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02/04/2014 11:00 PMThe East Haven cheerleading squad could've been seen at football and basketball games thus far into its long season, but on Feb. 1 the Yellowjackets finally started their competition schedule. Senior captain Carla Anania could not be any happier that competitions are underway.
"I'm a competitor and I love to compete," says Carla. "It's one aspect of cheerleading that I really look forward to because we really come together as a team and we work all season for it."
That's not to say Carla doesn't find cheering on East Haven's football and basketball teams to be important to the development and chemistry of the squad.
"For football season, we're practicing our motions and our voices so we can get the crowd involved at the games," says Carla, who loves interacting with the crowd to get them more heavily involved in the game. "While we're cheering at the basketball games, we're stunting, we're tumbling, and we're cheering. At halftime we'll do part of our routine which gives us practice in front of a crowd."
Carla is looking forward to the New England Cheerleading Association competition the most because of the team's past success. The event takes place at East Haven High School, and the Yellowjackets have placed second the past two seasons.
When it comes time for competitions, Carla feels the strongest in the dance category-cheerleading competitions are scored in four categories: tumbling, cheering, stunting, and dancing-thanks to her 15 years of experience.
"That definitely helps me with cheerleading and it helps me help the other girls along with it because I just enjoy dancing so it comes easier to me on the cheerleading mat. That's what I most look forward to," says Carla. "In our routine, we always ask for our choreography to be sassy and growing up, my favorite type of dance was musical theatre and jazz. That's the type of dance where you can be sassy and portray yourself. That incorporates with cheerleading because we love being sassy, and when you're sassy, you portray a character so it really helps you with the routine."
Since Carla is a four-year member of the Yellowjackets' cheering squad, Head Coach Michelle Maru named her a captain for this season.
"She works so hard beyond belief," says Maru. "She's always positive, always looking to do something to better herself and the team, and she's a friend to all the girls."
Carla takes the most pride in helping better the team as a whole, and really enjoys that aspect of being a captain.
"That the girls can look up to me and if they need anything, they can come to me and I can help lead them through whatever is going on. I can really encourage them to be the best that they can be," says Carla, who was very honored to be named a captain. "I work to encourage [teammates], especially when someone else is frustrated. I take it upon myself to go up to them and talk to them and calm them down. I tell them what they can improve on, what they can practice to make themselves better. You have to cheer them up so we can work together as a squad because without encouraging each other and respect for one another, we wouldn't get anywhere and we definitely would not be able to achieve our goals together."
Carla's hard work on the mat, in the community, and in the classroom has led to her being accepted by five of seven colleges already, and she would love to get involved in cheer wherever she goes.
"Unfortunately, at most of them, cheerleading is only a club sport," says Carla, who was an All-SCC cheerleader and recognized as an All-American at East Haven's annual cheer camp. "But at a few of them, the cheer squads do compete so I'm really hoping to try out for them."