The WMS cheer team kicked off their 2022 season at WMS  with a High V for victory

The WMS cheer team consists of 16 girls who strive to do their best. The two captains on the team are Samantha Malltell and Emalee Rizitis. The two coaches are Coach Douglas and Coach Liastro.  

Captains Malltell and Rizitis:

Malltell stated that she loves how “everybody has their own speciality.” She said she loved how everyone is determined to work hard and try their best to be the best. If somebody is doing better than them, they are asking, “What can I do to be good? How can I be better?”, and that’s something she admired a lot.

Malltell also said, “I thought nobody was going to respect me if I was captain. I thought everyone was going to think that I’m not on their level.” But later into the season, she noticed that everyone is so amazing and that nobody is rude enough to make her think she’s lesser than what she is. 

She said that “everybody is so welcoming” and she “can’t wait for the future.”

Rizitis said, “My favorite thing about the team is how we all work together and we communicate as a group; to be the best that we can be.”

Malltell and Rizitis worked hard at being a captain. They made sure everyone is comfortable and happy with their position. Coach Douglas even stated that if she had to redo the captains, she would still pick Malltell and Rizitis.

Coach Douglas and Liastro:

Coach Douglas said that she loves being a coach because it’s taking time away from just being a teacher and giving her new opportunities. At the same time, she said she likes how she is still working with kids and helping them learn. 

Coach Douglas stated, “My favorite part of coaching is getting to know the girls and having a connection.” She said that she “loves when they feel comfortable enough to talk to her or Coach Liastro.”

Coach Liastro has always loved and had a passion for cheer leading. She stated, “I wish I did [collegiate cheer]. At the time I just thought it was going to be too much of a commitment with starting college.” However, she coached many clinics and even coached at the high school level.

Coach Liastro has been cheering since she was 6 years old; she even did All-Star Cheer up until middle school. All-Star cheer is competitive cheerleading where one needs to do a 2 minute and 30 second routine in front of 3 or 4 judges. 

Coach Liastro and Douglas worked hard with putting together the halftime cheer and the dance. They made sure that everyone was comfortable and ready to perform for their first game.