South High’s cheer team shared insight into what it’s like to be a part of the program.
Senior Anahi Torres has been captain of South’s cheer team since her freshman year. Torres explained why she joined the cheer team. “I’ve been cheerleading since I was in seventh grade, and I joined to be involved with the school.” While being captain is a key role for the team, it also comes with challenges.
To become captain, there are several steps in the process.
“First, we have application processes, written statements and transcripts, which the coaches must take into consideration. We also have to show how we lead the cheer team during practice,” Torres said.
Torres shared that leading the team is difficult for many reasons. “The hardest part about being captain is balancing leadership and friendship on the team. As captain, you have to understand how to work with multiple personalities on the team, as well as lead practice when the coaches aren’t here.”
Even so, being captain has changed Torres. “Being captain has given me a lot of confidence, and I’ve learned a lot from it, such as leadership skills.” Torres is still considering continuing cheer after she graduates this upcoming May. She hopes her advice will reach someone. “If you’re considering joining cheer, just have a positive mindset. Be open to trying new things.”
This year marks the first year junior Alexa Ortiz-Hernandez has been a cheerleader. When asked why she joined, Hernandez said her motivation came from her family. “My sister influenced me to join the team. My sister was the vice captain of the cheer team last year, but she graduated in 2025,” Hernandez explained.
Hernandez said cheerleading can be stressful, especially before games. To prepare, she listens to music. “I listen to music before a game, and I don’t talk to anyone because it stresses me out,” she said. She added that the crowd plays an important role during performances. “Seeing the crowd’s spirit does improve our performances. The crowd hypes us up, and the coach says we get a lot of compliments,” Hernandez said.
For Hernandez, being a cheerleader goes beyond the title. “Personally, to me, being a cheerleader means motivating the players and keeping a positive environment,” Hernandez said.
Junior Selene Long shared how joining the cheer team helped challenge herself. “I joined the team to get out of my comfort zone and explore new hobbies.” Long said she joined during her sophomore year and has now been a cheerleader for two years. “Cheerleading has improved my self-confidence a lot. I feel like I can put myself out there without being scared,” she said.
Although cheerleading can be fun, Long said there are challenges people don’t always see. “Having to put tons of expectations and rules to be the school’s spirit squad,” she explained. During games, Long said she handles pressure by staying calm. “I take deep breaths and just keep the smile on my face,” Long said. Overall, Long said being on the cheer team has helped her overcome social anxiety and make new friends.
Freshman Hannah Cervantes said she joined the cheer team to try something new. “I wanted to try something different, help me meet new people and try something new.” This is her first year as a cheerleader. When she first joined the team, Cervantes said, “I saw that people were really close, got along and that we could have good conversations. It was very energetic and welcoming.”
Cervantes described the team as “very energetic. We hype each other up and have fun with each other.” She said a positive mindset is important in cheer. “A positive attitude is important. If you have a bad mindset or mood all the time, you’re not going to have fun.” To balance cheer and school, she said, “I do my work during advisement or between cheer practices.” Her favorite memory so far has been the Pink Out football game. “We all got to connect, talk to each other, play music and just have a good vibe before the game.”
Sophomore Joey Desantiago said she joined cheer because “I wanted to make a lot of friends, and it looked fun.” Desantiago has been a cheerleader for two years, starting her freshman year. She said being on the team requires sacrifices. “It’s a big time commitment, choosing cheer over other activities.”
Desantiago said the team motivates each other by staying close. “We’re all very close and talk a lot.” Physically, she said the hardest part is “repeating dances, cheers and stunts during basketball and football games.” She also addressed safety during stunts. “When we’re stunting, we have four spotters, and we make sure everyone is paying attention at all times.”
Sara Speck is an English teacher who has been coaching the cheer team since 2022. This year marks her fourth year. Speck chose to coach the cheer team after someone recommended it. “I was in my second year of teaching, and the position was open. I wanted to try something new, so I applied for it and got it,” Speck explained.
The requirements for the cheer team vary. Speck said students must uphold positive behavior to be on the team. “They need to have a 2.0 GPA or higher, no behavior or referral issues from the previous school year, five teacher recommendations and a white card, which allows students to participate in school sports.”
The cheer team is always looking for new members, but Speck said there are specific qualities she looks for in a cheerleader. “We look for someone with a positive attitude, who’s willing to learn and has a positive influence in class and on the team,” she said. Speck added they also require certain cheers and dances during auditions. “We usually require jumps, South’s fight song, a cheer and a band dance for auditions.”
However, being a cheer coach isn’t always easy. “The hardest part about coaching the cheer team is managing time between both of my occupations. We have a lot of practices and a lot of games. It just gets busy being a teacher and a coach,” Speck said.
Things have been improving for South’s cheer team. When asked whether the team has improved over the years, Speck said it has. “We have the biggest team with 30 members at South, and we’ve also been better with stunts than in past years.”
Speck hopes the cheer team learns valuable skills from the experience. “I hope they learn to manage their time, be good sports, develop communication skills and collaboration skills for the real world,” she said. Speck also shared why she loves coaching the cheer team. “I love that they’re people who always try hard. Sometimes, when work is hard, I enjoy their presence. Going to cheer practice brings my mood up. I hope they remember cheer fondly and always have those good memories.”
