Most of the time, football is known for its rival games and their entertaining halftime shows, yet few people recognize the sweat, tears and persistence that the performers put into creating those performances.

Memorizing and perfecting the choreography takes time and the constant pressure to get every move right, put together and clean can take a real mental toll on performers.

Cleaning up even a small section of a dance can take a long time to get every movement just right, from hitting all motions in sync to tossing flags on the same timing so that nothing looks off.

While performers are constantly practicing together, they also need to find the time to balance school and personal life.

The Cheer Team

The Mt. SAC cheer team practices from Monday to Thursday, 7a.m. to 9 a.m. totaling up to eight hours of practice each week. Despite the early hours, the team still shows up ready to work hard and push through exhaustion to make sure that every stunt, cheer and the full routine look sharp for competition or game day.

Mia Perez, a biology major demonstrates what it’s like to balance cheer, school and personal life as she’s been cheering since she was little. She expresses her appreciation for having a place to cheer, grateful that she can continue doing what she loves even as she enters her adulthood.

Perez explains that when she’s performing, she forgets about everyone around her. She says it feels like it’s just her and her teammates cheering together.

“It feels like I’m the only person there,” Perez said. “I feel my teammates with me too. It’s fun performing with my teammates getting to dance alongside some of the people I’m closest to. I kind of just forget that everyone else is here. I feel like it’s just me dancing, having fun, doing what I love most.”

Her words show how deeply she connects with performing, a feeling that many other performers can relate to while doing what they love.

With a great team comes a great coach. Robert Ignasio is the head coach of the cheer team and has been leading the team for six years. Ignasio shows his appreciation for the team because that’s where he had begun learning about cheer. He’s grateful to have been able to go back to where he had started,

“So I’d be able to come back and really teach and really explain and really kind of keep a good legacy with this program is my goal and I love it,” Ignacio said.

As the team’s coach, his main responsibility isn’t just to teach and improve performance, but to also remind the athletes that they are worthy and belong on the team. Ignasio never fails to reassure his cheerleaders that they are strong, capable and deserving of their place. He mentions that when he notices his team is struggling a little he gives them a motivational speech to remind them that it is not over and they can give more.

”i just give them a motivational speech, just trying to tell them that it’s not over, or that everyone has some more to give,” Ignasio said. “It may feel like everything is about to crumble but there’s always a positive side to everything.”

The Dance Team

The dance team practices everyday for two hours a week, seven to nine which totals to ten hours a week. They focus on their flexibility and basics of dance like keeping toes pointed and learning a variety of different styles of dance such as jazz, lyrical, hip hop and contemporary. Their hard work is shown through their performances that they showcase during their dance competitions, football games and during school events.

Whether they’re performing at school or competitions, the team expresses their dedication through big smiles and endless amounts of energy. Each dancer can communicate such powerful emotions through their movement is an amazing reflection of their talent and connection to the art.

Behind every performance, are unique ideas that each dancer brings to the team. From their energy, to their creativity. Their dedication and love for performing are on full display. Many dancers have their own story and reason for joining, but as they dance together, they share the same love and commitment towards the team.

Among them there are students like Nika Martinez and Skye Williams, who have been on the dance team for two years. Both continuously have poured their heart into every performance, showing their passion each time they step on the floor.

Martinez’s most favorite part about performing is how she can show her true self and personality through dancing.

“I like to entertain people and the fact that I can do that through dance is really nice.” Martinez said.

Similarly, Williams finds joy in constantly learning new routines. Her favorite thing about dancing is the challenge of mastering different moves and styles which can help her grow as a dancer while having practice be both fun and entertaining.

“Performing half time is really fun – performing in front of a lot of people,” Williams said.

Of course like any performer, the dancers may experience pre-performance nerves.

“We just talk to each other through it and reassure each other that we all got it and we’ve been practicing that we put in a lot of time and effort,” they said.

Their words show how they can support each other from their jitters, but through personal challenges too.

They also added “We definitely are pretty good about reassuring one another and we each have our own personal little thing so we kinda just take that time to ourselves too, like is a team and personal effort”

This truly captures how success doesn’t just come from one individual but from everyone working and putting in the same amount of effort.

Much like the cheer team, the dance team has an equally dedicated coach. Austin Hernandez has been coaching the team for five years, with two years being assistant coach and the rest as head coach. Over the years Hernandez has seen the group grow in both skills and in confidence, which really makes him proud of being the coach for the Mt.SAC Dance team.

“I think it’s very rewarding especially because I was on the dance team for four years myself,” Hernandez said. “So I think coming back kinda fulfilled me a little bit and I got to bring my experience to the youthness.”

Hernandez demonstrates what it’s like being a coach who was also a former dancer on the team, which to him is very rewarding to be able to pass down what he was taught when he was once in the team.

Hernandez mentions that when he notices his team struggling mentally and when it begins to affect their focus and performance, he immediately pauses his practices to check in. He asks if everything is okay and what he or the team could do to improve and feel supported.

“Take it step by step. Again this is a journey. I’m not looking for perfection. I’m looking for progress” Hernandez says.

He reminds his members that being on the team is a journey. He’s not expecting perfection, but is looking for progress and encourages them to take one step at a time.

The Color Guard

The colorguard and band practice twice a week for two and a half, adding up to a total of five hours a week. The band reviews things like pep tunes, show music and practice marching their drill in preparation for performances.

Meanwhile the colorguard focuses on stretching, reviewing dance fundamentals and practices their routines to ensure that they are ready for their performances. During the fall, the colorguard and band work closely together, synchronizing their movement to the music creating an amazing performance for the audience.

Behind these well-coordinated performances is the dedication of students themselves. Countless hours perfecting their skills, balancing rehearsals with school work and personal responsibilities. Their hard work, focus and passion show by how polished and full of energy each performance has, reflecting not just their talent but their strong dedication to the team and band.

Hannah Torres is one of their hardworking members as she was a vet for Mt. SAC marching band due to being drumline last year and is currently doing colorguard this semester for the first time.

“It definitely gets everyone riled up with and the band starts playing,” Torres said. “It’s very nice to see everyone so excited. The football players especially like the band.”

The band can help energize both the football players and the audience. But it’s not just the color guard that closely works with the band, but also the cheer and dance as they are performing on the sidelines adding more excitement and energy to the game.

A strong band and colorguard always has an equally strong band director guiding them and that is dr. Walter Simonson, who has been the band director for two years and is also the director of jazz studies athletic bands at Mt. SAC. He mentions that he’s super proud of the marching band to even saying its the best band out there in the world which really shows how proud of the marching band.

“I mean this is the best. Its like the best band in the world.” Simonson said.

Simonson is not only proud of the band but is also very proud of the colorguard team, he believes that they are the very best.

“Colorguard is the best; it’s the most visual part of the entire ensemble,” Simonson said. “And the people that we have there are the most motivated.”

Simonson mentions how it’s only the marching band’s second year overall since the program started last year. Seeing how supported the band and colorguard are makes him incredibly proud of every single performer. He truly believes that some day the band and colorguard will be much larger and more accomplished, but even at this very early stage, he remains to be just as proud of what they have accomplished.

The dedication of each team comes together to create truly remarkable experiences. Each group puts in countless hours of practice while having to balance their lives against their love of performing. Their hard work, passion and team work are evident in every routine, every cheer and every night performed.

All together they form a well-coordinated team that shows off all the effort that they put in with commitment and collaboration that are at the heart of every performance. For these students, the halftime show is more than just a performance; it’s a chance to bring energy, excitement and school spirit to the entire audience. Their performances boost the football players’ energy, entertain fans and create a shared sense of pride in the community.

Beyond the music, performers are taught lessons in discipline, teamwork and perseverance that leave an impact that extends far beyond the field.