If you would’ve told me two years ago Holy Family Cheer would be in the 4A All Girl Traditional Cheer finals two consecutive years running, I would’ve told you that you were crazy. This is not a knock on the previous state of the program but more a testament to the work and dedication that coaches Alissa Gutierrez, Monique Dominguez and April Huffman have put into the spirit program. Previous years, the cheer program was merely an afterthought and simply was just a sideline presence at football and basketball games. What these coaches have done has built the foundation for the future of the Holy Family Cheerleading team.
Coming from one of the most well known gyms in All Star Cheerleading (Cheer Central Suns), I know what success looks like and with coaches that all come from a competitive background know it too. The landscape of cheer has changed drastically over the decades and along with that, the demands of being a high quality athlete in the sport of cheerleading has changed as well. To educate those who may not know, competing against teams like Erie and Lewis Palmer (who have multiple athletes that have many years of competitive cheer under their belt) whereas Holy Family is just in the infant stages of building a truly competitive program. This is like transitioning from D2 to D1 in college. Holy Family may not have the hardware, however, we can compete with the best in the state and have proved that the last two years. In 2022, we were NCAC League Champions and state runner ups to Erie. And in early November, we became back to back League Champions. Just this last weekend, we finished third behind Lewis Palmer and Erie with two zero deduction routines.
With the rumors of 6X 4A All Girl Tradition Cheer state champions, Erie, moving up a classification to 5A in 2024, this leaves the door open for Holy Family Cheer to make themselves a household name going forward. The nucleus of the team is young but has gained valuable experience. Just as important, the Cheer program is building a base of alumni who want to see it succeed.
Coaches Alissa, Monique and April are all coming back for a third consecutive season. The expectations of what it takes to be competitive will not be a surprise for the returning athletes. Just like any other sport at Holy Family, the off season is going to be instrumental in the growth and development of next years team. With aspirations of competing at the national level, these athletes know they must get stronger, more conditioned, and work on their craft (tumbling, stunting, jumping etc). For the seniors leaving the program, Grace, Olivia, Ashleigh, Kenna, Moria, Delany, and myself, we hope to have had a positive impact on the team and the Holy Family community. And I would not be surprised if one or more of us give back and want to contribute to their future success as coaches.
