Only team to compete from Wyoming at the NCA National Championship; Douglas High Cheer

      This past year has been a great one for the Douglas High Cheer team, in Douglas WY. They have not only worked hard cheering on the rest of the Douglas High athletes but have worked hard to prove that they are national competitors themselves. This group of young ladies, led by Coach Margo Shatto, placed 20^th in their division at the National Cheer competition.
       The first step towards this achievement came at the Greeley, CO National Cheerleading Association camp during the summer of 2013. Here the team received their bid to go onto the NCA National Championship. After receiving this honor, the team worked long and hard on their routine as well as raising funds to be able to afford to attend the competition. The cheer team put on many different fundraisers including several bake sales, a rifle raffle, and a Butter Braid sale. The team was also given generous donations from local businesses, who wanted to show their support to the Douglas youth.
       Coach Shatto speaks highly of the determination, resourcefulness, and work ethic of these young athletes.“Watching them perform the routine that we worked so hard on for five months was amazing. They performed all their stunts without one mistake and danced like they have never danced before” the coach announced about her talented team. The Douglas cheer team performed admirably against over 300 teams from around the nation that were invited to this prestigious event. The chance to travel to a national championship is rare for many high school cheerleaders, but to place is an even greater accomplishment. Their hard work, determination, and innovation has created memories and experiences that the Douglas High School, Douglas community, and the Douglas Cheer team will never forget.

Wahoo High Cheer and Dance Wahoo, NE 2013-2014

Senior Laura for Wahoo High Dance

The Wahoo High School Dance Team coach, Megan Reisen, has worked hard to help her team grow over the past three years that she has been coach. She has helped all of the girls realize that goals are important in order to succeed. The team has set their goal for the 2013-2014 year to be place first at the Nebraska State Dance Competition. The team has narrowly missed this goal the last two years. With the team’s hard work and determination, Reisen thinks their goal is very realistic because of their personal ambition as well as the overall drive and determination of the team.  Captain, senior Laura Barry, loves how the team comes together to support each other as well as the rest of the school. Having such a close-knit team and community is part of the reason that the Wahoo Dance team has excelled so much since Reisen took the team under her wing.

Reisen’s favorite part about working with such an amazing group of young women is that she gets to see them grow as dancers, performers, and young women. “It’s an incredible feeling to see the progress each team has made from the beginning of a season during the summer to the state competition that rounds up our season”.  Reisen remembers being in her team’s shoes not so long ago. She was very involved in dance growing up and was a part of the Midland University dance team for four years. While at Midland University, Reisen earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry. As well as coaching the Wahoo High School Dance Team, Reisen owns and operates the local dance studio and works on the side in a pharmaceutical lab.  Much of her free time is dedicated to dance and helping young men and women become better at their chosen sport. She has been teaching dance for seven years.

Pius X High School Varsity Cheer Lincoln, NE 2013

            Pius High School Cheerleading team is composed of a group of talented, athletic, and
energetic young women. These young ladies attend high school at Pius X High School in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Pius Thunderbolts are taught by Coach Heather. She is new to the coaching world but has brought a breath of fresh air to the team. Coach Heather is described as being inspirational and a wonderful role model by all three of the 2013 Thunderbolt team captains. She coached the Junior Varsity last year and is now the Head Coach of the varsity team. She says that the most rewarding aspect of coaching is the opportunity to be a positive role model to young women. Coach Heather says that “Cheerleading isn’t just about cheering but it is about the watching young ladies grow and mature.” They take the skills and confidence that they have developed through cheer and apply to their own lives. The lessons that they learn will help prepare them for life beyond high school. Her team really respects her as a coach because she has been a cheerleader herself and realizes the importance of team spirit, team unity, and self-growth, according to Captain Anna.

            One of the new programs that she has introduced has been to create team goals. These goals work to bring the entire team together and help them support and push each other to become better cheerleaders as well as more mature young ladies. Having goals also helps then entire team to know where they want to go as a team and what they need to do to get to these goals. Captain Madison states that the entire team is very unified which has helped them work much more cohesively in supporting their fellow athletes and school. Every member of the Thunderbolts is also expected to set her own individual goals to work towards in order to become a better leader. These goals are reviewed throughout the year so that all of the Thunderbolts stay on track for achieving their goals. Having these goals have brought home to all of the team members that they really are role models for all Pius students, which Captain Megan states is one of the greatest parts of being a Pius Cheerleader. Knowing this has brought a great sense of responsibility to each member of the team.
        
   While the Pius Cheerleaders work hard for their school, they also like to have fun. All three captain agree that one of the best feelings that comes from cheerleading is helping the crowd get excited and energetic in supporting all Pius athletes. They love the excitement that overtakes the crowd when the Thunderbolts score a touchdown. Coach Heather has worked hard over the past several years of creating an environment that helps Pius Cheerleaders to grow and mature into responsible young ladies as well as have fun while experiencing their high school years.

Demi inspires and leads by example

Demi has started her love affair with cheerleading and dance at a young age. Demi become a dancer Greeley, Colorado. Since she started her dance career, Demi has performed as a cheerleader, a dancer, and a gymnast. While in high school, Demi was selected as part of the Varsity Cheerleading squad during her freshman year of school. Two years later, she was given the opportunity to have an internship at Backstage Pass Dance Studio.

at the precocious age of 3 in her hometown of

            While dancing has always been one of Demi’s greatest love, she put this passion on hold for something else that is just as important to her. Demi served six years for Colorado Army National Guard as a chemical nuclear biological and radiation specialist.  At the end of her service career, Demi decided that she wanted rekindle her love with dance and cheering.

            Demi does not just love dancing but she also loves teaching others to love the sport. In 2012, Demi became the O’Connell Middle School Cheer Coach. Through coaching, Demi works to inspire young men and woman to believe in themselves. Demi is a great believer that anyone can do anything if they work hard enough and she strives to get all of her athletes to feel the same way. Demi has not only coached at O’Connell Middle School but also been the coach for the Lakewood Rec Cheerleading and Gymnastics teams, Dunstand Middle School Cheerleaders, Green Mountain High School Varsity Poms, and Commerce City Dance and Gymnastics.

            In 2013, Demi decided to become an entrepreneur as well as a dancer. She started the Colorado Eclipse All Star Cheerleading and Dance. Demi has worked hard not only to make dance and cheer her passion but also her livelihood. Through her business, Demi has been able to expand her reach in helping youths become hardworking, dedicated, and involved. Demi also made the Colorado Eagles dance team. Demi believes in leading by example and she shows it everyday while cheering, coaching, and running her business. 

Broncos Cheer Squad of the Berwick Youth Football League

Today's interview is with Rachael Eveland. She is the Head Coach of the Broncos cheer squad of the Berwick Youth Football League in Berwick, PA.

Her cheer squad consists of girls between the ages of 7-9. Their season goes 12 weeks with a competition to end the season.



1. How long have you been the coach of the Broncos cheer?

-This is my fourth season with the BYFL Broncos. I also coached a local middle school squad for two years as well.

2. What are some of the fundamental skills that you teach your squad?

-Since my squad is in the youngest division we offer, girls that are on my team are always brand new to cheerleading if they weren't on my squad the previous year. So with that, we really start at square one. Motions are a big deal for the first two or three weeks of practices. We play A LOT of simon says with motions to get the girls to really practice remembering them. After they have motions down, we work up from there: sidelines, cheers, and eventually stunting. As the season progresses we add more difficult material to the previously learned material. I focus on the girls mastering the basics so when they move onto to a different squad they have the basics down and can master whatever their new coach has for them.

3. What is a typical game day like and what is the most exciting part for your squad?

-When we first arrive at the field, we stretch and run through the cheers for the day. Right before the game starts, the football teams are announced onto the field. When the Broncos are called, my cheerleaders hold up a banner that we have painted the previous week. The football players then run through the banner, sometimes tearing it to pieces, sometimes getting knocked over instead. After that, we will meet up with the other cheer squad and exchange hello/thank you cheers. After this we will start the typical sidelines and cheers rotation throughout the rest of the game. During half time, my girls will go out to the 50 yard line and do a cheer for the football parents while the boys talk about the first half.

The girls’ favorite part of the game is definitely "throwing beads". Berwick is a HUGE football town, and everyone knows that in Berwick, the Varsity and JV cheerleaders throw footballs during each home game. These are small plastic footballs that are thrown after the crowd is lead in a cheer that spells out BERWICK. This is a Berwick tradition, and no game at Crispin Field is complete without it. Instead of throwing footballs, my cheerleaders throw blue, orange, and silver beads after leading the crowd in a cheer where they spell out BRONCOS.

4. Tell us more about the Berwick Youth Football League, when the girls get older do they move up to other squads?

- Berwick Youth Football League is divided into three divisions: Pony, B, and A. These divisions are all divided up by age. Girls are placed into the correct division regardless of experience. The BYFL is all about teaching basics and getting kids started in football and cheerleading. There are no try-outs and no turn-aways. Everyone is welcome to play.

5. At the end of the season you have a competition, tell us more about that and also how you prepare for it.

-After the regular football season, plays-offs, and Superbowls have been played, all of the cheerleading squads head up to Misericordia University. Each year the Misericordia cheerleaders host the Cougar Cheer & Dance Challenge. We participate in the Recreational Cheer division. We compete with a Hello Cheer, Sideline, Hometown Cheer, and Dance. Each component is judged individually and places/trophies are awarded for each component. Two years ago, my girls took two 1st places and two 5th places. Last year, we took home 2nd in all four categories.

Since there are other teams outside the BYFL we go up against, the BYFL also awards the winning-est BYFL team after we return home. There is a point system awarded for trophies brought home, team with the most points, wins amongst the BYFL teams. This is considered the cheerleaders’ “Superbowl”. For winning the superbowl, the football players receive championships rings. For winning competition, the cheerleaders receive charm bracelets.

6. What is the most rewarding part of your job as coach with your squad?

There have been so many rewarding moments in my coaching career. I love when my previous cheerleaders come up to me in their new uniforms after they’ve moved up to tell me about all the new skills they have been learning. I have loved going to competition with my girls and seeing their smiles as they perform on the mat and give their very best for the judges (and then the smiles of taking home four trophies). I love moments when a skill or moment clicks for the girls: they understand how the game of football is played, they’ve mastered a dance, or they threw their beads directly to a fan. I love to see my cheerleaders succeed!!!

7. Tell us more about your background and how you got started coaching the Broncos cheer.

-I cheered for three years in high school for Varsity Football, Wrestling, and Basketball. I attended East Stroudsburg University for my freshman year of college. There I cheered as one of seven freshmen on the squad. After my freshman year, I transferred to Bloomsburg University. Since I had transferred so late, try-outs for the BU squad had already passed. One of my younger sisters was involved with the BYFL at the time and her team needed a coach. I thought at the time I would just coach for a year and then try-out for the BU squad. I fell in love with coaching and never ended up trying out. During my second and third year of coaching the Broncos, I also coached the Danville Middle School squad. This was a very different experience than my 7 & 8 year old Broncos. I loved it, but was unable to continue coaching both this year. I am also currently in the midst of starting a competition team at the Berwick YMCA.

8. What would you tell parents that have a girl or boy that wants to try cheerleading but hasn't yet?

-TRY IT! I tried everything growing up: soccer, floor hockey, basketball, softball, swimming, and track and field. Nothing fit me as well as cheerleading. It took me until my sophomore year of high school to find a sport that truly fit me. Find what your child enjoys!

And a special shout out to the boys who want to cheer – DO IT! There is one boy in the entire BYFL that cheers. He is not on my squad, but I am so proud of him and his family, and the BYFL, for allowing him to cheer! Do whatever makes you happy! And if a boy wants to cheer, LET HIM! I think guy cheerleaders are seriously the best! In the BYFL we have a handful of girls that play football. Again, I think this is awesome! Do what you love and what makes you happy! That’s what it’s all about!

Pius Varsity Cheer Lincoln, NE

Interview with Ashlee Arnau

We had the chance to interview Ashlee after her amazing shot that was shown all over ESPN, Fox Sports and plenty other networks.  

• 1. How long have you been practicing that shot?

  I only practicing during the half time of games but I have been attempting since after Christmas.

  
  

  2. How many attempts did you do that night before making it?
  

  5

  
  

  3. What was it like after you made it? How excited were you?
  

  I could only think of one word when I made it and that was "Finally". But I was so excited that my family and friends were there that have supported and were patient with me.

  
  4. Being that your a junior, do you have plans on having an even better trick shot next year?

  I have an idea but it will be a little tricky going backwards this time.

  
  

  5. Has anyone else on the cheer squad attempted the shot? If so, anyone else able to do it?
  

  Yes, a couple of girls have tried but they either didn't get the concept of picking the ball up or were to afraid to pick the ball up.

  
  

  6. What was it like seeing your self on highlight films across the country?

  
  
  

  It was unreal I didn't expect it would be so big, I only thought I was going to be on my local news.

  
  

  
  7. Aside from the shot, tell us more about how long you have been doing cheer and what it means to you to be a cheerleader for William Carey University. 

  
  

  I cheered my 7th and 8th grade year at Oak Grove Middle School, than I cheered my Freshman and Sophomore year at Pearl River Community College and Now cheer my first year for William Carey University as a Junior.

  
  

  To be a William Carey University Cheerleader is a sense of pride not only in myself but in my school, I feel like it represents leadership. I am expected to be a role model on the court and off and to have a higher accountability in the class room. It's an honor to be a representation of my school as a William Carey University Cheerleader.

  
  8. Anything else you would like to let our readers know?

  
  

  Just because you fail once, twice, or maybe three times at something that seems impossibly, just remember a little faith can go a long way, and anything is possible if you just believe.

  
  Thank you Ashlee for sharing your story on your amazing shot.