Post date: Nov 10, 2014 10:17:33 PM
November 10, 2014 by Tara Schuster
Cheerleading events start right after tryouts. Immediately after they have a team meeting where the coaches tell the girls and their parents what is expected of them in the upcoming season. In June, practices start. The cheerleaders practice three times a week in the summer, and twice a week once school starts. Besides cheering on our boys, the cheerleaders do much more. They are very active in the community. Helping out with swim meets at Logan Swim and Tennis Club and holding a Cheer Kiddie Camp for little girls who dream of being out on the sidelines someday are just a couple of the extra things they do.
The 2014-2015 cheerleaders are made up of three squads with 19 girl’s total. The Varsity squad members are Tara Schuster (Captain), Kadie Soucy (Co-captain), Amber Dressel, Lyric Harden, Jacquelyn Staley, Celina Banks, Alyssa Crump, Dajeauna Adams, Joy Griffin, and Imani McQueen. The Junior Varsity squad members are Tashja Pisano (Captain), Cari Boulton, JaMese Mitchell, Ke’asia Wagner, Rayven Shaw, Ana Taylor, Brandi Farmer, Kylie Mowery, Nicole Patrone, and Erilynn Stevens. This year the cheerleaders created a new team; The LHS Competition team. The members of this squad are Tara Schuster, Kadie Soucy, Amber Dressel, Lyric Harden, Jacquelyn Staley, Alyssa Crump, Dajeauna Adams, Joy Griffin, Imani McQueen, Tashja Pisano, Rayven Shaw, and Cari Boulton. This squad is made up of 12 girls from Varsity and Junior Varsity, and they will compete their routine in cheer competitions all around the area. These girls attend a rigorous two day camp where they learn an exciting, brand new routine just for them. This is new for the team and they are excited to see where the competition season takes them.
In order to be a Liberty High School cheerleader, you need to attend three days of clinics and the official tryout held every year in the spring. During these three days, the girls learn two sideline cheers, and a floor cheer. The girls must also come up with a dance and words to a cheer they must create themselves. On tryout day, the girls will perform everything they learned in front of a panel of judges. They will also be scored on jumps, facials, and overall spirit.
Recently, LHS’ competition squad attended the Pink Ribbon Cheer Classic. This is a competition where all proceeds go to breast cancer research. Squads all over the area collect money during football games, as well as Yoplait lids for the event. Pink Ribbon is very dear to the LHS cheerleader’s hearts because the 2001 squad started it all. This first Pink Ribbon was held in the Liberty High School gym and it has gotten so big they had to move it to YSU’s Beeghly Center. The LHS cheer squad has watched this event flourish. The LHS cheerleaders are more than happy to be a part of it.
Pictured above: the 2014-2015 LHS Cheerleaders