The hip-hop team here at our school is known for being one of the most significant cultural staples here, and every year, we have new pressures and expectations to top what we did the previous year. Now, these expectations and pressures often fall on the captain; luckily, She and I have the pleasure of sharing this position. Now, dive into our daily lives! We are frequently asked how to juggle school and the team’s load. For me, having a planner is very essential. It helps me keep track of all of my obligations and responsibilities, and I also make sure I get my work done in class so that by practice, I can focus on the task at hand. Skyler says, “This app called structured is my best friend! It allows me to plan my entire day, keep me organized, stay focused, and stay on top of my priorities. Naturally, I get overwhelmed easily, so planning my daily tasks on this app allows me to be productive and give myself breaks when needed.” 

The Big 30

We also hear a lot about the number of people on our team, considering this is the most significant number of people we have ever had. So often, people wonder how we can connect as a team; some things we like to do as a team are our dance circles, where we turn off all the lights, put the flashlight on our phone, play music, and turn up. It’s the best way for all of us to bond while still doing what we all love to do. Another question I asked Skyler was, “How does it feel carrying the load of pressure of being one of the heads of the team?”. She commented, “In all honesty, carrying the position of captain can be overwhelming at times; however, having such responsibility constantly pushes me to improve. Despite the weight, I embrace the role as it encourages me to set an example and be a strong role model for my team, driving me to consistently put forth my best effort to elevate the team’s performance and unity.”

Time to chill

Don’t get me wrong, we get our downtime, so it’s not always stress and pressure. There are things we both do to get our minds off our daily challenges. I like to wind down on off days by taking long, hot, concert-filled showers and ending the day off watching Insecure or Girlfriends on Netflix. It gives me peace after a chaotic-filled day. “After a long hard day of school and practice, my go-to way to unwind is by immersing myself in music(specifically Drake while taking a long hot shower. Once I’ve refreshed myself, I typically seek out my family to share the day’s experiences and enjoy quality time with them,” claims Skyler. Being captain has pros and cons, but we agree we wouldn’t trade it for anything else and will do everything to ensure this is one of the best years yet! I hope to see you all in the stands tuned in for our halftime debut on the 15th.