Once in a background scene of a “Bring It On” movie and 10-time national competition winners, LBCC’s cheer team has a long standing history that continues to grow.
This season’s cheer team formed in late April, and they’ve been practicing since then for their upcoming halftime performance at homecoming today and for competition season.
Cheer coach Diana Galias, and many of the cheerleaders opened up about their love for the sport, addressed misconceptions about it, and gave insights on what it is like being part of the cheer world.
The cheer team huddles during a LBCC cheer team portrait session at Heartwell Park on Oct. 2. (Isaiah Ryan)
Alexandra Zarate, a returning cheerleader pushed back on the popular belief that cheer is not a sport.
“The biggest misconception that people always tell us is that, ‘Oh, you’re not a sport,’ …some people like, you know, throw balls, other people swim in water, they run long distances. I throw humans in the air, I feel like it’s something that doesn’t like click in people’s heads,” Zarate said. “I think it should be recognized as a sport, we put in so much work and so much energy… we tried just as much as anybody else does.”
LBCC’s cheer team practices a stunt while during a practice session on Thursday at the Hall of Champions gym at LAC. (Paloma Maciel)
To prepare for homecoming specifically, the team has been practicing their halftime routine for three weeks, but their stamina at the game and the ability to work as a team is the result of five and a half months of practice.
Coach Diana, who has been the team’s head coach for 28 years, gave a look into the process of building the team and their skills.
LBCC’s cheer team poses for a group photo at Heartwell Park on Oct. 2. (Tien Nguyen)
“It takes hours and hours, we just don’t put things up in a minute. As they get more skilled we’re able to do things in a more timely manner, which is really, really good. But when they’re just gelling together as a team, it takes a long time to get everybody working together, you kind of develop that sense of community, when your actually hands on, practice after practice after practice. Remember you got a lot of personalities, you’ve got a lot that aren’t very skilled and we have to bring them all together to make it all happen without injuries,” Galias said.
She shared that through cheering at football games, the team is able to prepare for competition season which is much more intense.
At football games, they participate in sideline cheers, band dances, group stunts, partner stunts, pyramids and tumbling, according to Galias.
“They’re developing skills out there, they’re utilizing their skills, they’re developing strength and flexibility, through being on the field. You know, aerobically, because like I said they don’t stop moving, they’re literally moving for 3 and a half, four hours… the whole duration of the game,” Galias said.
Cheerleaders on the team shared that the supportive and welcoming environment of the team has allowed them to reach milestones that they have always dreamed of.
LBCC cheerleaders Kamya Tucker, left, and Jayla Jordan pose in front of a ice cream truck during a team photoshoot at Heartwell Park on Oct. 2. (Asa Liberty)
Yodelli Rosales, a flyer, remembers having a desire to cheer ever since she was six years old, but didn’t start cheering until high school because of how costly cheer is.
“I used to watch a lot of cheer movies, I used to love that kind of like flying part. I used to only look at the flyers, which is really, really weird… I used to see how they would turn them and toss them, I’m like can I please do that. I used to beg a lot my parents, but for money reasons we didn’t do it. But you know, now that I’m here, I can still do it,” Rosales said.
When Rosales was finally able to join cheer in highschool, she was a flyer during her junior year. However, during her senior year she was forced to be a backspot and base.
Rosales shared her love for being a flyer and being in cheer now that she is able to fully live out her dream.
“I love flying. I just like being in the air and kind of like just letting myself free. It’s like my time, like my own little zone. This is my time where I’m not stressed. I kind of forget about homework, I kind of forget about problems I have at home,” Rosales said. “I love putting on my makeup on and I love just dressing up. I love all the sparkles, that’s just who I am.”
One of the captains of the team, Emily Ramirez has a different story, as she has done cheerleading for 15 years of her life, and her mom was a cheer coach growing up.
LBCC cheerleaders Hailey Jimenez, left, and Emily Ramirez pose for a portrait at Heartwell Park on Oct. 2. (Tien Nguyen)
She mentioned that although her mom and sister, who also cheered, taught her a lot, she didn’t feel like she had a strong foundation in cheerleading before being on LBCC’s cheer team.
“I didn’t have tumbling, I could barely stunt. … I thought it was gonna be a ‘you either have this skill or you don’t,’ so that alone was what scared me. But then I saw once I came here that (assistant coach Ronaldo Vicenzio) was very willing to teach and the teammates last season were also very willing to teach,” Ramirez said.
Ramirez now carries that attitude of teaching her teammates new skills openly in her leadership.
“I will teach you anything you want. And I’ve told my teammates that, like I’ll be your guinea pig, I’ll teach you anything you want to know, I don’t care if I get hurt because I want you to learn. I feel like I got that mentality from being here because I didn’t get that anywhere else. I didn’t get that ‘I want all of us to succeed’ mentality,” Ramirez said.
Another misconception that cheerleaders deal with according to Ramirez is how people perceive cheerleaders to be stuck up. She felt that cheer movies reinforce this and “give cheer the wrong image”.
“I have gotten so many times where people had the wrong impression of me just because I was wearing my uniform, and they were like ‘Oh my God, you’re so sweet like I genuinely thought you were going to be so mean to me.’ I get it, cheerleaders have a bad rep, they’re known for being a little bratty, but I think it’s because of the way the media portrays them, it’s not a good look,” Ramirez said.
After the homecoming game today, the cheer team will still continue to perfect their skills to get ready for their competition season, with their first competition being on January 17.
Members of the LBCC cheer team hold hands and jump during a portrait session at Heartwell Park on Oct. 2. (Isaiah Ryan)
Zarate and Ramirez both expressed how excited they are for competition season to start.
“I love it. You like blackout, like it’s just like so much adrenaline and it’s so fun,” Zarate said.
“I feel there is no way to explain the euphoric feeling you get when you’re on stage, bright lights, loud music, big crowd, but in that moment it just feels like you and your teammates nobody else,” Ramirez said.
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