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11/20/2019 11:00 PMKaitlyn Kapinos is showing promise for the East Haven cheerleading team as a sophomore. After starting off as a dancer, Kaitlyn transitioned to cheerleading when she was in 6th grade, and is now an up-and-coming athlete with the Easties.
Kaitlyn came to the high school team after having served as a captain for her middle school squad. While she’s only a sophomore, Kaitlyn is still taking on a key leadership role for the Yellowjackets.
“This year, because I’m not a freshman, I’ve been trying to step up and be a role model for the younger girls, especially because we have a new girl. I’m trying to get her up to speed with the team,” Kaitlyn says. “I like being a leader, because I like being a role model. It’s really rewarding to have people look up to you.”
Kaitlyn endured the grind of the competition season as a freshman. Kaitlyn started off her cheerleading career as a backspot, but moved into a flier’s role out of a team necessity last year.
“In the middle of the season, a few members left the team, so we had to start our routine from scratch. It was tough, because other teams had their routines down, while we were struggling to get ours going,” says Kaitlyn. “I did a little flying in middle school, but this was new to me. For competitions, I had to fly in the pyramid. It was quite hard because, for flying, you need balance and need to be coordinated. There was a lot of small stuff in the routine I wasn’t used to.”
Kaitlyn brought a can-do attitude to the Yellowjackets in her freshman season, and Head Coach Michelle Maru certainly took notice of that. Maru says that Kaitlyn also brings a great skillset to the mat.
“Kaitlyn is a backspot, but also steps into any role she is given. Last year, we had to switch up her spot of being a back to flying during part of our routine to help make our pyramid score in a more difficult range, and she excelled at it,” Coach Maru says. “Kaitlyn is a very hard worker and sets a great example for girls on the team, even as a sophomore. She has a great and positive attitude, and we really enjoy coaching her and are excited to see how she grows as an athlete over the next few years.”
Kaitlyn is happy to report that there is no midseason switch in East Haven’s routine this year. As a result, she’s back at her natural spot as a backspot.
“I’m extremely excited to be back as a backspot. I prefer to be on the ground than in the air. It’s less stressful and more comfortable to me,” Kaitlyn says. “I’m excited for competition season, because I really enjoy competing. When we’re on the mat, the energy from the crowd is insane and pushes me to perform and do better for my team.”
Kaitlyn had to deal with a steep learning curve when she switched from dance to cheer in middle school. However, Kaitlyn took a liking to the nuances of cheerleading, as well as the team dynamic, and now she loves the sport.
“What I liked about cheer was that the tumbling and stunting was something I had never experienced before. It was hard to get used to, and I had to go to classes,” says Kaitlyn. “I like how with cheer you always go out as a team. I like being a part of a team, rather than being by myself.”
In addition to competing, Kaitlyn also likes cheering on the Easties’ football and boys’ basketball teams. Kaitlyn feeds off the energy in the stands to give the fans a performance that they’ll remember.
“I like cheering. I love being out there when it’s a good environment with The Hive and the crowd. The whole school gets involved,” Kaitlyn says. “When the crowd is pumped up, it gets the cheerleaders hyped up and gets us to perform better and cheer more.”
Kaitlyn feels eager to begin the competition season. She says that the Yellowjackets are determined to turn in some impressive performances this winter.
“My goals are to have a good competition season,” says Kaitlyn. “Our team is more bonded this year and we’re working together as one.”