Hayden Shanafelt | Sports Editor
September 26, 2025
During last week’s Friday night lights, at San Clemente High School’s Thalissa Stadium, the Cheer program held their annual Junior Cheer Clinic. The SCHS Cheer program invited girls from grades K-6th to cheer and perform alongside them. This Triton tradition has been carried on throughout generations and continues to emulate our community’s motto: “One Town, One Team.”
The Cheer program has always been very successful in finding participants, so much so they completely sold out. But to them it was never about how many girls they got to participate; for the cheerleaders, this is an opportunity to get the younger girls excited and involved in the sport. They were able to give them an unforgettable experience ranging from performing in front of hundreds on the field, to cheering alongside the loud crowd and hyping up the student section. For the younger girls, this is a dream come true because they look up to the older cheerleaders and get a taste of what high school can be like. Senior varsity cheerleader, Kirra Schmitt, shared how she “always looked up to the cheerleaders so much and loved watching them, so being able to have the little girls perform with [them] and give them that experience is so special.” Her words showed the importance of having female role models in sports, because you never know who is watching, or who you will inspire.
Other Cheerleaders, like senior Jenny Cook, described what it was like being “a role model for them–that was [her] Disney princess moment! [She] was just so glad [she] was able to make them feel special.” Jenny saw this as a way to make others feel the spotlight that they get to feel on Friday nights. The whole experience was about giving back to others and the cheerleading program effectively displayed this, giving these girls a lasting memory that will hopefully inspire them to peruse the sport. It also created leadership experience for the older girls, helping them emulate the leader in “Cheerleader.” Our San Clemente cheer community really came together to put on a dazzling performance and create an incredible opportunity to get a taste of what it’s like on Friday nights under the lights.
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