The John Jay cheerleading team held tryouts on Thursday, October 2 and Friday, October 3 on the 4th floor of Haaren Hall.

A panel of former John Jay cheerleaders came and judged the tryouts, where the girls danced in groups of three with music. 

The candidates were also required to do a stunt, where four girls would group up, three girls on the floor and the other getting raised in the air. This stunt was followed by a cheer.  

If the candidates said they were able to tumble, which includes performing moves such as backhandsprings, roundoffs, and back tucks, they were able to perform those skills for the judges. 

All candidates trying out were required to wear a white t-shirt and black shorts, along with some sort of athletic sneaker, and were assigned a number. 

Each candidate also had to go to their primary care physician to get a pass that they were able to try out for the team, as well as other health forms from the athletics department. 

Candidates are not allowed to wear fake nails, face piercings, or big hoop earrings to prevent injuries.

If chosen to be part of the team, members must attend all practices starting Monday, October 6. 

Head Coach of the John Jay cheerleading team Sean Gomes commented on his hopes for the new season.

“It looks like we have a lot of new faces, so I’m really looking forward to building a program that will stand up for the future years. I want to make sure that everyone makes it to the end, and I’m looking forward to really amping up our performances,” he said. “I want to show the conference what John Jay cheerleading is all about, and making sure that we’re on the top of our game,” said Coach Gomes.

John Jay cheerleader Sherlin Cuahutle commented about her experience on the team. 

“I am the newcomer of the year who won the award back when we did the sports awards, so it was amazing and I love my team. I’m excited to see what the future holds,” said Cuahutle.

John Jay cheerleader Kimberli Perez shared that her favorite memories from the team come from all of the hard work that goes into their practices. 

“My favorite memory has to be competing in my first competition. The months of training, sweating, and crying finally paid off. We saw how much potential we had and how we finally made everything work together,” said Perez.

Perez elaborated that moments like these fuel her passion for the sport and show how discipline can lead to success. 

“It was one of my favorite experiences because I remember the seniors at the time being so proud of their ‘freshies’ coming in and being able to do so well. Coach Sean even cried for that competition! There was just a big wave of emotions from everyone,” said Perez.

The bond that comes with being a John Jay cheerleader is essential to the team’s success. Coach Gomes spoke shared

his views on success for his team.

“Success goes a long way. It’s more than just the championships, it’s about bringing a team together. Everyone is able to come together and achieve a certain goal,” he said.

He then spoke about how success and happiness go hand in hand, making for a great season.

“We are successful if we win, but I also find success in the fact that our team was together in the end. I also feel that you’re successful when you’re happy, and if everyone is happy then that makes for a great team and a great season,” said Coach Gomes.