Salem Junior Eloise Morante, member of the pom team, has been competing for many years. The sport focuses on dance movements with one’s body and the team performs at various sports games and competes with other schools. The Perspective sat down with Morante to discuss with her about her experiences on the team.
Molly Okon: When did you start pom?
Eloise Morante: This is my sixth year, so I started in seventh grade.
MO: Why did you decide to join?
EM: Both of my aunts were on pom, and I’d been a dancer before that, so it was something that was just kind of normal to me.
MO: Over the years, how have you grown to enjoy it?
EM: I definitely have grown to enjoy it. I love competing, and I just love the environment that is on my team.
MO: I heard your team qualified for states. Do you have any goals that you would like to achieve?
EM: We qualified in Division 1, so we’re hoping to get park champs, which is beating Canton and Plymouth. That’s definitely our number one goal.
MO: Can you tell me about a time when you got nervous before a competition? How did you overcome that?
EM: I get super nervous before I perform. But normally, while we’re waiting to go on, I just have to take a deep breath and close my eyes while we’re out there and just imagine all the people I love that I’m performing for, so that I’m not nervous to perform in front of a bunch of people I don’t know.
MO: Have you played any sports besides pom?
EM: I did track my freshman year, and my entire time growing up I did soccer, dance, gymnastics…I’ve tried a little bit of everything.
MO: Do you plan on continuing pom in the future?
EM: Yeah, I plan on continuing it until college, because you can’t be over the age of 25, so I plan on continuing it until I meet the age limit.
MO: How do your coaches help motivate you before a competition?
EM: Our coaches are super motivational. They have a list of affirmations that they have us read off before we perform, and before we go on, they always make sure while we’re waiting in line to tell us how much they love us and how proud of us they are. And they’re just super motivational.
MO: How has this year felt different from other years?
EM: This is the biggest team we’ve ever had. We have fifteen on the team so it’s been a lot to adjust from because last year, we only had ten. But, it’s been great because all the girls from JV last year moved up, so it’s definitely one big family now.
MO: When you first started competing, what advice would you give to yourself that could help someone else who is thinking about joining pom?
EM: I say the biggest thing is to kind of not be afraid to put yourself out there and to try something new. Because when I first started, I was super nervous of not knowing anybody, but starting pom was one of my best decisions I’ve made because I’ve met so many new people because of it, and I’ve grown a lot.
