After the end of the fall sports season, the Poms started to prepare their dance for competition season with  multiple competitions late January to early February. 

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The squad is made up of 15 girls: four seniors, five juniors, three sophomores and three freshmen. The girls learn one routine and they perform that dance at three to four competitions including counties. Coach Lindsay Roberts said their routine was hard this year. “Everyone did a good job of learning it,” Roberts said.

Practices for poms were every day for two hours where they would start with stretching and then get right into dancing. They learn and then practice their dance several times. “I liked the dance. I thought it was a lot of fun,” freshman Rachel Reinstein said.

Coming off of the virtual season last year, challenges were expected. Covid-19 impacted the Poms during their competition season, including  the implementation of a policy where no spectators are allowed at any competitions. “I was disappointed that Covid made some challenges like no spectators at the first game and we only performed at one basketball game,” sophomore Lily King said.

Goals for the poms this season were to dance as one cohesive team and to showcase each of the girl’s skills not only as a group, but individually also. They also wanted to improve at each competition. “I feel like they did really well,” Roberts said.

Being on Poms requires effort and hard work throughout the entire season, but it is also a social event that is meant to be fun. Everyone was there to work hard but also make friends and connect with the other girls. “My favorite thing was getting ready with the team before games,” King said.

Roberts came in right after the fall season ended, after their previous coach left. The team had already been together for a few months and getting to know their coach. Roberts got to know the squad of 15 girls throughout the season despite not being with them in the fall. “That’s why I like working with poms, because it’s such a small group you get to know everyone,” Roberts said.

Dance competitions can be difficult to judge because different judges will like different elements of dances. They never are judged the same way two competitions in a row. “Any dance competition is tricky because it’s subjective,” Roberts said.

Poms was virtual last year due to the pandemic. For sophomores and freshmen alike, this season was a first. Sophomores had a virtual season and for the freshman poms as a whole was new. “Poms was in person this season, which was really fun and we actually got to practice together and talk with each other instead of being on zoom,” King said. 

The team finished off the season with a third place win in the first competition and fourth place for the second. For counties against all the D2 teams the Poms came in sixth.