Many athletes grow up in a sport where they learn how to do everything perfectly from an early age. Then others discover their passion later, bringing a new perspective and energy to their team.
Two Holy Trinity cheerleaders, Jersie Ramos, a sophomore who has cheered since childhood, and Ava Knight, who decided to try the sport her senior year, share the different paths that led them to the HT Varsity cheer team.
Ramos has always loved cheerleading. “I really liked how cheer incorporated both tumbling from gymnastics and jumps from dance,” she said. Ramos started HT cheer in first grade and then tried competitive cheerleading in fourth grade, continuing for the next five years, which helped lay a strong foundation for what came next.
Similarly, Knight has always been interested in cheerleading but never truly got the chance with her full-time commitment to soccer and cross country. “Cheerleading is something I’ve always wanted to do, so once I had the time, I was super excited to try out,” Knight said, “I switched to cheerleading my senior year because I decided to no longer play club soccer, which was a huge time commitment.”
Due to Ramos’ previous years cheering she has excelled in the sport. “I think my background in cheer gives me an advantage simply because I have more experience in cheer, dancing, and tumbling,” she says. Yet these years of experience can come with a cost. “There is always going to be more expected out of you when you have more experience in something,” Ramos adds.
Despite both athletes growing up with different experiences, they both share meaningful advice about joining cheer. Knight says confidence is essential in every sport. “Be confident in yourself,” she says. “In every sport I’ve played, confidence has always been important for a good performance.”
In Ramos’s experience, pushing through the rough times and never giving up is her best advice for someone new to the sport. “Just stick it out, it is hard in the beginning, but it will always get easier and will 100% be worth it,” Ramos said.
