In the six years that Aleta Balcer has overseen the middle and high school cheerleading programs, she must have heard the rallying chant, “Goooo Foxes!” a million times. It never gets old, though. It’s a job she relishes and one that has turned into a labor of love.
When Coach Balcer first took over the programs in 2015, she recognized a need to grow them beyond their main function of supporting the district’s teams, especially at the high school. Over the years, she and assistant coach Shelley Zottola gradually entered the girls in competitions for the first time and got them more involved in community events. It has taken a lot of hard work to get the program to where it is today, with each year better than the preceding ones.
“It’s no longer just about cheering on the sidelines,” says Coach Balcer. “We will be better this year than ever before and should be strong in all areas – cheering, stunts, and tumbling. The number of girls who can tumble has doubled from last year, and we continue to work with the team during practice to improve their skills.”
“We will continue to build and grow as we move forward, not only with the squads we have now but also growing the program in our elementary schools. That’s where the future of our program lies. I always try to remind the squad that there is always a little girl looking up to them and wanting to be just like them one day.”
Senior captain Elle Coleman, who has been on the squad since she was a freshman, was one of those girls. She started cheering when she was 6 years old and participated in the Little Foxes cheer camps that are held twice a year. A strong leader with a great crowd and stage presence, Elle is happy with all the energy the group has shown this year and is excited to return to games with fans.
“I’m most excited about “Friday night lights” and seeing fans in the stands again, and also the competitions we’ll be entering this year,” Elle says. “We’ve been practicing all summer, and our stunts will be very strong. Already, we are hitting marks that we’ve never hit before this early in the season.”
Fresh Faces, Great Mix of Talent
Perhaps there is no other team that is as vocal about their excitement for the new season as the cheer squad. An abundance of new cheerleaders is inspired and working hard to catch up with the veterans to add value to the team. Just learning the chants alone is a giant task – there are about 100 of them, and more are added each year.
“Some of the new girls cheered at Dorseyville Middle School, and most of them have had some dance or tumbling experience,” says Coach Balcer. “We’re excited to bring those talents into the mix. Each girl brings something special to the squad.”
The team’s coaches have noticed other things about the new high school squad: They are motivated, willing to try new things, and support and encourage each other. Coach Balcer adds, “As coaches, those are things that we love to see.”
Coach Balcer also has plans for the team to return to competitions such as the Battle in the ‘Burgh, held at Pitt; the WPIAL championships for cheerleading; and the Universal Cheerleaders Association regional competition. The team already has begun to put together their dance, cheer, and stunt routines for those events.
“Competitions have become way more competitive in our area, with more focus on advanced stunts and tumbling, rather than just the traditional cheer and dance routines,” the coach explains.
“I think this is the year that we can accomplish just about anything we want if we work hard enough,” adds Elle. “We just need to pull everything together now.”
Coach Balcer commends the girls for their dedication, and says, “Everyone is working so hard; they’ve already shown so much improvement. It’s going to be a great year – maybe our best yet.”
In addition to Elle, returning members of the cheer squad include seniors Chloe Rongier, Nicole Trasatti and Lucy Valkanas, and juniors Kathryn Billings, Nurie Kim, Anna Li, and Isabella Stipetich. Sophomores who are back again this year are Evelyn Healy, Gabby Hodas, Anneliese Pham, Mia Pietropaolo, and Sophie River.
Sophomore newcomers are Alyssa Berardi, Kiersten Berardi, Fiona Brown, Jayne Dye, and Gabrielle Petruska. New freshmen include Mare Frauenholz, Alaina Okunewick, Lynda Perez, Gretchen Shelestak, and Alex Vita.