Senior cheerleaders, Maya Canterino and Maddie Sylvester, have been crucial members of the Haverford Cheer program since their freshman year. Both girls have expressed how being a part of the team has played a formative role in their high school experience. The team won the Central League Championship last year and defended their title again this year. Winning the CLC back-to-back years has not only been extremely exciting for the team, but also for the entire Haverford community.
Four-year varsity cheerleader, Maddie Sylvester, explained the importance of teamwork and dedication. Sylvester’s leadership role on the team has not gone unnoticed. Winning the Central League Championship back-to-back years in her high school career has been extremely rewarding, and she emphasized that the best feeling was watching everyone’s hard work pay off.
Q: Can you tell me about some of your favorite memories on the cheer team?
Sylvester: I have been on the cheer team since freshman year. I have spent countless hours practicing, competing, and cheering on other sports. Throughout all this time, I have made many memories, but my favorite would have to be getting second place at Nationals in 2023. All year long, we work hard and push ourselves both physically and mentally. Nationals is our last competition before the season ends, and our last chance to prove that all the work was worth it. We hit our routine and were all proud of one another. This was a great way to end our 2023 season and I will never forget it.
Q: How has the close team dynamic and the relationships with your coaches and other girls on the team impacted your experience overall?
Sylvester: As new girls come and older girls leave, the team dynamic shifts. However, there is always a special bond and trust with your teammates and coaches. We all dedicate so much time and effort to our team. Everyone works hard and works together. We become so close that the team feels like family. Through tough practices and competitions, we go through it all together. We can rely on one another, and I know that no matter what, I will always have them both in and out of cheer.
Q: What valuable life lessons have you learned from your four years on the team?
Sylvester: I have cheered for 10 years, and this is my fourth year on the Ladyfords. Cheerleading has taught me a lot including teamwork, perseverance, problem solving, discipline, sportsmanship, time management, and so much more. The most valuable of all is seeing how hard work can pay off. It doesn’t show immediately, but over time, every practice and routine we do helps us improve and accomplish our goals.
Q: Can you explain the difference between the practice schedule and commitment during sideline season and competition season? What are your favorite parts of each season?
Sylvester: Our practice schedule gets heavier as the season progresses. In March, at the beginning of our season, we have practice twice a week. Towards the end of summer, our practices switch to 3 days and we start cheering on the football team. Leading up to the start of our competition season, we practice almost every day. Cheer is a big commitment, but in my opinion, it is well worth it. Our coaches and the team devote lots of time and energy into each practice. Even though it is the busiest, my favorite part of the season is the home stretch. The last few months is when we see all of our hard work pay off. We compete at Districts, the Central League Championship, States, and Nationals. This season, we won both Districts and the Central League Championship. On Thursday, January 30th, we compete at States and then Nationals the following week. These competitions are nerve wracking, but so exciting. We look forward to them all season, and other than my teammates and coaches, it is the part I will miss most about cheerleading.
Q: What was the preparation for the Central League Championship competition? Was the win last year a motivator to keep the CLC streak going?
Sylvester: Last year, both JV and Varsity won Central Leagues. This was an amazing feeling and definitely motivated us going into this year. The Central League Championship competition was hosted by Haverford this year, and we wanted to defend our titles, especially in our gym. This helped push us through every practice. Both JV and Varsity were determined, and this hard work paid off. Both JV and Varsity’s routines looked amazing, and we both won Central Leagues. All of the girls, our coaches, and our parents, were so proud of the routines we put out and our results.
Maya Canterino, a dedicated student and athlete, spoke highly of the Haverford Cheer program. Being a Ladyford and forming strong relationships with the team has significantly contributed to Canterino’s memorable high school experience.
Q: Can you tell me about the Central League Championship competition? What stood out about the preparation, the actual competition, and the results?
Canterino: This was the first time since 2021 that the Central League Championship competition was held at Haverford High School, which was super exciting. The day of, we were there bright and early, after being there late the night before to set up the gym and commons for everyone to warm up and compete on at the championship. The Central League is one of the more attainable things to win, in my opinion, so I feel like it was a big goal this year for me and a lot of the other girls. We practiced almost every day and really just put in as much effort as possible. With cheer being such a team sport, everyone has to be at practice and try her hardest for the team to be able to run the routine and get better. We were all really just focusing on being at practice, doing well at local competitions, and putting time, effort, and confidence into winning. The Central League is full of amazing and really tough cheer teams, so it really does feel incredible to win. A few of the girls and I were in tears when they announced Haverford High School as the winner. I genuinely do hope that everyone gets to feel their hard work pay off in the way we got to.
Q: Last year, the team also won the Central League Championship. Obviously, the seniors last year contributed to that win greatly. How did the team work to maintain the CLC title with the new team members?
Canterino: I think a big part of the reason we were able to win again was because of how amazing it felt last year, and the fact that we knew what we needed to do and how we needed to execute to win. The team was super close last year, and I think that is also very clear in our team this year. We genuinely enjoy spending time with each other and trust everyone will do their part. The way we build each other up and push each other to be the absolute best we can be, on top of knowing how much we all wanted it and not wanting to let anyone down, brought us to the win. Separately, a lot of people have stepped up and chosen to be leaders on our team, and having someone who knows what they are doing and has experienced the good and the bad can put on a confident front that helps calm a lot of the girls’ nerves and strengthens us as a team.
Q: What is your mindset going into such a tough competition?
Canterino: To win a competition like the Central League is something that all of us know we can win, so at that point a “try your best” mindset isn’t really good enough. It’s to go out, execute a perfect routine, and win. I am the type to get super nervous before we compete, and I need to go away from everyone to stand alone, close my eyes, and mark through the routine in my head, making it clear to myself that I have done it flawlessly before and can do it again. I know a lot of girls feel like this too, but with our team being so close, I always have multiple girls coming up to me and telling me that I can do it, making sure I am okay, and giving me a hug. So although I am really nervous, my overall mindset, and really the whole team’s mindset, is to hit the routine like we know we can.
Q: What will you miss most about Haverford Cheer?
Canterino: What I will miss most about Haverford Cheer is the community and family it is. Cheer season goes from the end of March to beginning of February, and during this time we are spending hours every single day with these people. The amount of time we spent together doing something that we care about so much about has made us such a strong community. I can call any of the girls on my cheer team if I need help with something, want to hangout, or even just talk, and it isn’t weird at all. These girls really have been my family from freshman through senior year. I genuinely connect with each and every one of them, and that connection is what I am going to miss the most.
Q: Overall, how has Haverford Cheer impacted you and your high school career?
Canterino: Cheer is both physically and emotionally challenging, but it’s also an escape for me. After a long day of school and homework, while it might feel difficult to get out of bed, by the time I am at cheer with my friends and putting in the work, it’s immediate stress relief. Our whole team puts so much effort into our practices that we are a top competitor in the state, winning both Districts and Central Leagues this year. Additionally, our coaches care so much about our success and always will do what’s best for the team, pushing us to be the winners that we have become. Having a team that works so hard, has become so successful, and is so connected has made high school not only a place where I go to learn, but also somewhere where I can go to calm down.
The Haverford Ladyfords continue to work hard to defend their titles and acquire new awards for their 2024-2025 season. The Ladyford’s spend the majority of their season cheering on other Haverford teams, so make sure to show out and support the cheer team at their upcoming State Championship competition on January 30th! The team’s dedication does not go unnoticed, and it is easy to observe the positive impact that the program has had on various of the cheerleaders.
