Poms hard at work practing their new routine to prepare for their upcoming competitions.

by Molly Schecter ‘27

The poms team is something that the Sherwood community rightfully has a lot of pride in. They continuously amaze with their seamless dances and organized appearance. Last school year, poms showcased their talent by winning the title of MCPS Division 1 County Champions. The team also won first place in several invitational competitions. This is not unusual as the poms team were also county champions in 2020 and 2022. Behind the scenes, each individual on the team implements hard work and dedication into not only team practices, but at home, day camps, conditioning, and outside services.

According to coaches Dottie Yhar and Jeanne Laeng, the members of poms begin preparing for the season in the summer with prep clinics. These support pom candidates who plan to audition by giving them an idea of the pom team’s style, while providing them the opportunity to adapt to their technique. The team also holds conditioning before auditions to increase endurance and prepare. After auditions, the finalized team has practices Monday to Friday that are typically two hours long. “At the top of the season, we are working on fundamentals and preparing for football season,” stated Yhar.

At the same time that they supported the varsity football team through a deep playoff run, the poms team shifted their focus towards their routine for upcoming competitions. “We are laser focused on working on our competition routine, which includes drilling motions, turns, leaps, jumps, kickline, and building endurance,” said Yhar. The poms’ competition routine is about five minutes long and every second is vigorous. To maintain a high stamina and support the endurance of performing an all-out routine, the team incorporates aerobic and anaerobic exercises into their practices. Leang said the routine is, “akin to going on an all-out sprint with hurdles for five minutes, so we make sure to have a balance of cardio and strength training exercises.” Both coaches emphasized the importance of the team stretching before and after practice to reduce the risk of injuries and also increase flexibility for better dance technique.

Something very noticeable about the poms is their neat appearance and clean organization, and the team has a system which helps maintain order. Tics and demerits are given to individuals to enforce rules and keep order. On the other hand, merits are given to recognize individuals who exceed expectations. “Our system has helped each member hold themselves and each other accountable throughout our long season, and luckily, our poms have always held themselves to a high standard as student-athletes,” said Yhar.

The poms work hard to be one of the top teams in division one of Montgomery County. The divisions range from one to three, with one being the highest, and three being the lowest. “The divisions are determined by scores and skill level for each of the teams in the county,” said senior captain Amanda Kraft. Every other year, the divisions will slightly change, allowing some teams to move up as others move down in divisions. Poms attend three invitational competitions a year prior to the county championship. These competitions are mostly made up of teams in a school’s own division; however, not all of them will be. Kraft noted that the invitational competitions are vital in preparation for the county championship, in that the team receives valuable feedback from the judges that allows them to perfect their performance and appeal to the judges.

When off of the field or the dance floor, the poms kindly devote their time to services. Laeng noted that the poms have additional responsibilities and serve in school sponsored activities as ambassadors of the Sherwood community. Some of these services include the team’s semi-annual fundraiser, participating in the 9/11 Remembrance event in Olney, performing at fundraiser events for Sherwood’s feeder schools, and volunteering for Toys for Tots.

In January, the team will attend invitationals from Northwest, Springbrook, and Seneca Valley. These invitationals will also give them a look at opposing teams as they prepare to defend their Division 1 County Championship title. Additionally, the poms will be determined and maintain their efforts to ensure a victory over Damascus, their toughest competitor last year, which scored less than one point lower in the county championship.