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02/23/2022 11:00 PMWhile she isn’t on the competition squad, Vanessa Sigular is still an important member of the East Haven cheerleading team. Vanessa is constantly cheering on her fellow Yellowjackets and is always there to support her teammates as a senior captain.
When she was in 7th grade, Vanessa joined the cheerleading team at Joseph Melillo Middle School (JMMS). Vanessa had been doing gymnastics and, after watching her friends cheer, she thought that it might be a good fit. Once she made the switch, Vanessa found cheerleading a good fit.
“All my friends were doing it. It seemed super fun,” says Vanessa. “Doing gymnastics, I had the skills that were in cheer. It all kind of clicked that maybe it was for me instead.”
On the floor, Vanessa served as a base. Vanessa understood how important her role was and knew that she always had to do her job to ensure that the routine ran smoothly.
“Being a base, you’re carrying the stunt. You have to make sure you’re doing everything correctly and stay on top of it,” Vanessa says. “If you’re not doing your job, it’s not going to work out.”
After competing at JMMS through 8th grade, Vanessa joined the East Haven High School cheerleading team as a freshman. Vanessa says the move to the high school stage was a little scary at first, but despite any early concerns, she was determined to continue.
In her sophomore year, Vanessa had the opportunity to compete with the Yellowjackets at the 2020 Class M State Championship. This was the first time that Vanessa felt like she truly had a role on the team. Following the state meet, Vanessa knew that she wanted to dedicate herself to cheerleading.
“Sophomore year competing at states was the first year I really had a solid position on the team. It made me realize how important that entire season was,” says Vanessa. “It was right before COVID, when we didn’t really know what was happening. It made me realize that this is super important and you just have to stick with it.”
Now a senior, Vanessa isn’t a member of this year’s competition team, but she still wanted to contribute to the squad as much as possible. Vanessa made it her mission to support her teammates and make sure they always knew they could count on her.
“This year, I wasn’t competing. I wanted to make sure that I showed my support even off the mat. If you show your support off the mat, it just makes everyone want to work harder,” Vanessa says. “It makes me so proud when they compete. I know that I’m always going to be supporting them no matter what.”
When she was looking to improve as a cheerleader, Vanessa soon realized that her biggest growth would come off the mat. Vanessa made numerous connections that helped her become more vocal. In turn, she became a leader, helping Vanessa earn the role of senior captain alongside Kaitlyn Kapinos and Antonia Torello this season. Vanessa was also a captain in 8th grade and she’s proud to be back in that spot again.
As a base, Vanessa learned how to support a routine on the mat. As a captain, Vanessa knows how to support the Yellowjackets off of the mat. Either way, Vanessa feels happy to be stepping out of the shadows as a senior.
“I was a small freshman who just stayed in the back and didn’t really talk much. Now, over the years I’ve grown, and I’ve made connections with everyone,” says Vanessa. “Everyone knows who I am now, instead of just staying in the shadows.”
Head Coach Michelle Maru has seen Vanessa flourish as an Easties’ cheerleader during the past four seasons. Maru says that the senior captain has a positive attitude and is always looking for ways to her help her teammates.
“Vanessa brings a lot of positivity to the team and is a great leader. She is always positive and happy to see the team succeed,” Maru says. “Vanessa cheers the team on and helps work with the younger athletes who aren’t on the competition team. She takes time to go over things at practice and puts things together in between quarters at games. We have really enjoyed having Vanessa over these four years.”
Throughout her years of cheerleading, Vanessa has experienced every emotion that you could have in the sport. Whether that emotion was happiness or tears, Vanessa feels glad that she got to experience it in East Haven.
“I’m super proud to have competed with East Haven. Everyone is so committed, and we all worked so hard to make the routine so solid,” says Vanessa. “It’s a proud moment when you realize this is going to be good. We all worked together to create it.”