We see them around school on game days, sporting glittery red outfits and sparkling silver pom-poms. Beyond that, a spirit radiates from the Carmel High School cheerleaders that many people notice is brighter than it has been in years, with higher participation and an upbeat attitude.
The team has even begun to compete in national-level competitions that they hope to make a more stable part of their routine. In their most recent competition in Las Vegas in January, the CHS cheerleaders won third place in their division, and they hope to do similarly well in their final competition in March, the United Spirit Association Nationals.
However, the CHS cheer team wasn’t always so successful. Cheer coach Leigh Cambra, who began her work with the team six years ago, recalls the team when she first picked up the job.
“I think there were about ten cheerleaders when I started. They were mostly older girls,” Cambra says. “When I took over, I tried to reach out to anyone interested in giving cheerleading a try.”
Senior Maria Domingo, who joined the team her freshman year and cheered through basketball season this year, remembers having a rough first year on the team.
“My first year, the varsity and JV teams were really separated,” Domingo says. “A lot of the girls on JV had never done cheerleading, and there were also a lot of problems between the older and younger girls, which negatively impacted the team. Around basketball season, so many people ended up quitting that there were only six of us left.”
The student body could see that the cheer team was struggling these years, but some team members note that instead of offering support, the team became the subject of jokes and ridicule.
“I know that the cheerleaders have been ridiculed in the past and still are now, but I feel like the hatred and making fun of the team is stopping,” says senior Lucia Wahl, who joined the team in her sophomore year and recently left after basketball season.
Thanks to the help of Cambra and her leadership, as well as a core group of girls who stuck with the program all four years of their high school careers, the team has recovered from these negative experiences.
“I think it’s always tough to try to get people to see something in a new way,” Cambra comments. “Fortunately, when this year’s seniors were freshmen, they showed up to cheer and helped restart the program.”
It wasn’t easy work, though, and the improvements the team has made have come from hours of hard practice. The team practices almost every day during football and basketball seasons, while also preparing for competitions.
“Depending on what’s going on that week, we may be learning a new dance, practicing a routine, increasing skills, learning cheers or conditioning,” Cambra explains. “On Mondays, the team even attends a tumbling class in Salinas.”
Another aspect that has contributed to this improvement is the effort for team bonding that Cambra, varsity captain Meg Schimmel and the rest of the team have made. The team makes time for these activities, like sleepovers, dinners and cheer camp.
“JV and varsity do a lot of things together now,” Domingo says. “We all compete as one team, and there’s not as much rivalry and definitely not any bullying toward the freshman like there was in past years.”
The team has also made it a mission to give back to the community, in doing things like yearly cheer clinics for kids, such as the one held this year during Make a Difference Day at CHS, and participating in the “I Love Me” campaign earlier this year with Pacific Grove High School cheerleaders.
As for goals for the rest of this year and future years, the team has high hopes for their upcoming competitions and wants to encourage more participation in coming years.
-EMILY WOLFSON
By EMILY WOLFSON
We see them around school on game days, sporting glittery red outfits and sparkling silver pom-poms. Beyond that, a spirit radiates from the Carmel High School cheerleaders that many people notice is brighter than it has been in years, with higher participation and an upbeat attitude.
The team has even begun to compete in national-level competitions that they hope to make a more stable part of their routine. In their most recent competition in Las Vegas in January, the CHS cheerleaders won third place in their division, and they hope to do similarly well in their final competition in March, the United Spirit Association Nationals.
However, the CHS cheer team wasn’t always so successful. Cheer coach Leigh Cambra, who began her work with the team six years ago, recalls the team when she first picked up the job.
“I think there were about ten cheerleaders when I started. They were mostly older girls,” Cambra says. “When I took over, I tried to reach out to anyone interested in giving cheerleading a try.”
Senior Maria Domingo, who joined the team her freshman year and cheered through basketball season this year, remembers having a rough first year on the team.
“My first year, the varsity and JV teams were really separated,” Domingo says. “A lot of the girls on JV had never done cheerleading, and there were also a lot of problems between the older and younger girls, which negatively impacted the team. Around basketball season, so many people ended up quitting that there were only six of us left.”
The student body could see that the cheer team was struggling these years, but some team members note that instead of offering support, the team became the subject of jokes and ridicule.
“I know that the cheerleaders have been ridiculed in the past and still are now, but I feel like the hatred and making fun of the team is stopping,” says senior Lucia Wahl, who joined the team in her sophomore year and recently left after basketball season.
Thanks to the help of Cambra and her leadership, as well as a core group of girls who stuck with the program all four years of their high school careers, the team has recovered from these negative experiences.
“I think it’s always tough to try to get people to see something in a new way,” Cambra comments. “Fortunately, when this year’s seniors were freshmen, they showed up to cheer and helped restart the program.”
It wasn’t easy work, though, and the improvements the team has made have come from hours of hard practice. The team practices almost every day during football and basketball seasons, while also preparing for competitions.
“Depending on what’s going on that week, we may be learning a new dance, practicing a routine, increasing skills, learning cheers or conditioning,” Cambra explains. “On Mondays, the team even attends a tumbling class in Salinas.”
Another aspect that has contributed to this improvement is the effort for team bonding that Cambra, varsity captain Meg Schimmel and the rest of the team have made. The team makes time for these activities, like sleepovers, dinners and cheer camp.
“JV and varsity do a lot of things together now,” Domingo says. “We all compete as one team, and there’s not as much rivalry and definitely not any bullying toward the freshman like there was in past years.”
The team has also made it a mission to give back to the community, in doing things like yearly cheer clinics for kids, such as the one held this year during Make a Difference Day at CHS, and participating in the “I Love Me” campaign earlier this year with Pacific Grove High School cheerleaders.
As for goals for the rest of this year and future years, the team has high hopes for their upcoming competitions and wants to encourage more participation in coming years.
