Cheer is entering the new season with a fresh mix of veteran experience and brand-new athletes. After graduating 13 seniors last year and losing several athletes to All Star eligibility rules, the team has been working hard to rebuild its lineup.
“We are transitioning to include some underclassmen in place to replace some athletes that we currently have been working with,” coach Joana Trocan-Garrett said. “So it’s a work in progress.”
This Saturday, Venice will host a featuring 40 high schools. It’s an early test for a team adjusting to multiple new faces.
“We’re eager to see how we do with all of these newer athletes and see how they do,” she said.
Because athletes competing in All Star are no longer allowed to compete in high school cheer, Venice has had to pull in alternates, many of whom are completely new to the sport.
“The athletes that are stepping in are essentially kids that are brand new to cheer,” Trocan-Garrett said.
Although the team didn’t earn a bid to Florida for this year National High School Cheerleading Championship, the focus has now shifted to the CIF Championship. In previous years, the team has been the runner-up but has never taken the title.
Despite the challenges, the coach is confident in the team’s potential.
“We have a strong group of athletes. It’s just a matter of getting their chemistry to click,” Trocan-Garrett said. “We have a combination of veteran athletes and brand new athletes, and they’re trying to come together to figure it out.”
The captains have been vital in helping the team blend.
“They’ve been advocating for the younger members to help us, even as coaches, figure out how to get the chemistry to click again,” Trocan-Garrett said. “They’re working together really well, and I anticipate that as we finally hit League and Championships, they’ll be ready.”
Trocan-Garrett also highlighted three standout freshmen Taylor Sun, Sawyer Ryan, and Maya Blackeller for stepping up early in the season.
“It can be really intimidating as an incoming freshman who is brand new to cheer,” she said. “But they’ve been working really, really hard, and I’m excited for them.”
Senior Nadine Pelino, the captain, said stepping into a leadership role this year has meant helping build new relationships on a team that looks very different from last season.
“I just really wanted to work with other people and make our team stronger,” she said.
Despite losing so many seniors, Pelino said the team chemistry has actually grown stronger.
“This year our team is small, but we’re probably the closest we’ve ever been,” she said. “Because we don’t have those old relationships, we’re forced to branch out and be friends with new people. I’m really close with the freshmen, so it’s just really nice.”
The team hosted a competition last Saturday and saw early success. The Gondoliers won their division against seven teams.
