The cheer team at Davis High School competed in the first competition of the competitive cheerleading season on December 3rd. The stakes were high for the girls, they wanted to improve from last year and show off their hard work and preparation. And they did just that, taking first place in Pom and second place in All Show!

Competition days are long. The day begins with a bus ride that sometimes can take over an hour, then the team has to go find a place to set up their stuff, because the competitions can last around 6-7 hours. The girls prepare physically and mentally all day for their four routines they have prepared, and all that preparation payed off at their very first competition, setting the scene for a fantastic rest of the season.

“We felt good about our routines but didn’t know for sure what to expect since we can’t usually watch the other teams we compete against.” Says Ashley Wade, senior cheerleader for Davis High.

Confidence plays a huge role in the cheerleading team’s performance at competitions. There is a lot of pressure in a competition environment from judges, opponents, and coaches who want the girls to do their best.

“Being the first competition of the season, a lot of people had the jitters and some had never competed before so lots of girls were very nervous.” says Wade.

The girls on the Davis High cheerleading team did not let their first-competition nerves get to them though. Placing first in the Pom category and placing second in All Show is absolutely exceptional, and the girls are already meeting goals they had for this season.

“We practiced a ton and did tons of full outs, and on competition day we were constantly doing mental run throughs, this is when you imagine yourself doing the routine perfectly and roughly going through the movements.” Wade says.

The early morning practices and long hours payed off at the first cheer competition of the season. They will surely continue to pay off as the girls keep competing this season, and show the other schools what the Davis High cheerleaders are made of.