Cheer and Pom prepare for national competition as they head into the final weeks before traveling to Florida to compete in the UCA nationals which are scheduled for Feb. 3 through Feb. 10 of 2026. The teams have spent the season building routines and are now focused on refinement as well as consistency to score well at nationals.
Preparation for nationals differs from regular season practices. As the competition approaches, Cheer schedules change and result in practicing every morning from 6:20 A.M. to 8:00 A.M. as well as some nights from 6:20 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. Practices mainly consist of cleaning up routines and correcting small technical details. Timing and spacing become priorities as even minor errors can separate placements at the national level. Schedules and expectations are adjusted to physically and mentally prepare Cheer and Pom for Nationals this February
Cheer Coach Desiree Houg explained how after winter break comes to an end the training becomes more intense as they prepare for nationals. Houg claimed, “It’s definitely our heaviest part of the season.” Practices increase from one a day to two with routines run in the morning as well as most nights. Consistency is a large factor when practicing for nationals hence why practices often run from early in the morning and from late afternoon to night. Houg elaborated, “We generally spend mornings honing in on details and then at night we’ll run our routines full out to keep stamina up and consistency.”
Senior Taryn Pfaff discussed her daily routine mainly consisting of balancing her school workload on top of Cheer practice in both the morning and night. She explained what they mainly work on when running through their routine, Pfaff stated, “We have to do pullouts…we have to hit two or three of them in practice just to make sure that we are super prepared.” The balance of school responsibilities with increased practice becomes demanding for athletes particularly with long training hours and repeated routines. As nationals approach, Pfaff commented on the team’s energy and dynamic, she claimed, “Our team is very positive and we’re super excited to have one more go at our routine all together.”
Houg expressed that while the new schedule for national competitions is demanding, after they return from Florida their schedule will slow down giving the athletes a nice relaxation period.
At national levels judges evaluate teams on technique, synchronization, difficulty, and overall execution. Meaning preparation is centered around eliminating any mistakes rather than taking any risks later on in the season. As Feb. 3 approaches, the focus remains on maintaining consistency while building confidence.
