Plant City Observer

Athlete of the Week: Sienna Smith

Sienna is a Senior at Strawberry Crest High School and she is a member of the Strawberry Crest Cheer team that just won a National title for the Small Co-Ed Division. Join us as we interview the 4 time State Champion!

How long have you been Cheerleading?

I have been Cheerleading ever since I was 8 years old, so 10 years in total!

How confident were you and the team going into              Nationals?

We have worked extremely hard this year mentally and physically and I just knew everyone was confident each day we went out there because we all wanted to hit so badly and everyone trusted each other to do their jobs so that made all of us confident in not only ourselves but each other.

How nerve-wracking is it when the announcers are revealing where the teams finished in the competition?

I wasn’t that nervous because we knew that we did our best we possibly could on finals day and that no matter what place we got we were happy with what we put out on the floor. I had a feeling all weekend we would be taking home a gold medal and white jacket, and I just knew walking into awards that this was our year and we would get the win.

Do you have a favorite     memory of cheering throughout your time at Crest?

I have quite a few favorite memories but walking off of the national’s mat, hitting our routine, was the best feeling in the world knowing we all put everything out there and I was ending my senior year with a great hit with my cheer family. Hugging everyone after the pyramid hit was by far the greatest memory I’ll carry forever. 

What’s your favorite thing about the coaching staff at Crest for cheer?

My favorite thing about our coaching staff is that no matter how hard it gets or whatever bumps we have in the road they always believed in us and pushed us to be the best of the best. Coach Loveny is the best coach I ever had. She is the best of the best and she is what makes our team great, not only is she a great coach but she loves us like her own kids and always supports us through everything. Without her, we would not have gotten this far. She truly is our biggest supporter!

Do you have any pre-game rituals before a comp or game day?

On comp days we listen to our music to get hype before heading to warm-ups, after warm-ups Coach says a prayer for us then we give a team talk, huddle, and do our break, and we all have handshakes with specific teammates before heading into the mat, we sing parts of our songs that get us locked in and then we know we are ready to kill it!

Are you planning on cheering in college? 

I’m not planning on cheering in college. 

What were your favorite songs to get you hyped before game day or cheer comp?

My favorite songs to listen to get hype with the team before comps are Crank That, Hotel Room Service, Moment for Life, We Ready, and Turn My Swag On. 

If you’re not cheerleading, what are you doing in your free time?

When I’m not cheering, I hang out with friends or sleep usually try to rest my body as much as possible!

If you could advise someone looking to better themselves at cheering, what would it be?

If I could give advice to someone looking to better themself cheering it would be to never ever stop trying to improve and be better, there’s always a point in the season where it gets really hard but no matter what, keep pushing yourself to be better and better no matter how hard it gets. Always have an end goal and a drive that pushes you to keep moving forward. Never give up and never get complacent or comfortable!

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