(Editor’s note: This is the fifth article in a series of CYO Varsity division cheer stories SILive.com will focus on leading up the Island championships in March.)
Everybody loves a good David versus Goliath story.
And, last year, Holy Child was the clear underdog as it competed for the first time in the CYO Large division, featuring multiple household programs such as St. Clare’s, Our Lady Star of the Sea and St. Charles. In both CYO competitions, the squad earned fourth in the division.
But, with a world of experience under their belts, the Hawks are coming back with stars in their eyes as they look to make some noise in the division come March.
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With an underdog mentality, Holy Child is ready to show out at competition
“If we wanted to be able to compete with the other programs, we had to step up our game and be able to do the difficult things,” said Kristen Finelli. “We had to be more strategic in how we formulate our routine and work to our strengths, knowing that we might not have the difficulty but will execute [our skills] cleanly.
“They’re catching up to all the other teams in terms of difficulty – last year, we didn’t have half of the skills they’re doing now, so they’ve really come a long way.”
With just a month before the first CYO competition, the Hawks agree that their focus is on beating their best performances week after week.
“At the end of the day, we just want to be better than our last time,” added Jenn Carley, with Mya Logan and Concetta Turchio rounding out the staff. “We show our girls their score sheet from the week before and focus on beating our scores because we should be our own biggest competition.
“I’ve never been a person to care about placement as long as they’re progressing, improving and [proud of what they’ve done on and off the mat].”
With a world of experience under their belts, the Hawks look to make some noise in a CYO Large division featuring many household programs. (Annie DeBiase for the Advance/SILive.com)(Annie DeBiase for the Advance/SILive.com)
Don’t be fooled, however. The Hawks want to win just as much as anyone else – but, according to their coaches, they want their victories to be earned.
“We are huge believers of winning because we all hit zero and we were just better, not that [our competitors] were bad or didn’t hit everything,” said Carley. “We’re excited to go up against these teams and they’re great programs, so to be able to do that would be a huge accomplishment.
And, as former Holy Child cheerleaders, one thing that both coaches hold in high regard is choreographing their routine in-house. And, considering most teams are performing the same skills, there’s only a few times in a routine where one school’s creativity can be shown.
For the Hawks, it’s their dance and standing tumbling section that shows off that creative spark. Created by Carley, it features sharp choreography from the squad before the tumblers hit cartwheel tucks.
With a world of experience under their belts, the Hawks look to make some noise in a CYO Large division featuring many household programs. (Annie DeBiase for the Advance/SILive.com)(Annie DeBiase for the Advance/SILive.com)
“We really like to pride ourselves on choreographing our own routines, and think that it’s a really cool part of our program that we don’t go outside and pay someone to do it for us,” added Finelli. “We all cheered and aren’t on the mat anymore, so I feel this is where we really get to show our strong suit by choreographing a really creative routine.
“We put our hearts and souls into it, so watching them perform it is just so rewarding to us.”
Finally, when all is said and done at the end of March, the coaching staff wants their squad to be proud of what they’ve put out on the mat.
“We want them to continue working hard, get the upgrades that we’ve been working on and just go out, show out and have a performance they’re really proud of,” said Carley. “At the end of the day, they’re the ones putting in the blood, sweat and tears, so to have them be able to go out and do a clean routine that hits that they can look back on 20 years from now and be proud of is what I want from them.
“It’s been a stream of seasons where they’ve felt like underdogs, and this is the first season where they don’t feel that way as much,” concluded Finelli. “They’re starting to believe in themselves, in their talent, skills and hard work, and it’s going to show at CYO.
“I know it.”
With a world of experience under their belts, the Hawks look to make some noise in a CYO Large division featuring many household programs. (Annie DeBiase for the Advance/SILive.com)(Annie DeBiase for the Advance/SILive.com)
CHEERLEADER’S CORNER
The Staten Island Advance/SILIVE.com, to highlight some of the young cheerleaders spending multiple days a week practicing and preparing for competition, spoke with eighth-grade captains Lia Hodges (main base) and Sophia Ruffini (backspot) to get their thoughts on the season.
What’s the best part of being a Holy Child cheerleader?
LH: Our coaches, who are very nice and supportive while helping us do our best.
SR: My coaches, who are so supportive of me, and getting to do everything with my teammates who are basically my best friend and like sisters to me.
What’s your favorite skill to perform?
LH: Even though it’s not my best skill, it’s a lib because they’re really fun to do in my opinion. You can do so many things with it, and it’s really fun.
SR: I love my tumbling because it’s my strength and I’m a very powerful tumbler, and my coaches are very supportive of that and cheer me on. My favorite tricks are my cartwheel tuck or my round-off layout.
What’s one pre-competition ritual you have?
LH: I go to Dunkin and get a medium dragonfruit refresher with green tea and a bacon, egg and cheese. I also just think that my friends and everyone I love is in the crowd, [and it helps me get ready to perform].
SR: We all go into a huddle, and we have two people that say prayers that they’ve found online that give us good luck. Also, my group of friends and I meet up at Starbucks and we’ll fill our Stanleys with our strawberry acai refreshers.
With a world of experience under their belts, the Hawks look to make some noise in a CYO Large division featuring many household programs. Holy Child has two eighth-grade captains: Lia Hodges (left) and Sophia Ruffini. (Annie DeBiase for the Advance/SILive.com)(Annie DeBiase for the Advance/SILive.com)