Lee Trawick
Reporter2@riverbendnews.org
In the summer of 2021, Caylee Boone and several of her teammates on the Branford High School cheer squad were appointed to the National Cheerleading Association (NCA) All-American Cheer Team. They earned the right to perform at such places as Philadelphia in the New Year's parade and the opportunity to travel to Europe. Their first stop, however, was Disney World in Orlando for the Varsity Spirit Spectacular.
Weeks before the event on Nov. 21, 2021, Boone received her new uniform, choreography and other things she would need while on tour. She immediately contacted several of her new teammates via social media to go over their routines before traveling down to Orlando.
Boone arrived at the Disney resort two days before the event, where she met with her team and practiced for three hours to perfect the choreography and learn how to march in line. On the second morning, the team met once more to continue practice. For the remainder of the day, Boone was able to tour whichever Disney park she chose. The following morning, the All-American cheer team reported to Magic Kingdom, where they were directed backstage to get ready to march down Main Street, U.S.A. "Cheering at Disney was like nothing I have ever experienced before," Boone said.
Boone was humbled and honored to have the opportunity to do what she loves on such a large platform. She couldn't have dreamed of this chance as a young girl, watching the Buccaneer cheerleaders before her. If she were to sit down with young girls watching her now, she would tell them to set their goals high and put in the work to accomplish them. “You never know, you could be performing on Main Street U.S.A.," Boone said.
As a Buccaneer cheerleader, Boone takes pride in the name across her chest and is proud of her hometown and school. She embraces the platform of what being a Buccaneer cheerleader means, but her ambitions don't stop there; she hopes to become an NCA cheerleader one day. After watching the NCA cheerleader at Disney, she hopes to create a platform for other young cheerleaders to have an opportunity to experience what she has thus far.
Boone is grateful for the opportunity that the NCA has given her. She is humbled by the title of All-American and experiencing the opportunities that come with it. She was honored and excited when she was named to the team over the summer, but now she sees how much more significant it is than she originally imagined. Boone says she has met people she never would have gotten to meet before and has made friends over the brief time she has been with the team. Now, she is eager to continue to put the work in and propel her career to see how big of an impact she can make on others.