Tryouts for incoming sophomores to seniors were held the week of April 24, 2017, but there will be tryouts early next year for freshmen or anyone who just didn’t try out. Current members of the team have enjoyed their experience and hope to see new faces on the team next year.

The Horizon Sun: What is your favorite thing about spiritline?

Isabella Torres, freshman: My favorite thing about spiritline is the feeling that I get after performing at competitions and pep rallies because I know that I hit the best routine I possibly could.

Coral Milliard, sophomore: My favorite thing about spiritline is all the different skills we get to do in stunts. Stunting is definitely my favorite part.

Annabella Villanueva, sophomore: My favorite thing about spiritline is learning all the new dances and just performing them in front of audiences.

Shannon Binkley, junior: [My favorite part is] getting to try different skills. It’s fun.

Cameron Vega, senior: My favorite thing about spiritline is stunting. I enjoy backspotting; it’s kind of the anchor of the stunt, and stunting in general is a lot of fun. It’s one of the main reasons why I consider do spiritline, besides the people on the team.

The Sun: Why did you join spiritline?

IT: I did spiritline because I wanted to get involved and after watching spiritline perform at the homecoming pep rally last year, I realized that I wanted to be a part of that.

CM: I joined spiritline because I’ve always been fascinated by it. I would always watch those cheer movies and it just made me want to be able to do that too.

AV: I did spiritline because I was a dancer before and I just really wanted to keep dancing and then stunting was just like a fun benefit.

SB: I have no idea. Some of my friends were in it, so I thought it would be fun.

Gabriella Triano, junior:  I did spiritline because it gave me new opportunities to meet new people as well as step out of my comfort zone. In spiritline we had to the chance to compete with other schools in show cheer and pom. In the summertime we also have the opportunity to go to cheer camp, which is a blast! I have so many amazing memories from cheer camp. Cheer camp was a great bonding experience for the team. We cheer during basketball season and it’s so fun getting the crowd pumped.

CV: I don’t know, honestly. I’m not really good at any of the normal sports like basketball, baseball, any of those, and spiritline was a sport that didn’t require that. Also, it didn’t require a lot of running and I kind of had a bet between one of my friends that we’d both do it and he bailed, but I just continued with it and decided not to quit. I liked it.

The Sun: Why should students try out for spiritline?

IT: Students should try out for spiritline because it pushes you in so many ways, you make new friends, and it’s just a lot of fun to compete and cheer on the basketball teams.

CM: Students should try out for spiritline because not only do you get to have tons of fun, but you get to be a part of a team that supports each other. There is the stereotype of cheerleaders, but it really isn’t like that. The team gets to do fun bonding activities and stunt together which is always fun.

AV: Students should try out for spiritline because we’re like a family and we’re always with each other and we just spread school spirit. So, it’s a great way to get to know a  lot more people.

SB: It’s a good way to meet new people.

GT: Students at Horizon [Honors] should try out for cheer because it gives them new ways to push themselves and get out of their comfort zone. On the team no one is to be left out and all are welcome! There is a position for everyone on the team. Everyone is considered important, and if you try out for spiritline you won’t regret it!

CV: Students should try out for spiritline because as much as people believe they won’t necessarily get a workout from it, it’s a very intense sport. The proof of that is in the high injury rate that we have in the sport, but honestly if you’re safe and careful you’re not going to get hurt. Spiritline overall is a lot of fun for me to do. I enjoy it. Stunting is a lot of fun. If you like dancing, there’s the pom section of that. If you like going to competitions or if you have a lot of school spirit then you can do competition or games. It’s in general a fun sport.

The Sun: What advice do you have for someone trying out for spiritline?

IT: The advice I have for someone trying out for spiritline is not get frustrated if they don’t pick up the material immediately because if they work hard and have a positive attitude, it will all come together in the end.

CM: I would tell them that no matter what level you are at, try out. Whether you are an advanced tumbler or just starting and are barely flexible (that’s how I started out), just try out! You’ll come to love the sport and the team and what you get to create together. Don’t be afraid to be yourself.

AV: Just keep smiling and don’t give up if something is really hard because there’s always challenges and you’ll do great.

SB: Just do it because we can always use new members on the team and it’s fun.

GT: Some advice I would like to give is to be open, humble, and ready to try anything new. You may have to be multiple positions in spiritline whether it’s a base, backspot, or flyer. Try to be prepared for the unexpected. Also having a positive attitude and being cooperative helps tryouts run smoothly. Having confidence in who you are and what you are doing is key in tryouts but also don’t be afraid to ask questions while learning something new. Most importantly, have fun and good luck!

CV: The advice I’d have would be no matter what you’re doing, stay tight, because all your motions need to be tight, all your jumps need to be tight. If you’re flying, you need to be tight in the air. If you’re trying to learn to stunt, while that plays a big factor in what you end up doing, a lot of the tryouts is based on motions, jumps, things like that. Stunting, you can ask a lot of people currently on the team for help with. They tend to know what to do. Otherwise, being tight is probably the most important thing. Practice at home if you need to remember choreography.

If you have any interest in spiritline, consider trying out for the team. They would definitely like more teammates, and it will be an experience you will never forget.