As tryouts for winter sports are approaching, another activity will be offered to all students: competitive cheerleading. After many years of consideration, cheer coaches Bobette Pulliam, Jennifer Bigenwald, Jessica Drogos, and Bridget Martino, with the help of many students, took the steps to make this new program possible.

“I think its important to offer as many opportunities for students as we possibly can,” Pulliam said. “If enough students are interested in competing, then it’s important.”

Although a competitive cheer team has been brought up to Pulliam many times in the past, the main reason the team was created was to ensure that the competitive team could exist with the already existing program, Pulliam said. With three out of the four coaches retiring at the end of 2018, the restoration of the current program is important.

“We were afraid someone would dissolve the whole program and make it entirely competitive, which would really exclude a lot of kids,” Pulliam said.

Tryouts for the new team are on Oct. 29 at 8 a.m. and the team will consist of 20-24 girls from freshmen to seniors, Pulliam said. Girls who are trying out are expected to have experience with competitive cheerleading, such as: stunting, tumbling, and jumping ability. IHSA requires the team to participate in up to six competitions a year as well as cheer for at least six LT games, regardless of sport. The coaches are also trying to get the cheerleaders an athletic study hall, but whether it will be approved is still unknown.

“It’s great that girls who want to cheer competitively now have the opportunity to,” Pulliam said.

Students also played a huge role in developing the new team. Sarah Better ’18 and Jane Freeman ’18 were both very proactive in the creation of the team, Better said. The two approached Principal Brian Waterman about the subject as well as created a petition that got over 750 signatures.

“Dr. Waterman really cared and was very supportive,” Better said. “Coming from a school that already had a competitive cheer team, he was really surprised that LT didn’t have one.”

As competitive cheer coaches for Lyons Football Club (LFC), Freeman and Better wanted to ensure that girls coming into the LT cheer program had the opportunity to participate on a competitive team, Better said. The only option the girls have to cheer competitively would be at a club, such as  Super All-Stars. Both Better and Freeman both cheer for Super All-Stars.

“I think it’s a great goal for the girls to have and it’s something for them to work towards,” Freeman said.

While the competitive cheer team was created this year, the winter squad that has cheered in the past will still cheer. The biggest difference between the two squads is the commitment and intensity, Pulliam said. Though different, both squads will cheer for the boys varsity basketball team and will try to be as unified as possible.

“The goal is that everyone will be harmonious and it won’t seem like separate squads,” Pulliam said.