Cheeleading coach Ms. Bianca Lopez has high hopes and expectations for this year’s cheerleaders.

“Our squads this year are really fantastic. They are so hard working that it has just made the year so much easier because they’re going home, they’re putting in the time, and they’re thinking of ideas. They have just been so enthusiastic; they’re always two steps ahead,” Lopez said.

After the tryout process last year, 65 out of 90 girls who tried out made the three squads. During the summer, the cheerleaders had an away camp and then began practices in mid-August. The intense conditioning is tiring and the girls practice every day after school from Monday through Thursday with games on Fridays.

“They work so hard. We don’t have to have practice Monday through Thursday, but they want to. If I were to tell them that we were going to have practice twice a week, they would say ‘no’. They’re doing it because they want to be the best in front of their school,” Lopez said.

Throughout their hard-working practices, the cheerleaders are learning from one another and striving to be the best they can. This is a level of dedication that the coaches cannot force on them.

“The coaches can only motivate them so much. I really feel like it comes from within themselves. A lot of them are going home and they’re stretching and working on their flexibility. We can’t make them do that – it has to come from inside,” Lopez said.