Last year’s state champions are back again for another season.
Pilgrim’s cheer team was just getting started last year and hope to win it all again this year to make them back to back champs. Competition cheer is cheerleading in a competitive setting while stunting, cheering and dancing. Each team competes a routine to a song of their choosing against different schools throughout the state.
Head coach Taylor Levin, as well as assistants Halsey Gargano and Olivia Nardillio lead the Pilgrim cheer team and all go to great lengths to help their team succeed.
Coach Levin stated, “We hope the team first and foremost has a fun, memorable season. We strive and expect our cheerleaders to maintain good attitudes, be willing to work hard, and attend all practices, games, and competitions.”
When asked about expectations for this season. The coaches set up their team for great wins, while also maintaining a fun and lighthearted atmosphere.
Coach Levin also shared that part of the team’s success can come from “mat talk,” which is “when our alternate cheerleaders, coaches, and alumni all provide vocal support to the cheerleaders on mat. Words of encouragement when pushing through a full out and repping out skills provides motivation for the team.”
These words of encouragement pushes them to do their best, while still feeling like someone is cheering them on at all times.
This year’s captains are Liana Bannon and Taylor Tatarian.
Liana and Taylor both take a different approach to captaining, but still are great friends and come together in the best way to offer help and support for their teammates and each other.
Liana referred to herself as more of a strict captain when it comes to getting stunts, dance moves, or cheers right. While Taylor, tries to take a more calm approach to help her teammates correct their mistakes.
Taylor stated that an overall team goal this season is to “put on one of our hardest routines and execute it well … we would like to show that our program is advancing.”
Taylor and Liana both have that similar goal in mind for this year and both have high hopes that it will be achieved. Taylor also shared that although their competitions started in December, they start preparing for their competitions in the summer, in order to have the best routine for their team.