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Photograph courtesy of Becky Dinapoli
Go Team!: Willow Glen High School spirit squad members have won a state competition with hard work and determination.
The Willow Glen High School Spirit Squad reaches high
By Amy Jenkins
The Willow Glen High School Spirit Squad has jumped leaps and bounds over its competition.
The spirit squad, also called cheerleaders, won three first-place trophies at a spirit competition held at UC-Davis. The camp and competition was held Aug. 17-20. The awards mark the first time the team has won a competition; and because of the team's outstanding performance at camp, it has been invited to the NFL Pro Bowl in Hawaii in January 2002.
The team consists of 29 young women and men. There are 21 young women and eight stunt men. "There didn't used to be boys, but they are on the team now to help the girls do tricks. The boys even do cartwheels with them," says parent and squad supporter Margo Leo.
Even the principal, Patrick Day, was impressed with the team's performance. "He hadn't supported cheerleading and wanted no funding to be put toward the squad. The cool thing about it is that once the principal saw them perform, he said in all of his 10 years there, he had never seen such good cheerleading," Leo says.
Principal Day saw the spirit squad perform at a freshman orientation event. "They have been doing phenomenal," Day says. "They were just wonderful; it is a great surprise, and their hard work is really showing."
The squad has been holding fundraisers and accepting private donations to fund the Hawaii trip. "It is up to the organization to raise money for trips themselves," Day explains.
Last month they performed at a booster to raise money. Since Willow Glen High School is a public school, the state doesn't usually give money for things such as cheerleading. This year is an exception. Last spring, the budget committee decided to purchase the uniforms as school property, as schools commonly do for sports teams. Most schools, including Willow Glen High School, used to leave it up to cheerleaders to purchase uniforms themselves, which are "quite a bit of money," Day says.
The squad performs a wide array of stunts. Their hard work and dedication is evident in their tireless schedule. They practice two to three times a week, two to three hours a day, according to assistant principal of activities Chuck Hernandez. The squad has kept up the grueling schedule throughout summer vacation. Hernandez also attributes the squad's success to its dedicated coach, Courtney Warner.
"They are not only cheerleaders, but they lead the school in spirit. They have motivated the entire student body; and it's really neat to see because it is something the school hasn't had in a few years," Hernandez says.
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
