The high school poms squad is more than just a dance team; it’s a place where everyone is welcome. With a focus on inclusivity, the team embraces students from all backgrounds and skill levels, creating a supportive and encouraging environment beyond performances.

     Claire Stevens, poms coach, said, “We have always had a competition team, but this year we added a football team that focuses only on football games. We made this change because we saw many dancers auditioning who might not have the experience or commitment for the competition team but still wanted to dance.” So despite the student’s experience or commitment, they will be placed into a team that suits them best and then be able to put those skills to use in the team.  Stevens said, “We believed this was a great way to include everyone and let dancers choose how much they want to commit to the team.”  She also said that coaching is tough. It requires a lot of time and effort to prepare for the season, just like many other jobs. Stevens said, “Auditions are open to everyone, and we love seeing more people try out each year.” In a time when many activities are exclusive, this team is making an effort to get everyone involved.

     Nonetheless, Stevens pulls it all together and makes it what it is now by working hard to improve the team and their daily routines. They prove this when they perform and place better and better each year.  In a squad like this, teamwork matters the most and they show representation of great camaraderie when they perform together. Even if they are feeling down, they always find a way to pull each other up again and do what they do best. 

     Avery Booms, junior, is part of both the football and competition poms teams. Booms said that being on the poms team is enjoyable. They usually perform pom and hip-hop routines and have done jazz in the past. Surprisingly, the football team, which seems more intense, requires less skill and commitment, but they still manage to have fun. Booms also said, “It is unnecessary to have both a competition and a football team. We could combine the teams and make it smaller. The team turned out to be very large this year, making it hard to clean dances and improve the technique due to everyone being at different levels of ability.” However, that would mean the team would be limited again as far as who is eligible to participate.

     Everyone, no matter their skill level, is allowed to participate in poms, especially since there are two separate teams for lower and higher skill levels, making it more available for high school students to participate.  This gives students an opportunity when deciding to join the poms team, whether they decide to join the football or competition poms. The poms coach ensures that everybody joins the team that fits them so they can do their best in the area they’re good with for dancing. 

     So overall, the football poms team is great for people who don’t want to commit as much and have less dance experience, and the competition poms are for people who have more dancing skills and a higher level of commitment. So, if one wants to be part of something enjoyable and sometimes challenging, consider joining the poms team next season!