By: Tanvi Ambekar

Opinion Editor 

As the winter sports season is drawing to a close, the Los Gatos High School Varsity Cheer Team wrapped up its competition cheer season with a sense of satisfaction. The 18-member team participated in five competitions this season, culminating at the 2026 USA Spirit Nationals in Anaheim, California, from Feb. 19 through 23.

Before nationals, the team competed in various smaller competitions to perfect their routines for the big weekend. In all, they attended four other events, including the CIF-Central Coast Section championship. While these competitions do not offer any official titles, sophomore cheerleader Maia Zaler recalled that the experience “prepares the team” for nationals because of the competitive atmosphere. 

Their first competition served as the qualifying round for the national competition one month later. The team could only advance if they scored above 80%, which they did. They drove to Anaheim together, excited and ready to give it their all. 

The event was bound to be nerve-wracking. Danika Wessels, a senior and captain of the cheer team who has been cheering for three years, says that tournaments “can get pretty competitive because everyone’s so [good]” and because the scoring rubric changes every year. This year, the team left frustrated because of a seemingly unfair point deduction during their performance. This prevented the Wildcats from qualifying to participate in the second day of the competition. Regardless, the team made the most out of it by spending the second day touring Disneyland and enjoying the last days of their February break together. 

The 2026 season also brought its fair share of internal challenges. Two years ago, the cheer team hired a new head coach and, in the words of Wessels, “kind of had to rebuild the program,” but thought “it went pretty well” in terms of their final performance, even if they did not win. Also, freshman Cassidy Lancaster suffered a serious concussion after the team’s very first competition, resulting in her absence from all other tournaments besides USA Spirit. 

Looking back, some first-year competition cheerleaders realized that cheering on the sidelines versus during a competition are two very different but rewarding experiences. Zaler confessed that she prefers cheering at football games because of the lower pressure: “In a football game, if you fall [or] mess up, you can just get up. But in competitions, if you wobble or fall, that’s points off.” Despite this, she reiterated her enthusiasm for continuing to compete throughout her high school career because of the joyfulness of her team, her coaches, and her passion for the sport. 

Despite not being well known, the Cheer Team comes with the pressure and team spirit of many other high school sports. So next time you see the Wildcat squad in action, show your school spirit by cheering along with them!