Emily Kowal ’12
Web News Editor 

Athletes put on a performance everyday. Whether they are scoring goals, acing serves, or breaking records, Staples athletes’ never fail to put on a show for their ever-present fans.

Students anxiously wait to see what the sports teams, primarily the girls, have come up with for the pep rally this year.

Aside from the pressure to maintain a winning record, the teams feel the pressure to deliver a flawless and exciting routine. The girls swim and dive team started practicing just 2 weeks into the start of school, team captains Gabrielle Wimer ’12, Caroline Valerio ’12, and Michelle Mastrianni ’12 choreographed the dance over the summer allowing the seniors to add their own ideas as well.

The dance took the captains about three hours to create and about the same amount of time to teach the team the dance.

“We don’t really have a set schedule to practice but we usually review it before practice and at pasta dinners,” said Wimer.

According to Caroline Perry ’12, a member of the team, the team will be dancing to a mash up created by Matt Mirkine, a former swim team member. Wimer said part of the inspiration for the dance came from youtube videos.

The team has a lot to live up to after both Zach Slater ’11 and Nick Pulvino ’09, former managers of the team, surprised the crowd when they were choreographed into the dance routine wearing speedos in previous years.

Perry said, however, they were not able to collaborate with the boy’s water polo team as they had hoped. But, she is optimistic about their routine as the swim and dive team is made up of a number of dancers and gymnasts, which will give them an advantage over the other teams who have no prior dance experience.

However, while some teams have been preparing routines since this summer, others have only just begun to brainstorm ideas.

The girls volleyball team is best known for its notable slip ‘N’ slide performance at the pep rally. While the administration has set the date of homecoming this late in October, Kenzie Roof ’12, co-captain of the girls varsity volleyball team, said that the team is still planning on doing the slip ‘N’ slide routine.

“Were trying to figure out some clothing that will be warm and good with water, ” said Roof.

Last year, the team chose not to do the slip ‘N’ slide routine, because it was too cold to successfully and comfortably execute the slip ‘N’ slide routine; so, instead the seniors each created a sign asking their red and whites dates to the dance.

In the same boat, the girl’s soccer team has yet to start their actual dance, but Katie Ambrose ’12, is feeling pretty confident and has big plans for the routine.

“This year we want to add some flair and originality into our dance to make it one of a kind,” said Ambrose, “were taking some snippets out of movies but adding our own spin.”

Other then this fact, Ambrose is keeping the details of the routine under wraps.

Ambrose is approaching this dance challenge as if it were another tournament. “We have an assortment of talent, but like a soccer team we are only as strong as our weakest link and we’re working on perfecting it.”

Field Hockey team is also in the beginning stages of choreographing their dance.

“We have never started choreographing a dance more then about a week in advance,” said Lucy Deflavio ’12, “Usually we put it together pretty quickly.”

However, their inspiration will not come from the routines from previous years, which have tended to be a bit provocative.

“This year our coach is really aiming for us to do something appropriate,”

said Caroline Kearney ’12, co-captain of the varsity field hockey team.

Kearney believes that while in the past there have been people who deemed the field hockey pep rally dance “slutty,” “this year we will definitely make the dance fun and exciting but not to a point that will be frowned upon by teachers or other students.”

Not only has the field hockey team been said to perform promiscuous dances, but in general the girls sports team routines have developed a reputation in the past.

“I think that the girl dances have a reputation of being provocative but I don’t necessarily think they are,” said Sydney Tagen ’12, “My freshman year the dances were a lot more provocative than they were last year.”

Christina Peterson ’12 agrees that people have the expectation that the dances will be slightly inappropriate, but that it’s only a joke and not suggesting anything inappropriate.

Despite these reputations, Perry is confident that their performance will represent the team in a positive manner and not exhibit any moves that are distasteful.

“I like to think that the swim and dive team has a reputation for being classy but sassy,” said Wimer.

Ambrose agrees and plans on “just keeping it straight up classy with our dance moves.”

With all of the planning and rehearsing, it is easy for each team to forget that they will be doing this dance in front of the entire student body. Ambrose cannot wait to reveal her team’s dance, but with this excitement also comes some nerves.

“I mean the classic case of butterflies is present even in the greatest performers, but I just hope that we are able to overcome that and strut our stuff.”