Power Team is performed three to four times each season and consists of ten tests, which includes but is not limited to a 5-kilometer run, chin ups, push ups, sit ups, wall sit, 100-yards dash, and 120-yards killers.  Each test must be completed within a required time limit and with perfect form in order for the Cheerleader to be inducted into Power Team.  Power Team is a combination of nerves, excitement and adrenaline.  It is a test of each Cheerleaders' agility, strength and endurance.  It is a symbol and testimony of our fitness.  

On Tuesday, September 16, our hearts were thumping rapidly.  The field house air was dry and the familiar turf seemed a little softer than before.  We were ready for our second Power Team of the season, for Andy and Ryan from Life Time Fitness trained and prepared us well for every moment during our career as an MVC, including this one.  Many of us carried the Power Team status from our first Power Team in July.  In order to maintain our status on Power Team, however, we must improve in either time, repetitions or performance in at least one test that night.

The competition began with a five-kilometer run (17 laps around Winter Park's field) that must be completed within 30-minutes.  Everyone's breath was heavy but our head was up and our arms kept pumping past the finish line.  The adrenaline was flowing and it seemed as if we felt stronger than we did before.  We could feel our biceps and triceps straining as we lifted ourselves up past the chin-up bar and as we pushed through as many push-ups as we could in 50-seconds.  We also powered through 2-minute planks, 2-minute wall sits, flexibility, and sit ups.  After bear crawling across half of the field house, we topped off our night with sprints.  By this point our legs felt nearly immobile but our determination was driving us to run faster.  "Get it, girls!  You've got this!  Run, run, run, RUN!"  Words of encouragement pushed us across the finish line.  The test was over. 

At the end of the night, the MVC coaches proudly announced 17 members of the second Power Team of 2014!!  That's nearly half of the Vikings Cheerleaders!  A great highlight of the night was a few Cheerleaders that completed 11 chin-ups, over 51 sit-ups in 60 seconds, and a 10-minute improvement on her 5K run.  What a successful Power Team!  SKOL VIKINGS!!!

Written by,

Ting Ting, Rookie MVC