By Alysha Louis, Staff Writer
The past couple of years have been rough for the Mills cheer team. Last year was a substantial struggle due to the lack of a coach to mentor the team, leaving it to the team to resolve issues by themselves. This year, the Mills cheer team has 2 new coaches, Jada Corbin the Varsity coach, and Ella Reyes the JV coach. So far, the Mills cheer team is loving their new coaches and they feel that they will have a lot of success this year.
The JV team worked all summer long to learn new stunts and routines before the start of the year. Now that the year has started, the girls are getting the feel of games every friday. Reyes says she was first interested in the job for Mills cheer coach because she had started cheer when she was a freshman in high school and loved it so much that she now wants to share her experience and knowledge with the team. One of her favorite things about the team so far is how fast they were able to connect with each other and bond with the new coaches. Charlie Bingham (10), one of the JV cheerleaders said, “I’m really loving this year! I’m a new student and I’m so happy to be a part of a team. Everyone is so sweet and has really good energy. I’m really excited to get to know everyone. Bingham also said “I was a little nervous about changing schools but I think it was a great choice because I met all of these sweet girls and great coaches. Reyes said she’s loving her job as coach and that she’s really having a lot of fun with it.
So far this year, the cheerleaders have been having so much fun at practices and games. Chiara Torres (12), one of the Varsity captains says, “My favorite thing about cheering at games so far is definitely the crowd. I feel like with our new cheers and sideline dances, the crowd gets more and more excited. Hearing the crowd cheer with us and watching them dance along really makes me happy.” Corbin says, “What made me interested in coaching Mills cheer was from getting an overview of how previous years were and how the coaching and training system wasn’t there. I wanted to join on to switch everything around and make both teams the best they could be. The girls have also been working really hard since summertime to be able to perform at the amazing level that they’re at. Corbin says she’s loving working as a head coach of the cheer program and she loves being able to bond with the girls and getting the experience of watching them learn new skills. Alex Basco (12), another one of the Varsity captains added, “Something I look forward to this year is hitting newer and harder stunts. With our two new coaches, I’m confident that we’ll be able to reach our goal and I can’t wait to show them off at the games. The thing I’m most excited about, though, is spending time with the team and creating stronger bonds with everyone!” One thing special about this year and the Mills cheer team is their catchphrase as Corbin said in her interview, “One of my favorite things about this year is our “winning” phrases.
The new coaches this year are helping to bring together both the JV and Varsity teams, helping to build up stronger friendships. The Mills cheer team is so glad to have these amazing new coaches because they are creating a wonderful team with a powerful bond.
