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CHEER-U: Lions Cheer Developing College Stars
DURING LEGACY PREP CHRISTIAN ACADEMY ’S RECENT CHEER TRYOUTS, SENIOR CHLOE GONZALEZ GOT THE CALL.
Gonzalez was running the Lions’ tryout for the young girls with her senior teammates. Everyone gathered around when the call came.
“All the girls saw my reaction and we all started freaking out,” Gonzalez said.“It was tears of joy and just an overwhelming feeling. All of the sacrifices and hard work had paid off. It was worth it.
”So, who was on the other end of the line?
A co-captain on theUniversity of Texas cheer team, who congratulated Gonzalez on earning a spot on the 2022-23 Longhorn cheer team.
“I really don’t know what to expect,” Gonzalez laughed. “I’ve been told there will be cameras everywhere and the energy is indescribable. At games, you just look up and see a sea of fans. I love to perform, so I can’t wait to soak it all in."
Gonzalez is not the first Lions cheerleader to hit the college sidelines. Caroline Day, whose mom Laura is the Lions’ cheer coach, is a full-fledged Cheerlebrity for the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
“It is pretty impressive that a small school like Legacy Prep has some elite cheerleaders representing the Lions in college,” Day said. “You have to be very determined to get to that level and Chloe is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen. She’s also a tremendous student.”
Being a University Model School has played a huge role in the success of Gonzalez and Day.
Legacy Prep offers a traditional high school experience with a full-range of athletics and games which promotes school spirit, but what sets the school apart is the college model schedule.It allows for more time to do outside activities.
“Being able to cheer for your school is so much different than competitive cheer,” Gonzalez said. “You learn to engage the crowd and motivate people. You need to be really peppy, which is a great thing. It really brought out my out-going side.
“As a college prep school,Legacy Prep also allowed me to practice more on my cheerleading skills at the competitive level. I was able to travel more to college camps and competitions.Legacy Prep was so flexible.”
Gonzalez has cheered competitively for WoodlandsElite since the age of six years old. The time commitment and wear and tear on your body is the price the most elite athletes pay to pursue their passion.
“Cheer has taught me so many life lessons andI’ve met so many life-long friends,” Gonzalez said. “It has really shaped me as a person, where I’ve learned to be a team player and being a part of something bigger than yourself.
“There have been so many sacrifices. Our prom was during the weekend I had Texas tryouts. There was no way I was missing those tryouts. I had come too far. I was banged up last year with an ankle injury where I had stress-fractures in my foot.I was in a boot for a little bit, but I had to get back to Woodlands Elite tryouts. A little pain wasn’t going to keep me from my goals.”
While cheerleaders seem to be all smiles and rah-rah, these girls are focused, motivated and mentally-tough, and two of the best in the country are proud to call Legacy Prep ChristianAcademy home.
Hype Queens: Cheer Team Building In Numbers; School Spirit
THE HEARTBEAT OF A SCHOOL IS ITS SPIRIT, RIGHT?
Well at Frassati Catholic, Misty Twellman is the Queen of Hype.
"When parents are looking for a school for their children, of course they are looking for academics and getting their kids into college," Twellman said. "But when kids look back on their high school years, they remember the fun. What the school needed was spirit."
The Falcons' cheer coach has been the architect of the Falcon vibe through her previous experience and dedication to the school. Not to mention her energy.
"I wanted a Catholic environment for my own kids," she said. "When we toured here, I remember one student ambassador who impressed our family so much. It wasn't about the gym or the science building, it's about the kids. That's what sells Frassati – the students."
Little did she know that the Falcons needed a cheer coach as the launch of varsity football was just around the corner.
"It was just a coincidence that they needed a cheer coach and I've had a lot of experience doing just that," she said.
She began to build her program, which started off with a bang.
"We had over 20 students come out for our first-ever team," she said. "It's a commitment because we are the only sport that is year-round, so it's a great way to get involved. It starts with cheer camp in the summer, then we cheer in the fall for volleyball and football and for soccer and basketball in the winter. "We train every week at Woodlands Elite to learn stunting and dancing. But, really, it's all about the pep rallies."
The on-campus pep rallies are themed and take months of planning.
"The kids love the pep rallies," she said. "For them, it's all about the details. It really gets the rest of the student body involved."
The team also introduced a new element to the spirit squad – Felix the Falcon – the school's brand-new mascot, who was hatched in 2020-21.
Working together all year really bonds her team, Twellman said as she also tries to sprinkle in life lessons.
"They learn what it means to care about each other and to be true friends…a family," she said. "The seniors this year will be my original class of girls. It's going to be emotional when they graduate because of the bonds we've made."
During the summer cheer camp, Avery Kemp, Denise Simon and Abby Tucker earned All-American honors, which earned them an invite to cheer in London.
"It's been a great experience for me," Tucker said. "You truly get to lead the student body and show off you school spirit. You learn so many lessons in cheer that you can apply to your everyday life.