The alarm goes off at 5 a.m. for junior cheerleader Majesty Thomas-Harrison. Outside her window, it’s still dark. She meticulously stuffs her cheer bag with her uniform, hair accessories and cheer shoes, then drives through empty streets to reach Van Nuys High School by 5:50 a.m. The sun won’t rise for another hour, but the small gym lights are already on when she arrives.
Cheer practice begins at 6 a.m. sharp. Throughout the summer, cheerleaders are expected to arrive and practice for five hours. They need commitment, discipline and endurance. But more importantly, they have to be there on time — and preferably, ten minutes early.
This is the reality for the dozens of cheerleaders on the Wolves cheerleading team. While most students are asleep, these athletes show up in the dark to build the discipline, skills and bonds that fuel their performances at pep rallies and games throughout the year. The 6 a.m. start time, mandated by Coach Maria Renard, has become more than a schedule. It’s shaped how the team operates and who these cheerleaders are becoming.
Whether it’s performing at pep rallies or sports games, the team brings spirit to every school event. Audiences see energetic cheerleaders dancing with smiles, but the effort required behind the scenes is equally significant.
Led by Coach Renard, an alumna and former cheerleader herself, the team is guided by a high set of expectations.
“I coach as if this was their job,” Coach Renard said. “I expect them to come fully prepared and I expect them to try their best, even though maybe they might have a bad day.”
Because cheer practice starts at 6 a.m., Renard requires cheerleaders to arrive 10 minutes early.
“If you don’t arrive at a job on time, they will write you up or they’ll fire you, so that’s how they learn how to be responsible too,” she said.
As strict as this may seem, the emphasis on commitment and punctuality is one that has translated into personal growth, which senior Allanna Barrios has firsthand experienced.
“I think it’s personally helped me to become a morning person. Being awake at such an early time and being with people that I truly love and value has affected me greatly,” Barrios said. “People only see us performing, but they don’t see how we’re here every single day of the summer. We don’t get a break. Our season’s never over. So I feel like that really greatly affects the team.”
Coach Renard chose the 6 a.m. time slot to accommodate girls with outside commitments and responsibilities during the day.
“That’s the time that we schedule for them because some of them go to summer school,” Coach Renard said. “So by the time we finish practice, they can go to summer school and they can have the rest of the day to themselves. Also, more people show up.”
Thomas-Harrison agrees.
“I think for summer, especially, it was really convenient being able to wrap up practices by 10 a.m. because I’m able to do whatever I want for the rest of the day without half of the day being over.”
However, because it’s so early, the girls also have most of the school to themselves, which is helpful in terms of efficiency.
“We decided we’d do the morning since it’s still nice and fresh, and then we can go out and run on the track for warm-up,” Coach Renard said. “You can get a lot more done in the morning and you can use outside and inside for whatever it is that you’re doing. I don’t want to fight with any other team about sharing spaces.”
The 6 a.m. practice schedule has become central to how the team trains and bonds.
“I think it helped us with discipline being able to all get together and do collective things with cheer,” Thomas-Harrison said. “It also surprisingly helped our bond.”
As Ms. Renard signals the end of practice, Thomas-Harrison helps her teammates clean up the mats in the small gym feeling ready to take on the day. This is her version of a morning run.
As she gets changed and leaves the gym, she joins the line of students who have just arrived at school, getting breakfast from the carts. She blends in seamlessly with the crowd. Only her and her teammates know what happens at school every morning at sunrise.
This article originally appeared in the Fall 2025 print edition.
