The Spirits Team presents new cheers and dances at football and basketball games this year.
New member of the spirit team, Keira Chang ’25, said she enjoys supporting the football team at away games, where the spirit team can spend time traveling together.
“I think it’s great to support our teams even when they are playing away games,” Chang said. “Travelling on the bus to support the football team was memorable for me as it is important to show support and cheer when opposing supporters try to discourage our sports teams.
Kai Harleston ’24 said it was difficult to build strong bonds between his teammates because practices mostly took place over Zoom.
“Without face-to-face interaction, I struggled to build chemistry [among]my teammates mostly because I was new to cheering,” said Harleston. “While the seniors last year still did a great job of making everyone feel included, I think being in person has helped us tremendously to understand each other’s tendencies and work together. “
Harleston also said she feels lucky that the team is currently able to attend more sporting events than last year.
“Now that [COVID-19] restrictions are [decreasing], we are able to attend more games and show our support for the teams,” said Harleston. “I really enjoy being on the pitch to cheer on, so this new school year has been very enjoyable for me.”
Fiona Kim ’24 said she had always hoped to join the spirit team and was happy to finally be part of the team.
“Dancing has always been a passion of mine since I was young,” Kim said. “I’ve seen the spirit team at football games since I started school in seventh grade, and I knew that once I got to high school, it was definitely something I wanted to participate in and to be a part of.”
Kim said she was proud of how close the team was and was excited to continue playing with her teammates this year.
“I’m so happy to see how close the team is already so early in the season,” Kim said. “Playing with my teammates is super fun and rewarding because we put so much time and effort into learning and practicing these dances, and it’s exciting to hear the cheers and excitement from the students and parents in the stands or bleachers when we play.”