Last spring, Pattonville’s Varsity Drill team took home first place at Nationals in their division. Now, they are preparing to head back to Orlando, Florida to take first once again. The team is under a lot of pressure at Nationals, as they prepare for it all season long.

“This is a huge competition where we want to put our best foot forward,” Varsity Drill team coach Lindsey Schaefer said.

With the amount of pressure the team is going through to bring home first place again, comes a lot of stress. In order to ensure their spot at the top, Schaefer has to continually make changes in the routines to ensure they’re the best of the best.

“The changes we are making in our routines take a lot of brain power and focus to achieve,” Schaefer said.

Senior Sabrina Vargas, who went to Nationals last year, agreed with Schaefer that being able to adapt to new routines in a short amount of time is one of the most challenging things to deal with during the season.

While the changes to their routines can be pretty ambitious, new varsity member, sophomore Hannah Fisbeck believed one of the most challenging things while being on the team is, “adjusting to getting work done between practices, learning to make a schedule and sticking to it and not just procrastinating,” Fisbeck continued, “It’s also easy to get exhausted mentally and physically, you just have to push through it.”

Although there have been several challenges throughout the season, the team’s bond with each other truly makes it worthwhile.

“Having a sibling type of bond with your teammates makes it easier to understand one another and be comfortable to express our wants and needs to be better as a team,” Vargas said.

Having a strong relationship between the team helps exhilarate their practices.

“Honestly, sometimes my friendships on the team feels like the only thing keeping me there. It’s just hard to show up some days but knowing we all feel the same way helps. I definitely wouldn’t make it through the competition without the support of my teammates,” Fisbeck said.

With it being her first year on varsity, having the support of her teammates is crucial to keep her internal fire going throughout the season.

The harmony of the team helps them give remarkable performances.

“This team has a great bond with one another. When they are in sync, they are truly untouchable. Their chemistry translates on stage with each performance,” Schaefer said.

With their previous outstanding performances, Coach Schaefer wants to ensure that while they work on their routines they continue to work on their mental preparedness as well.

“Mindset is everything. They always need to have the ‘I can’ attitude, never give up on the things they want to achieve, and to remember to set goals and show up every single day to achieve those goals,” she said.

As the team continues to prepare for Nationals that will be hosted in Orlando on March 1, hardwork and dedication is crucial to getting there.