Summer at Cottonwood High always means that it is time for Spirit Week, that wild and always entertaining daily calendar of events that goes on for five days.

The week is the first actual step the girls endure as a team before really getting into training hard for the upcoming season. To prepare them for the days ahead, Minky Couture gifted the girls matching black and white striped blankets. 

“Our girls absolutely loved their surprise! Huge shout out to Minky Couture for the warmest blankets! Our girls love them!!” said Cottonwood Chapparals head coach Jill Garcia. 

The Chaparrals actually make the team after head coach Jill Garcia holds tryouts well before any of the other teams at Cottonwood do for the upcoming school year. 

How early are we talking? 

Their tryouts start in mid-April, when other spring sports teams are still in the middle of their seasons.  

It’s a grueling two days that last for four hours apiece, and yet for many of the girls competing for their places on the team, it is worth it. 

To help the girls in their quests to become Chaparrals for the 2025-26 school year, head coach Jill Garcia posted beforehand a flier filled with “tryout tips,” which included tricks you’d learn taking ballet and dance classes, such as keeping your toes pointed on leaps and kicks, using planks to relieve foot and ankle pain while keeping your balance and making facial expressions. 

Eight girls were selected for the team a few days after the tryouts concluded, and so they got to take a few weeks of the summer off knowing they made it. 

They reconvened on June 13 for a high-fitness class. 

“Our glow in the dark high fitness class was a success!! Thank you to Courtney and Chelsea for kicking our butts!” said Coach Garcia, who joined her students in day-glo tanktops and workout shorts at a nearby facility. 

On June 16, Spirit Week got underway. Day 1 was filled with Superheroes and Villains, a competition that consisted of the Chaparrals racing a 40-yard dash in their costumes. Day 2 was sports-themed and included one of those kick-ya-butt high-fitness classes, concluding with a soccer game. 

Day 3 of Spirit Week was “Wacky Tacky.” An unique game was played on the jogging track, and the Chaps wore costumes that included long sleeves and dresses in 100-degree heat, on the blacktop of the jogging track ringing the stadium. 

Finally, on Day 4, another high-fitness class took place indoors, and the girls were either dressed as rock stars or pop stars. A water bucket game was played inside the gym to wrap up the week. 

On June 24, captains were selected. Sawyer Larsen was named President, Mia Call was nominated as Drill Mistress and Bella Ashdown, Social Chair. 

From that point forward, it was time to welcome the new Chaparrals into this new age of name, image and likeness from which the team can profit. They did a fun spot for Quick Quack Car Wash on the football field, asking for your help. 

The next step for the Chaps? A performance for incoming freshmen at Freshman Orientation. 

From there, the plan, and the hope, is to make it to the 4A state finals and help fans and alums feel a sense of Colt Pride.