Even though I started off on the team as a sophomore, I quickly took on and even was there for the founding of certain traditions. Since the beginning, these traditions have made the team feel more than that; it’s a sisterhood. 

Starting off, our captain, Ivana Major, always brings a pink and purple stuffed turtle to every single one of our competitions. This has been and always will be a thing from our very first to last competition. 

During my first year, our captain, Sofia Peñas, made up a new tradition within our huddle. When we would get ready to go out and perform, she always shout “If everyone does their job,” and we would all yell back “We will hit.” 

To go along with this, our co-captain at the time, Ana V. Salazar, would make us breathe “good vibes in” and exhale “bad vibes out.” 

The same year, our coach, Coral Buxeda, started using the green evil eye to keep the bad vibes away, and hopefully give us luck. She would also typically play the same songs before we would go full out. Some of them include “Final Song” by MØ, “All the Time” by Zara Larsson, and “Wonder” by Shawn Mendez. 

We also have some iconic sing-along songs on the team. “Girl on Fire” by Alicia Keys was started by ILS Cheer alumni Kaitlyn Laurido and our obsession with “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus was started by our previous captain.

We’ve actually added two new songs to our repertoire this year thanks to Major. Both are by the iconic Hannah Montana and are entitled “You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home” and “Life’s What You Make It.” The new additions come as a way to keep morale up and have everyone be a part of a tradition.

The best thing about being a part of this team is whether you’re a freshmen, senior, or coach, you’ll always be a part of the tradition and legacy of this team.