After a disappointing outcome in the NCA 2024 Nationals, placing fourth out of all contestants, the Piemont Cheer team is looking to start their season on the right foot. They have another opportunity to prove themselves at the NCA Nationals this year.
The Lady Lions are building off of their disappointing season last year and looking to improve on new skills for this upcoming season.
“The advancement in the girls’ skills this year has been huge; in the first two years, I was more focused on recruiting, but now, in my third year, we are doing actual competitions,” said head coach Cristen Rabern, who is entering her fourth year at Piedmont.
The Lady Lions are looking to build better team camaraderie this upcoming season “It’s important to foster a positive, supportive environment; cheerleading requires a lot of trust and teamwork, so creating an atmosphere where every girl feels valuable to the team is crucial,” said junior Jailyn Green.
After being placed fourth in the NCA Nationals, the Lions are hungrier than ever. “Coming in fourth place last year lit a fire under the girls because we realized it wasn’t anything the other teams did that our team couldn’t do.” said coach Rabern.
The Lions are overcoming some performance anxiety from the previous season. “We’re going to perform in front of large crowds to prepare…,” said Coach Rabern. The Lions are hosting a competition on March 29 to prepare for UCA Nationals, focusing on managing performance anxiety.
This year, Coach Rabern and the Lady Lions are looking to win it all. “It would mean everything to win nationals for Coach Rabern. She’s put in hours of dedication and building the program from the ground up,” said junior Jailyn Green.
“It would be great to prove that every early morning, late-night practice, and sacrifice was worth it because my teammates and I have put in a lot of work this year.” said senior Kiki Howard.
The Piedmont Competition Cheer season will begin March 29, with one goal on their mind to win NCA Nationals.
