As the winter cheer season ended, the cheer competition team prepared for their first competition on February 23rd, 2025, at Billerica High School.
The doors to the competition opened at 11:30 am, followed by the team heading on the bus shortly after. The closer their competition neared, the more anxious they became as it was their first competition in a few years.
About three years ago, the cheer team competed. “There was a legacy here before; we were the team everyone was shaken over. It felt great to put our name and our school back out there in the competition world,” stated head cheer coach Brianna Silva-Couture.
“Before we competed, I felt very nervous since we had some changes to our routine,” Junior Sorin Mamouzette mentioned.
Before they went on the mat to compete, they started getting ready. Then, they went to the practice mats to stretch, as well as practice their stunts and routine. Silva-Couture encouraged them along the way by giving the team a pep-talk.
As the team nervously began to walk toward the mat, they stood together to start their routine. Once the announcer introduced the team, they put all their anxiety behind them, smiling and waving at the audience.
In the beginning, their performance went well, and they were able to hit all of the stunts and dance moves. However, halfway through their routine, sophomore Carolina Rosa De Oliveira was injured. The music stopped, and the team had to get off the mat. The announcers checked in with Rosa De Oliveira’s injury and talked with the coaches about the circumstances.
Rosa De Oliveira stated that it was a recurring injury from the fall season, sharing, “I just got a flashback to that day, and when it happened, I just felt defeated and kind of guilty because we, as a team, had worked so hard to get that competition.”
After minutes, cheer coaches Silva-Couture and Bianca Scola went to talk to the team about moving forward… The team was able to perform again but was moved to another division.
The second time they performed, they were sharper and more confident, ending their performance with smiles on their faces.
Mamouzette commented, “After, I felt relieved that we finished and my group hit all the stunts we didn’t hit before. I felt proud of myself and them.”
Similarly, sophomore competition captain Gloria Alexis shared that “after the first run-through, I felt really bad because we had an injury, but we went back there again, I felt more confident because everybody was just smiling, and we just had a good time, so we weren’t really worried about it.”
“The feeling of adrenaline before getting on the mat is one of the best feelings ever, and getting off is even better, you feel a sense of accomplishment and overall pride getting in front of all those families and teams, knowing you put everything you had on that mat,” remarked sophomore Jazlyne Ruggiero.
¨The feeling of adrenaline before getting on the mat is one of the best feelings ever, and getting off is even better, you feel a sense of accomplishment and overall pride getting in front of all those families and teams, knowing you put everything you had on that mat¨- Jazlyne Ruggiero.
Once it was time for the awards ceremony, the team was anxious about the results. As the judges sorted out the scores and winners, the announcers played music for all of the teams to dance to.
At the end of the ceremony, while the team was unable to win any awards, they were happy to be able to move on to regionals under the circumstances of an injury. “I personally think taking into account all the different skill levels and experience levels, our scores were pretty good, and the fact that we got out there and put our team back on the map was our overall goa,l and we did a good job at that,” voiced Ruggiero.
“I didn’t feel that good about the results, but knowing that everybody went there and was happy and confident, after the competition, everybody else was really happy and how they did,” noted Alexis.
Reflecting on their preparation, Coach Silva-Couture commented, “We were prepared, but you can never be truly ready for this type of performance.”
Mamouzette expressed that “this was Malden’s first time competing in a few years and the first ever time most of us have competed, so in terms of that, I think we did amazing with the limited time we had.”
Overall, the team felt proud of themselves for competing, but they also felt that there was room for improvement. Mamouzette felt that she needed to be able to push herself. “I need to work on believing in my abilities,” she said. “Sometimes, I have mind blocks which stop me from being able to do a skill that I have done before or want to learn.”
Ruggiero also believes that the team “could improve on individual skills to combine into the routine and just overall upping our skill levels, and we can be even better.”
A common goal among the team is leveling up their skills and moving past regionals. Scola concluded, emphasizing her hope to “continue working with a dedicated group of girls in advancing our skill set, forming lifelong bonds, and bringing home a trophy!”
