The Fall Preseason Brings Excitement, Fresh Start

POUGHKEEPSIE – Azelia David said her first year on the Poughkeepsie High School cheer team was “a little rough.”

Monday, though, represented not only a fresh start but an opportunity to act as a leader for those facing similar challenges this year.

Fall preseason is underway for athletes throughout Poughkeepsie High School. After the football team held its first official practice Saturday, other scholastic sports like volleyball, soccer, girls tennis, girls swimming, cross country and cheer got underway Monday.

“It’s exciting,” said David, a senior in her second year as a cheerleader. “Knowing that you’re a returner, you get to come back and meet new girls who want to become cheerleaders, as well. You get to teach them about being on a team and what we do every day.”

While Monday marked the official beginning of the fall journey, many athletes have been taking part in regular workouts throughout the summer weeks.

Natalia Lopez, a senior on the volleyball team said the first practice was “really good,” but so was the team’s performance at weekly matches and tournaments held at Gold’s Gym.

The team has a new head coach, longtime modified and junior varsity coach Nedra Garriques, who provided the team a sense of direction over the summer and put them through their paces with conditioning exercises Monday.

Lopez said the goal is to “just be more competitive and start communicating more as a team. We want to better our weaknesses, and hopefully wins come.”

The girls tennis team is being revived after a three-year absence. Its first practice under coach Shelli Porter Monday saw three team members learning the basics of shot techniques. Each was excited to learn the sport.

“It’s definitely a workout,” sophomore Serenity Barcelona said. “But with lots of help from Miss Porter, I’m very excited.”

Tazjir Gary was enjoying his own fresh start Monday. The Pioneers quarterback was orchestrating teammates early in the football team’s second practice of the year, working on a slew of running plays. Gary played on the team as a freshman and is back for his junior year.

“I missed it,” he said. “I had to come back to see what it felt like again.”

Gary said a key for the football squad will be their chemistry on and off the field.

“I feel like we’re getting into the rhythm real fast,” he said.

The football team is another group that spent much of the summer working out together. Still, the start of the preseason was special for them.

“It’s just that time,” senior tight end and linebacker Korey Jackson said. “It gets you excited and pumped, ready for the games and what’s next.”

What’s next for the cheer team was actually a four-day trip to the Trails End Cheerleading Camp in Beach Lake, Pa., from Aug. 27-30. There, the Pioneers planned to sharpen their competitive routine and work on their skills along with many other squads from around the country. The training comes from Universal Cheerleaders Association instructors and is based on the scoring system used by area judges.

“They teach you dances and new cheers,” senior Allysha Anderson said. Poughkeepsie attended the camp for the first time last year. “It’s fun. You get to meet new people, make new friends not only with your team but with other teams, as well. It’s a lot of hard work but it’s nice.”