Clovis East High School hosts virtual cheer tryouts for fall season

CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Clovis Unified school is making sure their spirits are high for the fall season.

The Clovis East cheer squad is ready to jump back into the season, but staff says the first challenge was finding a way to hold tryouts.

"Time kept ticking by and then the day that we were supposed to have regular tryouts passed," said Cheer Coach Stacey Vasilovich. "The only alternative was to use the technology we, fortunately, have available to us."

The team did something new, holding virtual tryouts for over 100 students all eager to make the team.

"We kind of scrambled around and picked different things that we heard other people were doing," added Vasilovich. "Figuring out the best way to do it, to make it an even playing field for everybody and replicate what that normal process feels like for them."

Students each filmed their own tryouts with a series of jumps, cheers and dances.

"I never thought it would get that far," said Junior Ava Rodriguez. "Where we had to record ourselves in the backyard."

Varsity cheerleader Ava Rodriguez says one of the benefits was not having an audience during tryouts.

"It's a lot less nerve-wracking and easier," said Rodriguez. "I was by myself and I know being there in person with all the coaches staring at you and all the other girls around you, it's really nerve-wracking, at least for me."

Now they've set their sites on the season, but each practice comes with a price.

"The amount of prep work that goes into one practice sterilization, cleaning, different things the kids have to do to be on campus, it's actually extensive," said Vasilovich.

The Clovis East Cheer and Song Program won the most national championship titles in the area last year, with four wins total.

Now, in the midst of a pandemic, Clovis Unified hopes to provide parents with a plan for what the school year will look like by July 16