After school in the Bonita Vista Middle School adaptive building, 21 middle school cheerleaders in cobalt blue uniforms hold white, glistening pom poms in each hand. They stretch, line up and break off into groups to practice a stunting routine, where a few cheerleaders hold up a cheerleader as she stands tall with her arms in the air. As the middle schoolers communicate and work with each other to safely take turns stunting, Bonita Vista High School junior Victoria Turrubiartes checks on each group’s forms and positions.

This year marks V. Turrubiartes’ second year as assistant coach for BVM’s cheer team, where she coaches alongside her mother Araceli Turrubiartes, known to the cheerleaders as Coach Arcy. They meet with the middle school cheer team to practice, and teach and prepare them for upcoming cheer events such as fundraising events and assemblies. The mother and daughter run practices and lessons at BVM on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30-5:00 PM.

“I teach the girls to be confident in what they do. A lot of them are still shy, especially since they’re in middle school. I tell them that they can do anything they [set] their mind to, through trying new stunts and training in everyday practice,” V. Turrubiartes said.

In order to learn how to become cheer coaches, V. Turrubiartes volunteered for the assistant coach position, and A. Turrubiartes researched online. Since the cheerleaders range from different levels of experience, one of Turrubiartes’ tactics is to teach them all at the same pace rather than separating them into groups based off skill levels.

“I try to not do as many one-on-ones, but as a group effort. They learn to work together rather than depending on me for everything,” V. Turrubiartes said.

V. Turrubiartes helps prepare the cheerleaders for pep rallies, assemblies on Fridays and school performances at BVM.

“[Cheer] taught us discipline because we have to set an example for the school, because we are the spirit of the school,” BVM cheerleader and eighth grader Alana Ruvalcaba said.

Over the summer of 2018, V. Turrubiartes coached the team at the Universal Cheerleaders Association [UCA] camp at San Diego State University. At this camp, BVM eighth grade cheerleaders Cassandra Bourus, Lauren Endaya and Ruvalcaba tried out and were accepted as UCA All-American cheerleaders. Being a UCA All-American cheerleader gives them the opportunity to perform alongside other cheerleaders from across America in the 2018 Thanksgiving Parade at Walt Disney World in Florida. According to A. Turrubiartes, being a UCA All-American cheerleader is a “prestigious title.”

“Coach Arcy said it’s very rare for people in our state to get that,” Ruvalcaba said.

Endaya confirmed that she is attending the parade performance this Thanksgiving in Florida, and she is preparing by rehearsing the choreography that was sent by UCA.

“Without [Coach Victoria], I feel like none of us would be as confident in what we do as we are right now,” Endaya said. “Since she’s closer to our age, she knows us better and she’s more understanding of how we feel and it overall helps with her teaching us.”

A part of leadership that V. Turrubiartes wants the middle schoolers to know is that she will assist and supervise the cheerleaders when they need help, but allows them to lead the way and be independent when they are cheering.

“In the beginning of the year, I had never done cheer before, so I didn’t know what I was doing. She taught me how to do things right and how to do it. [With] stunting, I didn’t know how to be a flyer, so she taught me,” Bourus said.

As a result of Turrubiartes being a high school student as assistant coach, the cheerleaders and Turrubiartes all agree that the BVM cheer team’s atmosphere has grown close to where they can call each other their “sisters” and consult with one another outside of cheer.

“I love it because like not only is she our coach, she turned into a really close friend, and we talk to her about anything-not just cheer related. Everything I know about cheer is because of her,” Bourus said.

During the 2019-2020 school year, V. Turrubiartes plans on returning as the BVM assistant cheer coach for what will be her third year in a row. After next year, she plans on pursuing cheerleading when she attends college.

“I see the middle schoolers [becoming] a lot more confident. It’s nice to see these shy girls turn into confident, smiling, happy cheerleaders walking around [with] pride. And as far as myself, I’ve seen all these friendships I’ve developed. I see them as little sisters,” Turrubiartes said.