By Gauri Shyamnath
“Up in the air” does not just apply to the unforeseen circumstances of this year, but also for the flyers of the New Hyde Park cheerleading team. Across all club activities, there has been an onset of doubt regarding the safety of students since no one would want to put that in jeopardy.
However, the team is extremely optimistic about their “pepped and prepped” agenda. On the bright side, Governor Cuomo’s announcement to suspend sports in August brought upon a new wave of virtual collaboration.
To put some new faces on a potential team to introduce to the current squad, the team decided to reach out through Gen Z’s favorite place: social media.
“The cheerleaders who were on varsity last year have been trying to recruit new people. A lot of the team has been using Snapchat and Instagram stories to post about the cheer Google Meets,” said senior varsity cheerleader Hailey Mikowski.
After the girls created some buzz for future tryouts, their coach Ms. Speirs also created a Google Classroom for anyone interested in trying out. Whether they were returning members or new to cheerleading, all interested were invited to a Google Meet hosted by Coach Speirs so they would know what to expect regarding tryouts this year. It was an effective method to ensure the requirements for tryouts and their logistics. Although the team counts on their traditional terrain, they plan on hosting tryouts in smaller groups with organized schedules, masks, and precautions.
Source by Anna Detke
A pair of worn cheer shoes is placed in front of a reminiscent picture of the once animated school field.
“Tryouts for this year's cheer team is going to be a challenge. Social distancing for cheer is hard to do when you’re on top of each other doing stunts and dancing. Sadly, we don’t know full details yet, but I can't wait to be back,” says junior varsity cheerleader Michaela Cooney.
Although the team cannot make any assumptions about what is to come, there is a certain optimism that the cheerleaders have to brighten up the school at sports games and school events. The Google Meets and high spirits put out by the team during these trying times have only prompted the excitement around tryouts.
“In January, if there are tryouts, I would still try out because I love to cheer. I enjoy the team and being able to have fun with my friends while cheering on the team players at games,” said junior Anna Bartoszeck.
Spirits are high for the hopes of a renewed season but have faded in regards to a senior season. Current seniors on the team cannot help but feel anxious as the timeframe for the traditions they have seen growing up on the team becomes significantly slimmer.
“I think the future of cheer may be more stressful with the challenges this year, but I know my teammates and I will do our best to enjoy every moment, dance, and practice because it is our last year as cheerleaders together. With all the negativity surrounding our senior year due to COVID, as cheerleaders, we want to spread our cheer with the entire school, so we hope we get the chance to do that,” said senior varsity cheerleader Gina Bamberger.
Nonetheless, the New Hyde Park cheerleading squad is urging to spread cheer amidst these unprecedented times, not only for the community, but themselves as well.