The course of the West Bloomfield High School (WBHS) Competitive Cheer season was, as senior Tierra Riddick describes it, challenging. The seniors on the team consists of a tight-knit group with members Jasmine Baldwin, Raquel Bolden, Denitra Brown, Faith Joyce, Brianna Lee, and Tierra Riddick. Riddick, who has cheered at a varsity level for the past two years, continued to say the season was, “Challenging, but nothing we can’t handle.” A typical cheer season lasts for many months and consists of two main parts: Sideline Cheer and Competitive Cheer. Sideline cheer takes place during the fall and it focuses mainly on cheering for the WBHS football team. This year, however, the football team played longer than expected, making it two games into the playoffs! The Competitive Cheer team, expecting a two week break before competitive cheer trials, had their break reduced to one week. Despite these difficulties, the team completed their season goal of winning the league championship.

Baldwin, who was enjoying her first year being on varsity cheer, says the thing she will miss most about Competitive Cheer is, “hanging out with my girls, I really loved being with them.” Lee, participating in her second year of varsity cheer, says, “I will miss bonding as well as learning how to better myself and become more confident.” The girls also have a lot to walk away with, from all of their experiences. Baldwin says, “I have learned the real meaning of teamwork and having others backs, who all have the same goal as you do.” Lee says she has walked away with, “a better attitude and a more positive outlook on life,” proving that these Lady Lakers have taken more than just athletic experiences from their high school sports careers, but whole new outlooks on life as well.

Coach Tracy Hoban also has to reflect upon her seniors leaving WBHS. The girls met their season goal of winning the league championship. Hoban said, “The girls worked extremely hard to prove that this was their season and nobody was going to take that from them.” Many of the seniors leaving this year have been coached by Hoban since middle school. “I have shared so much time with them,” said Hoban. Hoban hopes her seniors walk away with strong leadership skills and the ability to overcome and control all aspects of life. From all of her experiences and shared memories with her seniors, her favorite part of working with them was, “their drive to push and teach their underclassmen all aspects of cheerleading. They will be missed.”