The team has big smiles midway through the routine as they are debuting their new uniforms.
Nerves run high as the team makes their way to warmups before they compete. (Maksymilian Antalovtsi)
Sunday Dec 10 marked the first competition for Palatine High School varsity cheerleading. Teams from all over the north Chicago suburbs gathered at Stevenson high school for one thing; three minutes on the mat.
For Palatine, a vast array of feelings fill the athlete’s emotions.
“It’s bittersweet that it’s my first-last competition as a high school cheerleader,” senior Téa Esguerra-Jones said. “I’m excited to end this year on a good note.”
For other athletes, the first competition is a completely new experience.
“To be on varsity my freshman year is not something I expected for myself,” freshman Christian Gaspard said. “I was just a runner before joining cheer so I’m just as surprised as you are!”
The dynamic of the high school is high energy and sparkles everywhere. As teams walk past one another, they tell each other good luck. It’s common etiquette to wish other teams good luck, even if you are competing against them.
The lineup before going on the mat is the most nerve intensive. At that moment, every skill is warmed up and you are just waiting for the moment you are called on the floor.
“Waiting in the hallway gives me so much anxiety,” Gaspard said. “I’m sweating, I’m thinking about the routine, and I’m trying to stay focused.”
For the coaches, the wait is the best part for team bonding and connection. The wait is what brings the team closer together.
“Yes the wait is scary,” junior varsity coach Becky Bobbit said. “But that’s when you come together with the team to hype each other up and stay grounded before the routine.”
Overall, Palatine placed seventh out of twelve teams. Setting the tone for the work to be put in for the coed challenge at Belvidere North on Friday Dec 15.
Lindsey Christopher is a senior at Palatine High School. This is her first year on PHS Cutlass as an editor. Along with being involved in journalism, Christopher is also an athlete, having done cheer for the past 10 years. She is very passionate about her sport, as well as reading, exercise and wellness. Christopher has also been involved in tennis, freshman and sophomore class, and the principal advisory board. She is also a very independent person and always strives for perfection. In her free time, she enjoys baking sourdough bread, spending time with friends, and watching movies with her family. She hopes to attend NYU to study law.
