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03/09/2016 11:00 PMDeidra O’Connor wasn’t part of any club or organization when she stepped into East Haven High School as a freshman. Deidra had done youth cheerleading for a couple of years, but then stopped in 5th grade and was unsure if she wanted to join that team when she got to high school. However, that all changed for Deidra after she went to the Yellowjackets’ first pep rally early in her freshman year.
“I decided to join the team when I saw them perform at our first pep rally. It was very interesting to watch,” says Deidra, now a senior. “It was a little scary at first because I didn’t know anybody from the beginning of the season, but it was easy to adjust after joining as everyone on the squad was friendly.”
Deidra was held out of competitions in her first season as she needed time to become acclimated with her fellow cheerleaders, although she still got to perform alongside them at football games and learned a lot from the overall experience of being on the squad.
“For the first few weeks, I sat and learned the cheers and then was put out and learned the halftime routine. It was important because it made me realize how serious cheerleading was and how important they took it as a team. It got me ready for the next years as I got to be on the competition team,” Deidra says. “From watching them, I got to see how hard they really work. If I didn’t get to watch them, I wouldn’t get to know how serious they took it. It got me ready for the next couple of years and I got to learn all the stunting techniques and how it all worked.”
Deidra holds down the role of a base with East Haven’s competition team and she’s earned a lot of trust from her teammates by catching them through the years. That’s why Deidra was a logical choice to captain the Yellowjackets in her current senior season.
“It’s definitely rewarding and an enjoyable feeling knowing the girls look up to me. We have a good bond and have fun together on and off of cheerleading,” says Deidra. “I think I bring a lot of positivity to the other girls and I think they look up to me for advice. I just bring a good positive attitude towards everyone. I’m not a negative person, especially towards the team. If something goes wrong, I try to make everyone feel like it’s going to be OK and we’re going to do good.”
Head Coach Michelle Maru likes how Deidra leads the Easties and couldn’t be happier with the relationships that Deidra has formed with her peers.
“Deidra is a great asset to our team and is very encouraging with all of the girls,” says Maru. “During her senior year, Deidra really broke out of her shell. She is friends with all of the girls and she brings a positive attitude to the team.”
Deidra’s favorite competition is the New England Cheerleading Association meet that’s typically held at East Haven High School. The Yellowjackets recently finished second out of eight teams at the event and Deidra views that as a huge accomplishment, especially considering that East Haven’s division was realigned and so it had to go up against some tougher teams.
“A lot of our season is used to prep for it. We get a huge fan section because it’s at home and our parents are there,” says Deidra, whose team later placed ninth at the Class L State Championship. “It’s a huge competition and it’s fun to see all the other teams.”
Deidra isn’t certain if she’s going to continue her cheerleading career in college, but one thing she’s sure of is that’s happy with what she’s experienced as a member of the East Haven cheerleading family.
“Cheerleading is all about trust. It involves everyone on the team. It’s not one girl carrying the whole team like you see in other sports. The whole team has to do well for everything to go well,” says Deidra. “The past four years have been the best. I’ve met so many girls I’ll remember forever. I’m grateful to have been a part of the cheerleading team.”