by Annabelle P.

The Alamo Heights cheer program consists of four teams, but have you ever wondered why? The short answer is that there is a large number of athletes at various levels of competition. However, if one were to interact with Ava Turcotte, a member of Mule Time Media and the cheer program, one would hear her say, “Well, there is the rec team, which is just for fun. If you’re new to cheer and your main goal is to have fun and get involved, then rec is just for you. Then there is small game-day, which is for the new people, but they are good and have potential, just not a ton of experience. Next is gameday nationals. This team has people who have been doing it for a little longer and consists of people with a good amount of skill, strength, and stamina. Lastly, there is performance, which is the best and highest level and the hardest one to make.”

Each year, the cheerleaders in the program aspire to advance to a higher team and increase their abilities. The objective of the program and the structure of the four teams are designed to help an athlete’s growth and development as they progress through the program. “It really depends on how good they are, if they just have a good attitude and show some effort,” Turcotte said, telling us that you just have to show some attitude and effort.

Even Turcotte, an 8th grader on gameday nationals, said, “The coach makes sure that each team properly prepares the cheerleader for the next level and what’s ahead, even in high school.”

All in all, the Alamo Heights cheer program is a safe space to learn how to cheer and to learn how to cheer well. As Turcotte said, “It doesn’t matter what team you make, just that you are wearing the uniform proudly.”