Fresno Christian Varsity Cheer faces unexpected challenges going into their biggest competition. The team qualified Dec.7 for a chance to compete in the CIF championship, which they have not participted in since 2020. After feedback from judges sheets, adjustments to the routine were made to increase difficulty. With full intentions to compete, the cheer team found themselves in a predicament days before competing. The routine needed to be reworked due to multiple team injuries. In the end, the decision was made to pull out of the CIF championships putting the team’s mental and physical health as a higher priority.
How often does the training and planning for competitive athletes derail? How do many athletes and teams overcome the disappointment? These are regular occurrences in any competing team and the FC Cheer squad has learned to lean on one another and use their voices to move forward as one.
Senior Chloe Johnson, who has been cheering her entire life values the the opportunities to play multiple sports but recognizes the risk.
“At first it was 50/50 and I believe we could have went for it and hit, but the best option was to not to go because we didn’t have any time to redo our routine, all multi sport athletes were physically and mentally drained, and we had so many girls who were injured and sick. I wish we would’ve been able to go because it was the championships, but because of almost everyone not being 100% I don’t think we would have had the flawless routine we needed.”
The girls are learning through this process how to overcome unforeseen obstacles and how athletes deal with it while still maintaining a good attitude. The truth of it all, is that cheer isn’t life, it is a part of life. Cheer plans to focus on moving forward for their FCC competition at Azusa college, Feb. 22.
Head Coach Hope Villines, has been through it all since taking over cheer in 2015.
“Pulling out of the CIF championships for the sport of Cheer is equal to pulling out of a league championship for any other sport, but most other sports have substitutes they can immediately go in and take another player spot. It’s not like that with competition Cheer. That was a hard but necessary decision, and a decision that I stand by because mentally, emotionally, and physically, we would not have been able to perform at our highest level! We lost two very strong athletes due to injuries – and one at the very last hour. I’m so thankful that they are going to have the opportunity to compete one more time at the FCC Championships at Azusa Pacific University in February. I have no doubt that we will have a very strong showing, and both our traditional and game day teams will do very well.”
This year’s seniors are driven with some planning to continue cheer at the college level. They want to win and are doing all they can to be ready for their last competition.
To read more from The Feather visit FCA All-American cheerleaders perform at Chik-fil-A Peach Bowl or Road to Super Bowl LIX: Wild Card Recap
