The Arlington Cheer Competition team left for nationals in Anaheim, California on February 13th, 2025 for the first time in 12 years, placing 4th in the nation for the Situational Sideline & Cheer division.
Their competition season started back in November, and their first competition was in December at Decatur High School. Through these months, the girls were balancing both sideline cheering for games, and competition cheer. When the time came, they traveled together as a team, performed their routine, and celebrated by going to Disneyland. It was a new experience for the team, as it was Arlington’s first time at the National level for cheer competition.
“Our first competition was a little bit rough, because this is the first time in 12 years that Arlington had had a cheer team, so it was a little bit rough. We didn’t really know, like the dynamics or anything about what was gonna happen,” Hayley Chalk (‘26), a member of the cheer team since 2023, said. “But the last one we, like, put all of our strengths together. We worked really hard, and it was really good. We all felt really good and proud off the mat.”
The level of evaluation set the National competition apart from cheering at sports games, making the stakes higher.
“When it came to Nationals, you’re being judged. It’s kind of like on the sideline, you know, that if you make a mistake, it’s not as big of a deal, like, ‘Oh, nobody saw that,’” Siri Jemmett (‘25) said, “But like, when you’re being judged, it’s like, ‘Oh, somebody did see that.’ You know, it’s a lot bigger of a deal.”
This different kind of cheering provided a more focused experience on the cheer team itself rather than sports teams, for members like Aubrey Roberts (‘26).
“When we cheer at games, we’re more there to pump up the crowd and cheer on our sports team, whether it be football or basketball,” Roberts said. “But when we’re competing like we’re there for us, like we’re doing our whole routine just for us.”
The experience further taught members of the team skills that can apply to everyday life, and lessons that can help in the future.
“I learned that hard work pays off. It’s one of the biggest things I’ve learned from cheer, because of the amount of practice and hard work that we put into it,” Chalk said. “It’s a lot of dedication, but it all adds up to an amazing routine or amazing year.”
The team recognized their initial challenges and noticed the progress that built up throughout the season. Through reviewing past routines, the team worked towards improvement for the competition.
“I think we started off a little struggling a little bit. We kind of watched our videos back, and we’re like, Oh, wow. Then we’ve grown a lot, and I’ve learned a lot,” Jemmett said. “I learned to be patient and to, you know, be patient with people in my team, and to not stress about things that are out of my control.”
Over time, the team built strong connections and grew more confident, reaching nationals ready to give it their all.
“It was generally the most fun thing I’ve ever experienced. And so it was a mix of like, knowing that things are going to be tough, but that the reward is going to be big,” Roberts said. “Over the season, we grew so close together. We started breaking out of our shell as competitions went on. And then by the time we got to Nationals. We were completely free. We were like, here we are.”
