The New Providence Cheer team, led by coach Marciano and assistant coach Kinsella, has been making large strides in skills this year, and their progress is reflected in their performances at football games, as well as their crowd leading and school spirit on the sidelines.
To get an early start on the season, Fall team tryouts were held in June before the conclusion of the year. Furthermore, the cheer team was also permitted to practice throughout the summer, which let them practice techniques such as dance, jumps, and stunting, and to begin working on the halftime routine that is displayed at home football games.
Jaidyn Hom, who has been a cheerleader for the past six years, said: “Summer workouts were really beneficial to the team because we were able to get an early start on our routine and were able to develop skills that we haven’t had in past years. The workouts really helped us get ahead and has allowed us to become better at our individual and group skills.”
This year’s captains are Riley Weid, Danielle Formichella, Jaidyn Hom, and Isabella Deluca.
According to Deluca, “The team is a lot better than it has been, especially for the fall season. Our teams have been working hard all summer and the skills our cheerleaders have developed are strong. The skills we have now are the skills we don’t usually have developed until the end of winter.”
Deluca is “really excited for the senior night and more fun games with my team.”
The cheer team just had a joint fundraiser with the football team. These fundraisers are pivotal to cheer as some of the equipment needed, such as props or mats, cost large sums of money.
Formichella said: “Fundraising is very important for the cheer team because we do not have as big of a budget as other sports so if we need to replace or repair any equipment or uniforms or if we need to purchase anything, we need to fundraise to get enough money to do so.”
Formichella, who has been cheering for the past 12 years, explained the benefits of the sport: “I’ve been cheering as long as I have because I love cheer. I love being able to learn new skills and grow and connect with the team. Cheer has been such a great experience for me and has helped me so much, and I couldn’t imagine not doing cheer.”
The team has also begun to practice and develop their routine for the winter season, which is when the Varsity cheer team competes against other schools and teams for awards. For many cheerleaders, this is the best season because you are able to put all your hard work on display and get judged accordingly.
According to Weid, competition cheer is fun, but it doesn’t compare to being on the sidelines: “I enjoy the fall season more than winter because I love the football environment and all the extra activities that come with fall.”
For Weid, the main takeaway from this fall season is the very definition of cheerleading: “the importance of supporting your teammates and creating bonds with the team.”