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01/31/2018 11:00 PMJess Tapia says that her mom signed her up for virtually every sport when she was younger. The first one that Jess partook in is was cheerleading, and that’s the sport she’s stuck with through the years. Now a senior at East Haven High School, Jess is a captain for the Yellowjackets’ cheerleading squad this year.
“I grew into it and fell in love. I just like the intensity of it. The nerves it give me, it makes my blood rush,” says Jess. “I started competing in 7th grade at [Joseph Melillo Middle School]. I made the competition team my freshman year, and I’ve just kept competing for my whole high-school career.”
When East Haven competes, Jess holds down the base position that catches the fliers. Jess is always focused on ensuring the safety of her teammates, as well as a quality score for her squad.
“It’s pretty hard and a lot of pressure. If a girl falls, it’s because the bases aren’t supporting her well underneath. I try my hardest to push myself and make my coaches and teammates proud,” Jess says. “I’ve definitely looked at being a base from a different perspective. I always thought it was just about strength, but it’s also about your mindset. If you think you can, you will. If you doubt yourself, you’ll just be putting yourself down.”
This type of mindset helps Jess in her role as a captain. East Haven cheerleading Head Coach Michelle Maru feels very confident about what Jess brings to the table as a leader for her team.
“[Jess] brings a lot of strengths to all different aspects of the team. She is a great teammate and captain. She is a friend to all the girls, but also knows when and how to push the team in a way that they really take in what she is telling them,” says Maru. “Jess is also a great cheerleader and competitor. She has always worked hard to do the best she can...This year, she has been putting in her all to the team and working on perfecting skills that she didn’t previously have. We enjoy coaching Jess and watching her show all her hard work at practices and competitions.”
Jess loves being a captain for the Yellowjackets. Jess says it was her dream to lead the Easties, and she learned a lot from the captains who preceded her.
“I wanted to be a captain. I always looked up to the bigger girls, and I always want to be there for the underclassmen. I’m there to be their captain and friend. I looked up to former captains, because they always kept an open mind. Every time we were feeling down, they brought us back up. I try to do that for our team now,” Jess says. “I like to have everyone get along and I want them to know cheer is not always about hitting your stunts. It’s about having fun. We have to have fun or else it won’t be anything we want to do.”
Like many of her teammates, Jess really enjoys competing at the New England Cheerleading Association (NECA) meet that’s annually held at East Haven High School. This year’s NECA competition takes place on Saturday, Feb. 24, and Jess is already looking forward to taking the mat in front of her hometown fans.
“I definitely like having it at our home. I feel more comfortable there. That’s where we practice, so I know where to be on the mat,” says Jess. “I know my family will be there to watch, which also makes me comfortable. I like that atmosphere that cheerleaders are coming to our school to perform.”