This year’s Fox Chapel Area cheerleading squad is working hard to prepare for another season of competitions and to support the school’s athletic teams.
Coach Aleta Balcer said she has 20 girls for the sideline team, 17 of whom will participate in competitions.
The squad had 13 members last year, but three graduated, meaning there are many new members this year.
“We have 10 new girls,” coach Balcer said. “A lot of them have cheered at some point before. I think we’ll do pretty well in both sideline and competition.”
They will try to continue the success that has seen the team qualify for the National High School Cheerleading Championship at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, each of the last two years.
The girls typically practice on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, splitting their focus between the sidelines and competition.
“We are learning all of the cheers, learning all of the band dances, and learning how to use all of the flags and signs for game day,” coach Balcer said. “The other nights, we’re working on the competition routines.”
Once game day comes, especially on a football Friday night, it is a lot of hard work.
“It is nonstop,” coach Balcer said. “They are pretty much cheering every minute. I don’t like them to stand around. They are constantly moving. We try to get the crowd going. We’re trying to come up with more crowd cheers this year to try to get the crowd more involved.”
The competition season starts in October, and the national event is scheduled for Feb. 7-10, 2025. It is considered the most prestigious high school national championship in the country and draws about 2,500 teams from across the nation.
In this year’s competition, Fox Chapel Area placed 18th out of 37 teams in its division, which was a smaller, nontumbling division.
“We still have a lot to learn, but we’re getting there,” coach Balcer said, stressing the importance of working together for a good competition team. “When you have a team that is working against each other, you’re never going to succeed. Last year’s team of 13 was the biggest family that I ever had. They were so close last year that I thought it was going to be hard this year, bringing in a group of 10 new girls. But they’re working so hard together, trying to build their relationships with each other, and I think that’s why they’re going to succeed.”
Coach Balcer is quick to credit her four senior captains for the leadership they bring to the team – Alexandra Vita, Gretchen Shelestak, Maurena Cilenti, and Mary Ann “Mare” Frauenholz.
“They’re all very strong,” the coach said. “I think they are really good leaders this year. I’m really looking forward to seeing what they can bring.”