The week of March 11 was a life changing week for dozens of girls and boys from 8th to 11th grade as tryouts for the 2013-2014 cheerleading squads were held.
The FMHS cheerleaders can be placed in one of three squads. All incoming freshmen who make it join the freshman team. Returning members can make JV or Varsity.
Tryout week was used to learn the routines and hold tryouts. The hopefuls had to dedicate many long hours to the process.
Freshman and returning cheerleader Avery Erickson made the JV team for 2013-2014.
“We had tryout clinics to learn the cheer and dance, then on Wednesday we had show offs, and on Thursday we had tryouts,” Erickson said. “After school on Friday, we found out who made the team.”
To ensure the candidates were qualified, FMHS cheer had judges from the National Cheerleading Association come and judge the potential cheerleaders.
“The judges were NCA-certified and usually work at competition,” Peter Mungiguerra, a returning male cheerleader said. “They scored us on a scale of 1-100 for each category. They then add the values together, resulting in a score of up to 300.”
The week of tryouts was very strenuous, and put a lot of physical and mental pressure on the aspiring cheerleaders. Even returning members who had been through the tryout process before agreed that it was difficult.
“They were very difficult, I would say,” Mungiguerra said. “In the past couple of years, everyone’s been getting a little bit better, so FMHS tryouts are getting a lot harder. “
But tryouts paid off for most people, and they were excited for a new year full of excitement and surprises, and new experiences.
“I was so excited the first year I found out that I made the squad,” Erickson said. “This year was no different. I love being with these girls, and love cheerleading as well.”
The 2013-2014 FMHS cheerleaders will perform at all upcoming football games as well as various other sporting events throughout the year. The cheerleaders are anxiously awaiting a new year of rooting for our school.
