Claire Bemis

Tiny stunters. During the children’s cheer clinic varsity cheerleaders junior Sydney Jaron and senior Katelyn Haddon help a little girl with stunts. “I enjoyed them [the kids] having new experiences and a new view of cheer because some of them didn’t know what cheer was before,” Jaron said. They hosted the clinic in the gym Wednesday Oct. 4 after school.

 Jumps, stunts, chants and tumbles: the many cheer techniques young kids learn at the annual children’s cheer clinic. 

“We started this clinic to get our varsity cheerleaders involved with the community,” varsity cheer coach Taylor Shaffer said. “Also, to give the girls an opportunity to be involved in cheer and experience Friday night lights.”

The cheer clinic happens twice a year, once during the fall football season and another time during the summer. On Wednesday, Oct. 4, the first clinic of the school year took place in the school’s gym from 5-7 p.m. 

“We want the kids to aspire to be cheerleaders and know that cheerleading is a good sport,” senior varsity cheer captain Kailyn Peacock said.

The varsity cheer team taught the girls who attended the clinic. The team coached the beginners on the basics of cheerleading which prepared them for last week’s Friday football game performance. The children learned the cheers: “Go Eagles Go”, “I with a K” and “Touch down”.

“We spend 20-30 minutes on each element. In the fall clinic, they take what they learned and perform at a football game,” Shaffer said.

Before the clinic starts, they send out a registration form months in advance. In preparation, Shaffer puts together goody bags filled with a t-shirt, bow and pom poms each girl receives upon arrival. The kids wore these items during their performance in the first quarter of the football game.

“The goal is to give them a great experience with cheer and give them the opportunity to work with the varsity cheerleaders,” Shaffer said. “Hopefully, this will also inspire young girls to want to cheer.”