This week the Westwood Cheer team recently welcomed their new JV and varsity teams for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year. The new varsity and JV members were pinned by the coaches to signify the beginning of their year as Westwood cheerleaders. However, with the beginning of the new year finally upon us, let’s rewind to the ups and downs of the 2023-2024 season. 

In July, the cheer team attended their first-ever sleepaway camp, kicking off their season. Cheer learned material throughout camp and then competed where Varsity took home Top Team Cheer and Chant, Technical Excellence in Crowd Appeal, Superior Ribbons in game day evaluations and the Junior Varsity brought home Top Team Band Chant and a Superior Ribbon in game day evaluations.

“My favorite part of cheer camp was getting closer with this team,” Leah Kleinman ‘25 said. “I want to keep the length of camp.”

Moving into the start of the school year they prepared to bring positive energy to the warriors at pep rallies, football games, and volleyball games. They built up skills and their crowd-leading abilities to continue to support the many groups at Westwood. 

“Attending football games is one of the most important parts of cheer,” Jenna Hallidy ‘25 said. “We are not only there for support but to help lead the crowd.” 

The end of football season marked the beginning of their competition season as the team attended weekly practices to solidify their competition routine. This routine consisted of a band chant, cheer, and a fight song. The team started their competitions off well, receiving runner-up in the 6A category at the Lago Vista Invitational. The team then took the feedback in stride by adding changes to increase their chances of making finals at UIL. While the team slightly improved their scores from last year’s competition they still unfortunately failed to make finals.

“Encouraging the team to always give their best, to push through challenges, and to maintain a positive attitude is so important in competitions,” Amber Howell ‘24 said. “I hope I leave behind a legacy of dedication and hard work.” 

As cheer wraps up a successful season they’ve begun their transition into practicing with the new team. Currently, they’re conditioning, skill building, and increasing the team’s bond with each other. You can see the new team showcase their skills so far on the sideline at the spring game on Thursday, May 16.