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04/09/2024 02:01 AMFor the Branford cheerleading team, it had to endure many twists and turns this season. Though in the end, it all came together in the best way possible–thanks in large part to the effort, stoic leadership, and composure of Tatum Giordano.
The Hornets’ junior captain started cheerleading in fourth grade but then had to take a year hiatus in eighth grade due to the pandemic. Yet she returned to the mats with Branford her freshman year and worked her way into a leadership office this season. She made it count in a big way, as she stepped up to help the Hornets notch a 3rd place showing in the All-Girls’ Division at the SCC Championships back in February. Additionally for her Hornets’ career, she has earned All-SCC, All-State, and All-American Team accolades.
“I always like being part of a team and being on it with my best friends. I also found it to be a fun and different sport,” says Tatum. “My success I feel comes from my hard work and giving a lot of effort. A lot of cheerleading is also mental, but it also involves tumbling, and stunts. Yet the effort is worth it, because it becomes easier with more time and effort. One memory that sticks out to me is when we landed our routine perfectly in practice this year. It was so fulfilling to see something like that come together. I also love seeing our coaches encourage us and everyone learning a new skill and leveling up.”
Harnessing the adoration of her younger peers truly makes Tatum strive for near perfection within herself. She explains in a sport where everything has to be so precise, there will be let downs, but the greats of the game always stay present, in the moment, and bounce back.
“Having the girls look up to me pushes me to be the best version of myself,” Tatum says. “Setbacks will happen, but recovery is one of the most crucial skills to have in cheerleading. You just have to take it in stride and take it one thing at a time.”
The stewardship selection as captain has really helped to mold Tatum’s true personality. She notes that while she has had to shift her specialty when it comes to helping the team fill voids left by graduation, Tatum took the challenge head on and is ready to extend her endurance.
“My leadership skills have grown as a junior captain. It has shaped who I am,” says Tatum. “As a sophomore, I was mostly a flyer, but when I had to step in as a secondary base after we graduated seniors from last year’s team, I was successful with that, and making that transition was something I was very proud of. Going forward, I want to improve my stamina and make the transition from game day season in the fall to competition season in the winter smoother.”
Certainly grateful for the appointment to captain, Tatum expresses that gratitude through the program with her hustle and heart. She details, though, that the entire success of the team came from a firm foundation of positivity and support from all avenues.
“I was really happy when I became captain; it was a position I always wanted. I love helping out the girls and giving them different perspectives on things,” Tatum says. “We had success this year because of the encouragement from everyone and at every practice. Being a captain helped me push through hard times and stay with it for the rest of the team.”
It was a banner year on the competitive mats and gymnasiums for Branford this winter. Tatum explains it all came from an individual and collective drive to push to the finish line with the best possible product and performance.
“Based on my prior years here, this was our most successful year. We all really pushed ourselves to achieve the best we could,” says Tatum. “For me, our finish at SCCs made me so proud. We had our senior captain Danielle Jones get injured before SCCs, but seeing how we bounced back from that injury was so huge. Our coaches also truly wanted us to succeed.”
Tatum took the reins as captain and went above and beyond by pushing herself to the limit daily while having the right knack and tact to talk to her colleagues, per Head Coach Rachael Sawicki.
“Tatum is exactly what coaches look for in an athlete and teammate! She leads by example, both on and off the mat. Her natural leadership abilities led to her being elected captain this past season,” says Sawicki. “She has always stood out as a leader on the team through how she speaks to her teammates and coaches, and how she embodies hard work, determination, and positivity. She is an excellent communicator and motivator, often leading the team pep talks and knowing exactly what to say to encourage her teammates, even in difficult or stressful moments before a competition or big event. Her teammates know they can trust and confide in her, and as her coach, I know that I can always rely on her.”
While still with a year remaining in her high school tenure, Tatum has already attained a grander sense of spacing out time to complete objectives and to decompress. She concludes that she knows that to thrive in life, it will take more of what she is doing now by juggling multiple obligations.
“I have seen how important time management is and also taking time for yourself, because cheerleading is a long season that basically runs from May to the following March,” says Tatum. “Being a student-athlete also taught me how to prepare for life with balancing multiple responsibilities.”