Rosary Cheer takes on CIF

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The Rosary, Mater Dei, and Downey cheer teams having some fun at their joint practice. (Photo provided by Ally Carr)

Victoria Gomez, Staff Writer
January 20, 2023

The Rosary Academy Varsity Cheer Team made history last year by winning Rosary Academy’s first CIF Cheer Championships in the Gameday non-tumbling division. This Saturday, Rosary will be competing in the large division. Now, how have our Royals prepared for such a competition?

To prepare for CIF Regionals taking place this Saturday, the team started their week with a joint-practice with the Mater Dei and Downey High School cheer teams on their day off. If you can’t beat them, join them. Throughout that four hour practice, the teams performed their routines for each other as they received helpful critiques and encouragement from the other coaches and cheerleaders.

If a team didn’t hit their routine, they continued to perform it over and over again to get better. Junior cheerleader Jacee Baumann says, “I really enjoyed having the joint practice with Mater Dei and Downey. This is our second year doing this and it is such a great experience. We get to watch each other perform and cheer each other on. The bonds that some of us have created with the other teams are so special. I know we can rely on each other in Florida. I can’t wait to see them again!”

The three teams are always supportive of each other at every cheer competition leading to the creation of an unbreakable bond.

An action shot of the teams working on their consistency. (Photo taken by Tori Gomez ’23)

The Royals also have cheer practice three times a week. Throughout that time, they have had a lot of ups and downs. Just like any sport, frustration and exhaustion can take over after doing routines and drills over and over again. Co-captain Claire Heidelman ’24 explains that, “Practices are super hard sometimes and I can get frustrated with myself when I don’t hit a stunt or when my group is struggling with a certain skill, even though we have done it before. We get out of our mental block and give it our all as we work as a team and hit. Making it all worth it.” There is only one chance to perform and show the judges the routine, so a lot of pressure is at hand.

Overall, our Rosary Academy Varsity Cheer Team has done a lot to prepare for this important competition. We wish them the best of luck as they leave all of their hard work on the mats.