Sag: Do you think that you guys do a good job influencing the team’s energy when you’re cheering on the sidelines?

Tucker: I’d like to think that we do. I’ve talked to some of the football players and they say they like our cheers, and the crowd gets involved in it, so that’s good.

Sag: What values have you learned from being part of the cheerleading team?

Tucker: I’ve learned teamwork, cooperation, patience—just teaching other girls and learning from them.

Sag: What commitment is necessary to be on the team?

Tucker: The same as any other team. You need to be able to put in the time and care about the girls on the team and be willing to move your schedule around for it.

Sag: What is your favorite part of being on the team?

Tucker: I like team sports, so I like being with other girls. In cheerleading, there’s not the ability, like in other sports, to sit someone out. You really need to use everyone on the team.

 Sag: What is your routine for the competition this year?

Tucker: We had a professional choreographer come in and choreograph it for us, and it’s a lot better than last year. It’ll be better for the pep rally, hopefully.

 Sag: What do you hope the team will accomplish in your next few years at the high school?

Tucker: I hope that we get better and people take the program more seriously and are willing to try it so that we can be more successful.

Ben Miller-Schmidt can be contacted at [email protected].