The award winning Silver Stars are ready to launch into this season’s contest season after already completing football season.

Although the Silver Stars are active throughout the entire year, there are a few differences between football season and contest season.

“The dances are much harder in contest season and we train harder on our bodies from strength training to cardio during contest season. Our practice schedule stays the same, which is practice pretty much everyday from 3-5,” the dance director Vaughn said.

Not only does the training shift, but so do the dances.

“In football season we have different dances each week and we learn them, clean them, and perform them that week. For contest season we only have three team dances we work on and they’re longer and have actual meanings to them,” Silver Stars colonel.

Bailey Ferguson said. This year the Silver Stars are facing a little bit of a challenge since they have gained a lot of new members.

“The biggest challenge this year will definitely be integrating our new members since we have majority new members, like over half the team is new, so just introducing them to contest season because a lot of them have never done contest dance before,” said Shelby Schoettlin, a four year member.

Despite having new members, the team still has a lot to look ahead to.

“I always look forward to just seeing it all come together. We practice the routines in our room and in practice clothes so the first time you see it on the gym floor, with costume and makeup, with curtains and props gives me chills,” Vaughn said.

The Silver Stars have also expectations for how this contest season will turn out.

“I expect them to do great this season. Each contest we will take away critiques and work hard on those to do even better the next week,” Vaughn said.

The high expectations are set by Vaughn, someone the team have grown close to.

“Describing my relationship with my team is hard; it is one of mutual respect. If I want my team to be prepared, I have to show them I am prepared,” Vaughn said. “I have an open door policy so they know they can come to me with anything and I will do whatever I can to help them. I am just ever a ‘director’ to them. I am thought of as a teacher, mentor, mom, friend, nurse, and so much more.”

The close bond the team has formed with Vaughn has led them to previous success.

“Winning state last year was definitely a big deal because we got the highest overall score at that dance contest,” Schoettlin said. “We had never really done that in this school’s history, so that’s why it is a big deal for us.”

Although the team is setting goals to ultimately win, their main goal is for everyone to walk away from this season with a positive attitude.

“I want the team to walk away from contest knowing not only did they, but also their teammates, performed to their highest potential,” Vaughn said. “Relying on your teammates to do their part is a hard thing to do but when your entire team is in it, all it takes is a look from them and you know they did their best.”