After a very successful season last year, the YHS cheer team comes back with new goals and opportunities, building on the momentum of a much bigger team. Last season YHS Cheer gained a lot of valuable experience by competing on a national stage. An achievement Senior Cheerleader Avery Martin said she is most proud of. “We may have been a smaller team compared to the others, but that didn't matter to us,” said Martin.

That experience has built the base for the program moving forward into a new season. Welcoming more athletes to the team.YHS cheer has gained more than just numbers. Coach Hoyer says, “The larger team has brought more energy, depth, personality, strengths, and talent to the program. The larger roster also creates more opportunities for the team to grow in areas they couldn't last year. The team now has more flexibility with stunting, formations, sideline material, pep rallies, and Game Day routines. This expansion also allows for the athletes to learn to work with different people and hold each other accountable.” While they grow as a team, Hoyer hopes each athlete understands that they have an important role in the team’s success.

As for the future, this brings a lot of responsibility upon the seniors to set a good example for the younger athletes who will continue the program next year. After six years of cheer, Avery Martin says being a senior is bittersweet, but she sees her final season as an opportunity to lead. “Being a senior on the team of a sport you have done for six years is so bittersweet,” Avery said. “But most importantly, it means leading by example and setting the standard for the future cheerleaders too.”

Building on their accomplishments, YHS cheer has goals that extend beyond adding more athletes to the roster. The senior captain looks forward to competition season beginning November 1 and hopes the team can add to the accomplishments from last year. Her goals involve earning a first-place division win at Regionals and finishing in the top 10 at both Nationals and UIL State in January.

While winning is always exciting for the team, Hoyer believes success is about more than trophies. Hoyer states, “Winning is always exciting, but success for our program is much bigger than a trophy.” For Hoyer, success is watching her athletes become more confident, disciplined, responsible, and willing to push themselves outside of their comfort zones. While also hoping to improve their fundamentals, especially stunting, motions, jumps, technique, synchronization, and overall performance quality. As the team grows, Hoyer's goal for YHS cheer is for it to continue raising its standards each year rather than becoming comfortable with what it has already accomplished.

The senior captain shares her vision for the future. After experiencing what a small team was able to accomplish at nationals, she hopes the younger athletes will continue the legacy and standard established by last year's team. “I have so much hope for the future with my team,” she said. “I see greatness and reaching accomplishments some of us have never experienced before.” For Hoyer, her vision for YHS cheer is to build it into a strong, respected, and competitive program that the school and community can be proud of. She hopes younger athletes will grow up excited about becoming Yorktown cheerleaders and that current athletes will recognize their role in shaping the teams that come after them. “We have already shown that a small town program can compete on a big stage, and I want to continue building on that momentum.”

As YHS cheer enters another season with a larger roster, more opportunities, and higher expectations, the program will continue to grow on and off the mat. With a better mindset moving forward and a new group of athletes to shape the future, the Wildcats and Kittykats are looking towards a season built on leadership, hard work, school spirit, and teamwork,  ready to Leave No Doubt.