After 15 total years of being the sponsor of the cheerleading squads, Mrs. Debi Petty is stepping down at the end of the school year.

“After 15 years of being the cheerleading sponsor, I felt like it was the right time to allow new coaches to take over to implement new changes in the cheerleading program,” Mrs. Petty said. “I really enjoyed my time with all the girls throughout the years.”

Coaches Hannah Thompson and Kailyn Rotramel will be co-sponsors of the varsity team for the 2020-2021 school year. Ms. Nadia Sulaica will continue to sponsor the junior varsity squad.

“Cheerleading is something new to me and I thought it would be really fun to coach and learn more about,” Coach Thompson said.

Under Mrs. Petty, there were numerous changes made that affected the cheerleading program. With new sponsors taking charge of the varsity team, more updates can be expected in the upcoming years.

“There have been many changes to the cheerleading program in the past 15 years, and I hope it has been a positive experience for those that have been a part of the program,” Mrs. Petty said. “Not only am I leaving the cheerleading team in good hands, but the girls are being left with three very enthusiastic sponsors with a lot of great ideas.”

Both new varsity sponsors agree that they want to bring more student and school spirit. They plan to have more student activities to help bring student involvement.

“I really hope to bring back school spirit and acquire more student participation,” Coach Rotramel said. “The coaches and I hope to have a lot of fun next year but also keep some school traditions in the team.”

The 2020-2021 school year will be Ms. Sulaica’s second year sponsoring the junior varsity team, so the entire cheer program is under new leadership.

“This upcoming year, I really want to learn more about the program and cheer in general with the new sponsors,” Ms. Sulica said. “I had a lot of fun this year, and I’m excited for next year’s season.”