As the football season came to an end, the cheer team said goodbye to the football field and hello to the basketball courts, transitioning to cheering for the boys basketball teams for the winter sports season. By cheering for a sport other than football, the team is expanding its contagious energy and passion for school spirit.

The cheer team held their senior night and cheered for the varsity football team during the last home game of the season on Oct. 29. 

Throughout her four years on the team, senior and varsity cheer captain Ayaho Sakurai describes cheering for the football team as a thrilling and unforgettable experience.

“I cheered for basketball my freshman and sophomore year, and I remember it being very fun,” Sakuri said. “I was captain my sophomore year, and it was a rewarding experience.”

When it comes to basketball, the cheer team has cheered for both the boys and girls varsity teams in the past, but they currently only cheer for boys basketball.

The cheer team cites a significant difference between cheering for the two sports. In contrast to the more intricate cheers performed during the football season, the team practices a different type of cheer, sideline cheering, for the basketball season. A new cheer for basketball includes imitating a basketball shot that goes into the net and stomping. 

The largest difference between cheering for the two sports is the audience: On the football field, they cheer facing a large and loud audience, while on the basketball court, they face the team from the sideline.

“Cheering for football is more stressful than cheering for basketball because of the larger audience,” Sakurai said. “For basketball we are just in the corner cheering.” 

Furthermore, the cheer team will be wearing a different uniform for the basketball season. The football season requires warm clothing to perform outdoors in the cold night air. On the other hand, for the basketball season, the cheer team cheers inside the heated gym, so they wear lighter uniforms with less coverage. The fit of each cheerleader’s uniform is important in its flexibility to allow cheerleaders to perform stunts during games. To ensure their uniforms fit comfortably, the cheer team prepares them beforehand. 

To raise money for the basketball season, the cheer team organized a fundraiser at MOD Pizza on Nov. 11. They made flyers, promoted the event on social media and invited friends and family to enjoy pizza together. The fundraiser was a success, and they surpassed their fundraising goal of $150 for a total of $182.52. Due to the successful turnout of the fundraiser, the cheer team has planned another fundraiser that is set to take place on Dec. 11 at Chipotle, aiming to raise $150 again.

 The team also partakes in other activities together, such as decorating a Christmas tree at the Christmas in the Park event in downtown San Jose. This year, the cheer team gathered together on Nov. 19 to decorate a Christmas tree. They decorated their tree with a red, white and navy color scheme to represent Lynbrook and hung ornaments with their names written on them. 

After three months of cheering for the football team, the cheer team is excited for the new challenge of cheering for basketball.

“I love cheering, so I am excited we can continue [cheering] for the boys basketball team,” Sakurai said. 

The cheer team will begin its official basketball cheer season in early January 2022. As the season begins, the cheer team is excited to perform newly established routines and stunts for the audience and motivate players throughout their games. Most importantly, they will hype up the fans supporting Lynbrook at basketball games. 

“Cheering makes the crowd more hyped, and the football players have [told] me it’s really nice to have cheerleaders because they feel more supported and motivated to do well,” sophomore and cheerleader Ayanna Beberg said. “It’s important to be supportive of our school’s sports teams.”