Keyla De La Cruz is a sophomore who was born on August 31, 2010. She started dancing at age five after being inspired by the show “Dance Moms.” Now 15, she is on the varsity dance team at Pasco High. 

Being a varsity sophomore must be a lot of pressure, so how does she train outside of practice? 

“In my room, just doing tricks, or outside my house.” 

What are her goals for the season? 

“Learning new tricks and just becoming a better dancer.” 

What is the most challenging thing for Keyla? 

“Probably conditioning, trying to keep it up, and eating well.” 

How does she deal with loss? 

“I get upset, but it’s fine. I just gotta work harder.” 

How does she feel after a win? 

“I get really happy, but I try to stay humble.” 

Daishaundra Loving is the new coach for the Pasco High Dance team. Coach Loving has known Keyla for a couple of months now. Does she think Keyla deserves to be the athlete of the week? “Keyla is an extremely dedicated and committed athlete. She shows up every day and consistently gives her 100%. As a dancer, she is a great example of what it means to show up every single day and leave it on the floor. Discipline beats talent every time, and Keyla’s discipline is exemplary; that’s why she would be a great athlete of the week.” 

Does Coach Loving believe Keyla deserves the position they are in? 

“Keyla is a varsity dancer this year, and she has worked extremely hard for that position. Varsity is not easy and comes with a lot of pressure; she has been very graceful under that pressure.” 

What makes Keyla stand out from the rest? 

“She never quits and performs at her highest ability every single time.” 

What qualities does Keyla have that Coach Loving looks for to build a good team? 

“Qualities I look for to build a good team are character, determination, ability to handle hard moments, ability to take constructive criticism, and grit.” 

What type of person is Keyla during games and practice? 

“During practice and games, Keyla always has a good attitude and is very supportive of her team. She has great energy and helps to make these experiences positive and memorable.” 

What are the strengths and weaknesses Keyla has that Coach Loving notices? 

“Keyla’s best strength is her love for the craft; she very simply loves to dance. When you love what you do, showing up even when you don’t feel like it, even when it’s hard, and even when you have to push, is so much easier. I never have to remind her to go hard, it’s just who she is.” 

Alynah Hernandez is a junior and is one of Keyla’s teammates, but does she think Keyla deserves to be the athlete of the week? “I do think she deserves to be the athlete of the week because every day at practice she puts her all, she has fun in what she is doing, and she never has a moment during practice.” 

What is something that Alynah notices that makes Keyla stand out from the rest? 

“Something that stands out is the way she performs. She just knows how the music is, and she feels the rhythm. She just does whatever she feels, and it doesn’t feel forced, or it doesn’t feel like she is dreading it. She genuinely enjoys it, and I really like watching her dance.” 

Does Alynah believe Keyla deserves the position she is in? 

“She does. She works very, very hard. She did take the harder way to learn right from wrong in our program, but when she did, she’s a very outstanding dancer, and I do believe she deserves the spot she had.” 

What type of person is Keyla during games and practices? 

“She is a very energetic person. She makes everyone in the room laugh and smile. It’s very fun to practice with her; it’s fun to work with her because she is willing to learn and take criticism. So, it’s really fun and exciting with her.” 

Is Keyla a friend on and off the dance floor? 

“She is. She is a very good friend. Even without the mention of dance, she’s a really good friend. She’s so funny, and I like learning from her a lot, especially because she likes learning random things, too. It is like a fun facts type of thing, it’s really cool.” 

What did Alynah see Keyla do to get into the position she is in? 

“I got to see her push through her hard times. Something that we like to do is be vulnerable with each other. So, talking and letting me know where her head is at, where her mindset is at, and helping her through that, she was willing to give me her all, so I gave her my all.” 

Valeria is a sophomore who also practices alongside Keyla. Does she believe Keyla deserves to be the athlete of the week? “Yes, because Keyla is super hard-working. She is insane. She always pushes like her hardest, even though when she is about to give up, and she always motivates people to keep going.” 

What is something that makes Keyla stand out from the rest? 

“She’s very passionate about everything she does. She never gives up.” 

Does Valeria believe Keyla deserves the position she is in? 

“Yes, because I’ve never met someone like her. She’s super on everything. Like in practice, when I’m about to give up, she is always fishing for me to go harder. I don’t know, she is crazy.” 

What type of person is Keyla during games and practice? 

“She is the sweetest person ever. She is just so sweet and kind.” 

Is Keyla a friend on and off the dance floor? 

“Yeah, because she is a very good person and she is fun to be around.” 

What did Valeria see Keyla do to get into the position she is in? 

“I always see her doing her best and trying her hardest.” 

Keyla is only a sophomore and has a couple more seasons ahead of her. She still has time to decide on her future, but for now, does she plan to continue dancing after high school? 

“Yeah, I think I’m going to become a backup dancer.”