Drill team tryouts were held March 3, and this year, directors took a new approach. Girls who have previously been on the team for three years didn’t have to try out in front of the judges, but instead were automatically admitted to the team.

“[The girls] will still go through all the aspects of tryouts: parent meeting, tryout clinic, learning the dance and being present the day of tryouts,” director Amber Reynolds said. “I want to start rewarding girls that have dedicated so much time to this organization.”

Starting this year, it will take more skill to make the team so that the organization will continue to advance in capability every year.

“I’ve also made the tryout process more difficult this year,” Reynolds said. “I believe that to keep an organization moving forward, you have to heighten the expectations of candidates as well.”

Reynolds believes the group will be able to grow if the beginners are as skilled as the older members of the team.

“To [keep the team moving forward], I have to bring in rookies that are on the same level and that can help us continue to grow,” Reynolds said.  “I want the HighSteppers to excel each year.”

The girls who have been on the team for three years agree with Mrs. Reynolds, saying that being on the team this long exemplifies skill.

“If someone has the ability to make the team three years in a row, I feel that their spot on the team has been well deserved,” junior Addison Rogers said. “This not only allows the three year members to be stress-free for an additional week–it’s a big help for the girls who are trying out to receive attention from them that can help with their own tryouts.”

The members who weren’t on the team for three years had a tougher time at tryouts because making the team was more complicated and strenuous.

“This year tryouts are much harder than last year, but I think it’s a good thing because it pushes the girls to work harder,” sophomore Sarah Grace Boudreaux said. “It will also help the team continue to improve.”