What it takes to be a Chelsea High Stingette: Preparing for fall football season

CHELSEA, Ala. — For the past three years, my life from July to October has revolved around football season. The halftime show takes months of preparation from all groups, and the dedication and time that goes into these weeks before kick off is more extensive than some may think.

As a Chelsea High Stingette, we practice for up to seven hours a day during the last few weeks of July. This includes learning all four dances of the halftime show, pep rally dances, pom routines, the pre-game show, stand dances, and much more. We spend hours improving our leaps, flexibility, tricks, turns, and performance quality. After all, lifting a teammate in the air and performing an entire halftime show is not for the weak!

To be a Stingette, you definitely have to have drive. This becomes evident when we add extra hours to the end of band camp to work on our problem areas, or when we use our five-minute water breaks to review and fix mistakes. This may sound like a horrible way to spend the short, summer days, but all our hard work pays off when we get those 10 minutes to shine during halftime. The adrenaline rush that comes with running onto the field and taking our spots is unexplainable. The feeling of finishing a show after nailing all your turns and executing your tricks perfectly is unmatched. It especially pays off when we win the superior ratings and “Best Danceline in Class” titles at competitions.

But, more important than a perfect leap and the first place trophy is the team itself. I believe everyone on the team would agree that the relationship that we have built with each other is so unique. The bond we have makes the hot, long, and intense practices all worth it. We build each other up and push each other every day to become the best team we can be.

The experiences I have from being on this team have not only make me a better dancer and athlete, but a better teammate and person, which extends outside of the world of football.

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