School spirit is mandatory for Redhawk cheerleaders, just like Monday’s cheer tryout parent meeting at 6:00 p.m in the lecture hall for the interested cheerleaders of the 2024-2025 cheer season.
“This meeting is mandatory so that parents and students are aware of the expectations,” JV coach Julia Coday said. “As well as the costs, dates, camp info, absences, and the procedures and protocols for the program.”
Monday’s mandatory meeting will also explain some things that upcoming and returning cheerleaders need to know for the upcoming season.
“We plan to have an even more successful UIL season,” Coday said. “Do more team building activities and more with the big and little sis program.”
Freshman coach Shannon Smith is already planning on doing some things differently among her cheerleaders next year.
“One thing I would like to focus on more next year is relationships between and among the squads so everyone feels comfortable,” Smith said. “I would like all cheerleaders to feel more like one extended family rather than three separate teams.”
Although she’s still more than six months away from starting high school, Vandeventer Middle School cheerleader Lila Johns is already looking forward to high school cheer.
“I am super excited to start my journey as a cheerleader in high school and see where my cheerleader career takes me,” Johns said. “I want to encourage people to try out so we can have a great freshman experience.”
Smith is hoping as many students as possible try out for the teams.
“Many times people will talk themselves out of trying out because they assume they will not make it,” Smith said. “But when many people think that same way it results in a small amount of people trying out, for instance, there were only seven freshman cheerleaders this year. Which resulted in a very limited ability to perform certain stunts and made it challenging since people were out sick or lost eligibility.”
