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10/10/2019 12:00 AMRachel Vitarisi fell in love with cheerleading from the second she stepped on the mat as an eight year-old. Rachel went on to join the cheer team at North Branford High School and is currently in her fourth season with the T-Birds. A senior, Rachel is also serving as one of North Branford’s captains for the second-straight year.
“It does mean a lot because, when I was a younger member of the team, my captains had an influence on me. You have to step up to be a leader as captain,” says Rachel. “You need to take charge, but you’re also there to help and motivate your teammates. I love pushing the girls to see how excited we get when we hit new milestones.”
Head Coach Jamie Slubowski led North Branford as a senior captain when Rachel was a freshman. Their relationship is a huge plus for Rachel, who says that Slubowski is the team’s No. 1 supporter. Rachel appreciates how the coach has helped her develop into a leader.
“Last year was kind of a learning year, because it was Coach Jamie’s first year, so we had to make a lot of changes. The relationship I had with her from high school helped make those changes,” Rachel says. “My biggest struggle last year was when I needed to be a captain versus a friend. She helped me learn how to divide the two, while being positive and encouraging.”
Slubowski says that Rachel is doing a great job with that balancing act. She describes Rachel as an ideal captain for the T-Birds.
“Rachel is always the one dancing around and making the team laugh at practice. Having said that, she’s also a good leader when it’s time to be serious and get down to business,” says Slubowski. “Rachel is a very experienced cheerleader, one of the best. She coaches youth cheer, and she’s a captain for the high school, so she definitely knows what it takes to be a leader. Along with that, she and the rest of the captains help me choreograph the routine. Without that, we wouldn’t even make it to competitions.”
North Branford didn’t participate in cheer competitions last season, but the team is returning to the competitive circuit this year. Rachel feels enthusiastic that the Thunderbirds will be getting back into action.
“I’m extremely excited. I was upset last year when we didn’t get to compete, but this year, the motivation of the girls has been crazy,” Rachel says. “We pushed ourselves to be our best, and I’m really excited because we have a very promising team. I know my last season with these girls is going to be a great one, and I can’t wait.”
While Rachel likes to compete, she also enjoys cheering on her fellow T-Birds’ teams at their games. That aspect is what initially drew Rachel into the sport when she was younger.
“I always loved the difficulty each year of trying new stunts and cheering for the boys with my friends. It’s a lot of fun being out there not only with my teammates, but the town as a whole, cheering on the boys,” says Rachel. “This year, we haven’t had any Friday night games yet, but when we’re under the lights, it’s so much fun. It’s definitely something that I’ll always remember.”
Aside from cheerleading, Rachel is a member of the North Branford softball squad. She was a substitute player as a freshman and then earned the starting right field job in her sophomore year. Unfortunately, Rachel had to step away from softball during the middle of her junior season, but she’s ready for a comeback campaign as a senior.
“Leaving softball was the hardest thing I had to do, because I’ve been playing since I was so young,” Rachel says. “It was really difficult to leave, but I’m excited to go back and be with the girls. All the practices and games—I can’t wait to get back out there with them.”
Rachel is in her second season as a youth cheer coach. Her sister Lauren is a member of the U-12 team in North Branford. Rachel likes that she gets to work with her sister and help her develop her cheerleading skills.
“I loved youth cheer as a kid, and I loved going to Sunday morning [football] games and cheering on my guy friends that played,” Rachel says. “Now, I get to watch my younger sister Lauren, and being there coaching her is what got me involved, because I wanted her to enjoy it as much as I did.”