Few words get the knots in the stomach going like, “Attention students, cheer tryouts will start today.” After the end of a season, all the cheerleaders just wait until they hear these announcements to see if they have the chance to return for another season.

This year tryouts ran from April 9th to April 14th. The cheer team is made into three groups; freshman, JV, and Varsity. Second year Advisor, Laura Vasquez wanted to add around 30 cheerleaders into each group to make a total of 90 girls. Advisor Vasquez inputs, “Having more out on that field all in sinc putting on an amazing performance looks spectacular.”

The tryout process consisted of a week of learning a dance taught by a coach seeing how well they are able to quickly pick up choreography and execute under pressure. Each day the candidates learn a certain amount of 8-counts and every day after they add on another set to the one previously learned, until eventually they complete the minute routine. When Friday comes around the dance is nearly completed, the whole practice is filled with the music on loop. Each potential squad performs for one another and Varsity being the highest rank, has to set standards prepping for the actual tryout day in which they go first.

When Saturday comes around the nerves are high. All participants with their white shirts, hair tied up out of their face, and black bottoms wait anxiously to get called into the dance room to give it their one time shot to show off their facials, flexibility, and ability to execute the dance for a chance to make the Alisal Cheer Team. This year the candidates weren’t told if they made the team or not the same day, these girls and boys had to wait until Monday to find out the results. Three boys tried out for this season, one on each level. Out of the three boys, freshman Gustavo Canizal made it to the JV team.

Canizal tried out because he thought it would be fun. He said he didn’t expect any other boys to tryout because they think it’s “girly”. “My friends are cheerleaders and they were really supportive. They told me it would be fun to tryout with them. It was really fun,” he said.

On Monday, April 15, the list was up and tears were out. On the Frosh and JV teams, 29 made it, while on Varsity, 31 girls were kept, tallying 89 girls to start off the team. Incoming junior, Adriana Ramirez tried out for the JV team, and made it her first year of cheering. Adriana said, “I finally built up the courage to tryout and I loved the vibe of it. I’m super excited and ready to see what the year brings.” Canizal said he was nervous, but confident about the results because he thought he did good.

The happy 89 start off with a long summer ahead of them. During the summer each participant gets conditioned for the upcoming football season. In those two months the new squads learn cheers, get in shape, and with the last few weeks begin to learn the jamboree dance. Since the moment theses cheerleaders make the team they will have no time off. Current Alisal senior Monserrath Ramirez, will be assistant JV coach for this next upcoming season. She says, “This will be a new experience for me and it might be a little challenging at first but spending all summer long doing what I love with people who love doing the same thing will totally be worth it.”

By Jennifer Cendejas