Throughout the last few weeks of March, the underclassmen and rising middle schoolers came to the practice gym at NFHS and had clinics to prepare them for cheerleading tryouts. Clinics were held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and were taught by the seniors leaving in May.

The first day of clinics was Friday, March 18, and students learned the tryout material. The clinics continued into the following week, cleaning and polishing the routines.

Students were separated into grade-level groups, and their motions were tight in each tryout section.

On Tuesday, March 22, the interested students were paired into groups of four or five, with someone rotating in and out, so they could practice stunts. After practicing their stunts, they got put into another group of three or four. This group was their tryout group. Then, they were able to practice how they would execute the routine with their group, including how they would run out and spirit and which member would go on which ripple.

Next, students followed the tryout date where all the training counted.

The routine consisted of the band chant, game day cheer and dance. Once a group spirited in, they would do the band chant followed by the game day cheer, ending with the dance. The jumps the cheerleaders had to do were a toe touch and a leap of their choice.

After a group had finished all the material and jumps, the coaches asked the group if anyone had standing tumbling. If not, then the group would spirit out, and if a group did or a member did, the group waited as they went one by one to demonstrate what they had. After that, they could spirit out. Students had to wait until the coaches said they could go in case the coaches needed a second look at them.

The coaches released the teams on March 26. Junior Alyssa Hazen (a rising senior for the 2022-2023 season) made the varsity football cheer team. She has cheered since her sophomore year and was in varsity basketball and football last year. “Varsity football cheer means cheering under the stadium lights on Friday nights and being able to do what I love with the people I love the most,” said Hazen.

Junior Genna Gunter (another rising senior) made the varsity basketball cheer team. Gunter has cheered since her freshman year for basketball cheer only. “Basketball cheer is where I can grow and be supported unconditionally. The people involved have given me so much encouragement and have made me a part of a family,” said Gunter. Everyone who made the team felt honored and happy to be on the team.