Cheery weekend for Raider cheerleaders

LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i High School cheerleading coach Carrie Young and her group of over 30 girls and boys got a special treat this past weekend.

Carlos Onofri and Kristin Keating of Spirit Club in California paid a visit to the Red Raider Gym to teach the athletes techniques and dances for their upcoming cheer season.

“I love coming down to Kaua‘i and working with these girls, they are just amazing, dedicated, and hard-working individuals,” Onofri said.

The Kaua‘i High School cheerleading squad spent the entire weekend in the gym sporting their boot camp shirts, while learning new approaches and honing existing skills.

The team, comprised of 25 girls and 8 boys feature captains, Kathleen Constantino, Angela Semana, Danielle Alayvilla, and Brian Rodriguez, who is also the starting running back for the Kaua‘i High School football team.

“I think cheerleading is fun, but it can be rough at times, partly because we (boys) have to deal with the girls’ attitudes, but it’s something that I enjoy doing (cheerleading),” Rodriguez said. Onofri, who’s been to Kaua‘i multiple times to work with the Red Raider cheer squad enjoys the experience and thinks that the girls have a lot of talent, but more importantly, drive and perseverance.

“Out of everywhere I’ve been to coach and teach, the Kaua‘i contingent is by far the most diligent and the toughest,” Onofri said. With the upcoming KIF cheer season culminating at the end of February, coach Young and her defending championship squad has been working hard all summer long, especially at this past weekend’s camp to get the girls ready and polished for the championship. “We’ve got a good group of girls with a mix of new and returning individuals, and it’s always good to have Carlos (Onofri) here to motivate our girls and teach them the importance of hard work,” Young said.