and push each other to be the best they can. In 5th period ceramics Madsen and Wright help each other to stay on top of their work and not fall behind even when faced with long days of cheer. These two strive to put the student in student-athlete and prepare their future after high school.
Leilani Chanes, the head coach of the Shadow Ridge Cheerleading program said, “I think the cheerleaders learn lots of life skills from cheer. They learn to be responsible, dedicated, and how to manage their time.”
Chanes helps prepare athletes for future life by promoting good habits and life skills. They learn to manage heavy work loads which is a beneficial skill for schooling and careers after high school. Cheerleading is one of the longest sports seasons as they cheer the majority of the year, they become dedicated athletes who work hard throughout the year. While cheerleading and preparing for competitions like these are difficult tasks and a big commitment it also has a fun and social atmosphere for the athletes.
“One thing I look forward to other than competing would be spending time with my friends,” Wright mentioned. “I love being able to travel with my best friends and do things as a team.”
Wright has made many memories while traveling with her teammates and hopes to make even more in February when she and her teammates travel to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex located in the Walt Disney World Resort. The team has been very successful and plans on continuing that tradition of excellence, they work hard everyday to prepare and make this trip a successful one. The cheerleading team is one of Shadow Ridge’s best programs and one of the most hard working, dedicated, groups of students.
