Pete Ferretti

The Parkway Step Team performs during the homecoming pep rally Sept. 28. The team plans to travel to Virginia Beach, VA to perform this weekend for a national competition. “Performing in front of the school is way different than a real competition because there are not as many people watching you at school and its less pressure because it’s not a competition, it’s just a chance to have fun. But at a real competition, there is a lot more pressure to win, and there are more than 2,000 people watching you, usually,” sophomore RoNeeka Boyd said.

The nationally acclaimed step team is back at it once again. With plans to travel to Virginia next week for the Spring Showdown Step Competition, the team continues to practice to make the trip worth their while.

Last year, the team got first in their division, along with first overall in this competition, making them defending champions.

“We’re trying to make it an annual thing for us to go [to Virginia]. If we win this competition, then we would be two- time champions, which would be so cool,” sophomore and Step Team member Thalia Banks said. “It’s a cool experience just to go and to compete, but winning would be what we’re working towards the most. You don’t go so far just to compete. You have to push yourself to win.”

The team started practicing four times a week, 15 hours total, to prepare for the competition.

“It’s hard to practice so much because it’s really tiring but it’s worth it in the end. It shows how determined we are to win. And the more we practice, the better we will do when we go to Virginia so it’s just what you got to do to win,” junior Tywan Simms said.

The team enjoys going to this competition because of the diversity of the teams.

“Many people think that step team is only for black people, but when we go to the competition, there are teams there with people of all different races. I wish more people could see how whoever wants to do it should do it, because its fun,” Banks said.

Sophomore McKayla Sims is excited to travel to Virginia with her teammates because they feel more like a family after all the time they have spent together.

“It’s impossible to not have a connection with the people on this team. Were together so much that we’re kinda forced to have a bond,” Sims said. “I’ve been on the team with most of the people for three years so that’s a lot of practices and tournaments and time together. This competition is another chance for us to grow closer as friends.”