Varsity pep
squad coach plans to take team to Florida nationals
Christy Newell, the
new cheerleading coach, plans on taking 10 girls from the varsity pep squad to
the nationals in Florida. They have two different routines that choreographer
Andiee Hodges put together for the girls. They are doing two fundraisers a week
to earn the money to go to nationals.
An example of one of
their fundraisers is the kiss a pig contest in which the girls tape a picture
of themselves to a jar and whoever gets the most change in their jar has to
kiss a pig from the school's Ag Farm.
Four girls are also going to Hollywood at the end of
November to participate in the Christmas parade.
The first commitment for the squads is to cheer for all
sports from golf to cross-country. They do cheers at all the rallies and go to
all the games. They practice twice a week. The pep team only gets one day a
week when they aren't practicing.
The difference between pep and cheer is that the pep team
members are the dancers and cheer is the cheerleaders. "The girls are wonderful, dedicated,
and hardworking," says Newell.
This is Newell's first year teaching cheer at Yosemite
High School. She says it keeps her more involved with the
school, because she teaches at Mountain View, which is adjacent to the main
campus of YHS.
There are 20 girls on varsity. Altogether she has 30 girls with three squads. Newell says her
girls are a diverse group and are fun to work with. The freshmen cheerleaders
are one of the best squads for their age, says Newell. They practice two to three times a
week. The varsity also takes gymnastics
to better their routines.