Berlin Gameday cheer has it’s first competition of the season, UCA Regionals, on Sunday. They have prepared long and hard for this with multiple practices every week since July.

   Gameday cheer is meant to represent what it is like to cheer on the sideline of a game. Their routine consists of a band dance, cheer, and fight song that all has to be performed in under three minutes. It is important to have lots of energy, sharp motions, and hit all of the stunts to score well. On competition day, the announcer will give them a signal like, “That’s another first down for the Bears,” to let them know if they should perform their offense or defense version. 

   The cheerleaders performed their routine for friends and family during their showcase last Wednesday and feel confident and ready for their first competition.

   “I’m excited! We’ve been working really hard and dedicated a lot of time towards practice and preparing for the competition,” cheerleader Zarina Cabrera ‘25 said.

   This is the second season Gameday has existed. They had lots of success last year, but have set goals to do even better this season. They have worked to approve their spiriting and energy during transitions, to make their motions super strong, and to stay together. They have also incorporated harder stunts and skills and choreographed a whole new fight song to make their routine more difficult than last year.

   “Our team has worked on being more consistent and accurate with every cout because it adds a unique kind of sophistication and visual appeal when everything hits at the same time throughout the routine,” Cabrera said.

  On Sunday, hundreds of cheerleaders from all across the state will gather at Berlin to compete in this competition. The pressure will be high but Cabrera stated that the environment is very encouraging. Everyone wants to do well and is super supportive of each other. They push themselves and fellow cheerleaders to do their best which fosters a positive mindset and among the team.

   This is the first of many regional competitions that Gameday will compete in this season before they head to Walt Disney World in February for their nationals. These Bears work hard to emanate the spirit of the DoubleBlue everywhere they go and are sure to bring the energy at all of their competitions.