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06/12/2019 08:29 AMGive me a B! Give me an A! Give me a C! Give me a K! What’s that spell?
Yes, cheerleading will be officially back at Valley Regional High School as a full-fledged sport this fall, complete with the opportunity to earn a varsity letter. After a decade’s hiatus from the school, the cheer squad will once again grace the sidelines of Friday night football games, as well as be there to support the team at away games.
For the past few years, the cheerleaders raising their pom poms, chanting the “Be Aggressive” cheers and rousing the crowd have done so as part of Valley Cheer, which included girls from grades 2 through 8 under the tutelage of Coach Kiley McAloon. However, that squad was not affiliated with VRHS, didn’t travel to away games, and, most important, had nowhere to go once they hit high school.
“I am beyond happy for these girls,” said McAloon. “They really deserve to be recognized by the high school now and this is will be so great for them, as well as the sports they will be cheering for.”
McAloon, who has volunteered her time since 2013, said that she has taken them as far as she can, so the search is on for a high school cheerleading coach at VRHS.
“I really hope they get a good, qualified coach who can build on what I taught them, help the girls grow, and take the team to the next level,” McAloon said. “They deserve that.”
She also promised to make it to as many games as possible to support them.
“I think cheerleading is an important sport to have as part of all high schools,” McAloon said. “A lot of times it is the sport that speaks to girls when none of the other traditional sports do and gives them an opportunity to express themselves, be part of a team, and part of the school. I am so happy to see it back at Valley.”
Jennifer Farrell, president of the Cheerleading Booster Club, said, “I am so excited that VRHS is willing to recognize cheer as a sport and give these girls some positive recognition as high school athletes.”
VRHS Principal Mike Barile is also enthusiastic about the return.
“I am thrilled that cheerleading will be added to Valley’s athletic offerings next year. The school spirit that cheerleading will provide to our sport’s program is exciting. To offer cheerleading at the high school level provides those that participated at the youth level an opportunity to continue and share their passion with the VRHS community,” Barile said.
For this first year, there will be no tryouts for the team; anyone who wants to be a part of the team is welcome, though participants who have not been part of the squad in the past are asked to get in touch with VRHS by Tuesday, June 25 so uniforms (which take 10 weeks to order) can be ready for the start of the season.
The team will cheer for home and away football games, possibly a few home soccer games, and of course, pep rallies.
“I’m very excited about cheer being at the high school as a sport,” said Valley Cheer Co-captain Lily Farrell. “I think it will help add to the positive environment at Valley and it will give us all the chance to be part of a team sport, create a bond, and share in the excitement of Friday night games under the lights.
“Cheerleading is more than just showing school spirit. We learn a lot of skills; we learn dance moves and jumps and how to hold each other up and make up cheers and routines,” she added. “It is a very fun sport to be a part of and when the crowd is cheering on the team and our pom poms are shimmering, it’s a great experience to be part of all that.”
For more information about the cheerleading coach position or to be part of the team, contact VRHS at 860-526-5328.