Ever since she was little, sophomore Mikayla Maris knew that she was flexible and liked to be active, leading her to start gymnastics in the third grade with her friends.
Taking classes at Precision Elite Gymnastics, she was able to practice those skills in hopes to compete, until COVID-19 hit, which put a stop to her practices. Though her gymnastic career was halted, these classes opened the door for her to join the cheer team at La Salle as a freshman, as it was the closest thing to gymnastics offered.
Joining with no prior knowledge of cheerleading or her teammates, she was nervous to begin, but the community made her feel welcomed. “It was something I really enjoyed doing, so I kind of just fit right in,” she said.
A favorite accomplishment of Maris’ is being one of the three fliers on the team, something notable since it is only her second year competing and that role is usually for the people who “can stay tight and keep themselves together,” she said.
“It feels really great to just be high up and hear people screaming at you,” Maris said.
Her favorite parts about the sport are stunting and Friday football games where the team is able to rally the student section all together. Though the football games are slightly nerve wracking to Maris, they are also one of the most exciting times of the season. “Everyone’s just really excited, and everyone’s yelling, and then everything feels so good and easy,” she said.
Maris has also seen improvement in her performance skills compared to last year, demonstrated through her increase in flexibility and that she can yell more from her diaphragm.
The hardest part for her is being sore after practices. With three and a half hour long practices three times a week that focus on team chants, cheers, and dance routines, Maris often comes home exhausted. On top of that, learning how to stunt and be a flier were difficult as well.
Finding time to balance practice and schoolwork is fairly easy for Maris since practice starts two hours after school, leaving enough time for her to get food and finish her homework.
“There [were] many trials and errors of going up and then coming straight back down and falling,” she said.
Though she has had no serious injuries while practicing stunting and flying, she has torn a few ligaments on her right wrist last year and this year.
Maris credits her teammates and coaches on the cheer team for pushing her to work harder with their constant support and encouragement.
At school, her favorite class is Intro to Design because of her crafty personality and her affinity for hands-on activities rather than a conventional learning environment.
Her favorite teachers are Director of STEAM and Innovation and Design teacher Ms. Carie Coleman and science teacher Mr. Kyle Voge who have both taught Maris classes that she enjoyed.
Aside from cheer and school, when she has the chance, she loves to draw, hangout with her friends, and swim on a nice day.
Looking into the future, Maris would like to continue cheerleading in college, though she is not sure where yet. She also wants to pursue a career as a marine vet and help animals suffering from pollution, potentially starting something that could mitigate the issue.
She has known that she wanted to do this since she was young. “I had a passion for the ocean,” she said. “As I grow up, I see how bad it really looks and gets, and how so many animals suffer from it, so that is something I’ve wanted to do for a while.”
