The Los Gatos High School cheer team is just ending their sideline cheer season and beginning their competitive cheer season.
Head coach Tosha Perkins said a highlight of the year, so far, was the football team’s playoff run.
“We have six or seven seniors on the team, so having an extended season was really special,” she said. “I think that the most surprising part of this journey was the amount of attendance and support that our football team had—which was super engaging for our cheerleaders since they felt like they could engage the audience.”
The last season of your high school career is full of bittersweet moments, and the football team run is a memory that these young women will hold onto for a lifetime.
‘Their routine is extremely physically demanding’
—Coach Tosha Perkins
Coach Perkins explained how competitive cheer is different from sideline.
“Competitive cheer team is just beginning their season—they have their first competition on January eleventh,” she said. “Sideline cheer cheers for all sports, while the competitive cheer team puts together a routine that is two-and-a-half minutes. And they compete against all the other schools’ cheer teams.”
Sideline practices once a week, while competitive practices three times a week.
“They experience a lot more conditioning as well, so they build up good stamina and muscle control,” Perkins said. “Their routine is extremely physically demanding.”
They hope to compete on the national level this year. It’s clear the teams have different expectations and goals. Being able to do both is an honor to these girls, as they get to experience a bond that will last a lifetime.
There’s also been a shift in leadership. Perkins comes from competing in all star cheer her whole life.
Assistant coach Jaden Ring-Robinson is a Los Gatos High School alumna, who cheered all four years.
Being able to have first-hand experience is crucial to the success of a team, since the coaches have a deeper understanding of the passion and love for the sport.
