With the varsity cheer team in front of her and her fellow captains by her side, Jaden Donica (12) called out the next stretch in the routine. Though she stands at the head of the group now, just two years ago, she auditioned for her first experience in cheer. After the 2020-2021 school year stuck inside and unable to attend school, Donica wanted to broaden her horizons for her sophomore year. With encouragement from one of her friends, she decided to try out for the cheer team. Despite having no prior experience, she was immediately put on the varsity team. 

“I was so nervous, especially coming out of quarantine [because of less social interaction],” Donica said. “But, I really wanted to put myself out there and give something new a try. It ended up being a great experience.”

As a novice, Donica said she was unsure of herself and how she would get along with her teammates. However, her team proved to be welcoming and friendly, and she immediately warmed up to the group dynamic.

“[I] immediately had tons of friends on the team,” Donica said. “It was [nice] to know that the cheer space was very comforting and had open arms.”

Due to the almost daily practices with the cheer team, Donica quickly found that many of her expectations before joining the team were unfounded and based on the exaggerated stereotypes often seen in mainstream media.

“In my first year on the team, all of those stereotypes were completely blown out of the water,” Donica said. “They aren’t a thing on our cheer team, at least not what you see in the movies about [being] bratty and all that. That surprised me because I obviously had that mindset [before joining the team].”

After two years on varsity, Donica said this mindset of ‘putting herself out there’ was what motivated her to apply to be cheer captain.

“It’s like what I did [when I joined the team],” Donica said. “[I thought] ‘Why not?’ I didn’t expect to be team captain, but I’m really glad I did apply because I’m very grateful for my position as captain. I’ve settled into my role as a leader.”

With her co-captains, Kyla Kuo (12) and Daisy Shetzer (12), Donica helps to plan choreography, lead the varsity group, and organize team-bonding activities like pool parties or group hikes. Because cheer is such a large group, Donica said there are bound to be minor disagreements every now and then. As captain, she helps to keep the team running smoothly as problems get solved, which is crucial to building trust within the team.

“If there’s any conflict, it’s our job [as captains] to resolve it and maintain a good team dynamic,” Donica said. “That’s so important when there’s literally girls flying in the air. Trusting the people under you is so important.”

One of her varsity teammates, Bella Weilhammer-Emory (11), said that Donica has a positive impact on the team with her strong leadership skills.

“She knows how to include everyone,” Weilhammer-Emory said. “She never wants people to feel left out, so if she sees some people are struggling, she’ll go over to that group and help them so that we’re all on the same page.”

Within the sport itself, the cheerleaders have to ensure they focus on both their performance and the athletic aspects of their routines, which involves intense practice and repetition until it comes as naturally as possible. 

“They definitely go hand in hand,” Donica said. “The athletic part, like lifting girls into the air and stunting, is definitely very trying at times. Sometimes there’s a stunt in one portion of the [routine] and then it goes right into a dance, and that gets exhausting. The performance is how you present yourself [to the audience] and is also a very important part of cheerleading.”

In addition, she had to learn the skills for two separate performance positions. In most cases, cheerleaders will usually perform in one position throughout the season. However, in her second year of cheer, Donica was asked to learn to become a flyer after exclusively performing in the backspot position, which was a daunting prospect for her.

“Being up in the air is one of the most nerve-wracking things I’ve ever had to do,” Donica said. “But I just gave it a shot and it worked out. The backspots are normally the taller girls on the team and the flyers are normally the smaller girls. I definitely run in the middle, so I’ll do both. I prefer being a backspot, but if I need to fly, I’m not going to complain.”

With the combination of all of these responsibilities, Donica said it can be difficult at times to balance it with her mental health and her life outside of school.

“Cheer is a very intensive sport,” Donica said. “A lot of student-athletes [balance their sports with school], so it’s definitely doable and achievable, but it does get very hard at times. Especially in the cheerleading and dance world, there are certain aspects that become emotionally trying. Being busy in so many areas of your life, you could [easily] spread yourself too thin.”

In an effort to maintain a healthy physical and emotional balance, Donica said she found an effective strategy she uses when she is struggling: taking some time for herself.

“When I have the time, maybe 20 minutes in the day, I go for a walk, listen to music, go for a drive, or grab coffee,” Donica said. “[Spending time] by myself or with a friend or two is really important to me and something I prioritize.”

Her teammates have been able to watch Donica progress and grow as a leader over time.

“Her confidence has definitely gone up,” Weilhammer-Emory said. “Now I feel like she’s really into [the sport]. She’s the definition of a cheerleader.”