Sophomore Rachel Berube, a Creek Pom, wakes up bright and early on a Saturday morning and heads to school. She gets there around 7:45 and prepares for the long day ahead. On these choreography days, the Poms begin with warm ups, then have about three hours of choreography, a lunch break, three more hours, a dinner break, all to leave around 8pm. 

Being a student athlete is inherently overwhelming, especially for the Creek Poms who must constantly maintain dedication to all their roles as varsity dancers. They participate in long practices every day, perform at football and basketball games, as well as competitions. Since poms claimed the national title last competition season, the dancers are eager for another successful year, which can come with a lot of responsibilities and pressures.

“Sometimes it is hard to manage school work and my social life, because of the time commitment of poms,” sophomore Avery Quinlan said.

Just like any other Creek student, they need to manage academic pressures, while attempting to create a well balanced schedule to control all the aspects of their lives. Poms can become very draining, very quickly. And it can take a toll on one’s mental health.

“Our very busy weekly schedule can get pretty overwhelming sometimes,” Berube said.

All eighteen girls are constantly helping each other stay positive and remember why they love their sport. They consistently rely on the strong sense of community they have created within the program to remain healthy and hard-working.

“We tell each other everything, they’re pretty much my second family,” junior team captain Annika Rouse said.

“I can trust my friends on the team because we are all going through the same things, and I can talk to them about anything,” Quinlan said.

The team has also adapted healthy coping mechanisms to reduce stress and stay organized, which is a very crucial part to being a successful athlete and student.

“When I get overwhelmed I like to go to the gym and run, it clears my mind,” Berube said.

Even with the weight on these dancers’ shoulders, they continue to prove they can handle it with the community they have created, which empowers their success and leads them to Championships.

“We are pretty much a family,” Rouse said.