South siblings enhance team dynamic

Sibling+Solidity%3A+Working+together+and+occasionally+competing+head+to+head%2C+South+siblings+Lilly+and+Livia+Mullaney+exemplify+how+working+together+can+lead+to+great+achievements+on+and+off+the+field.

Photo courtesy of Livia Mullaney

Sibling Solidity: Working together and occasionally competing head to head, South siblings Lilly and Livia Mullaney exemplify how working together can lead to great achievements on and off the field.

Emily Pavlik, staff writer

The Varsity Titan Poms huddled together backstage before their last performance as a team, savoring the final moments of their season. Among them were sisters Lilly and Livia Mullaney who, during their time with GBS Poms, always put forth their best effort. Due to Lilly being a senior and Livia only a sophomore, they tried to make their last year together on poms the best year possible.

Lilly was a part of the Poms team all four years of high school, but this year was different because her younger sister Livia joined her as a teammate on the varsity squad. She felt that some of the best parts about having Livia on poms were the honest feedback she’d give, and the ability to dance with her best friend everyday.

Julie Smith, Varsity Poms coach, felt that communication amongst the diverse age range of the dancers was positively impacted by the Mullaney sisters. Smith said that having sisters on varsity together was rare, and overall felt that having the Mullaneys on Poms impacted the team in the most positive way.

“If there is one thing you know about the Mullaneys it is that it does not matter how sick, tired, injured they are, they will go full out 100% of the time,” Smith said. “They are exactly alike in that matter.”

Livia, a sophomore at GBS, has enjoyed her experience on Poms with Lilly. She claimed that Poms will definitely not be the same after Lilly leaves, and will miss her presence during the year; especially their pre-preformance pep talks. Livia’s favorite memory about being on Poms with her older sister was sharing a hotel room during their nationals, which took place in Orlando, Florida at Disney World.

“Having that special time after a long day of dancing [is really rewarding],” Livia said. “Being able to come back to the room and just talk and hang out was such an amazing memory I will never forget.”