Metcalfe County Cheerleaders leading the way in 2019

By Thomas Wampler Jobe News and Sports Contributor

 

Coach Summer Glass and the 2019 cheerleaders have worked hard all summer and are ready now to have some fun on Friday nights. “This group of girls have gained valuable experience and we feel really confident going into this year,” Glass began. “They worked hard on tumbling skills and stunting skills and all the things they needed to improve on for the season.”

Glass says they had some new girls who had never cheered to join the program which was exciting and challenging. “We are still building as a team,” Glass continued. “We are still in the process of learning to work as a team…feed off of each other and gain new skills.”

The team has 18 cheerleaders in 2019. Glass says she has three seniors. “All three seniors (Tesha Furlong, Allie Coffey, and Destiny Geralds) have proven they can lead and are helping the younger and inexperienced team members,” she said. “They are great role models for the other girls to look up to. I am proud of the way they have stepped into those leadership positions.”

Glass says they had a good summer camp while working on stunting and the cheer game day routines they will use at the region competition.

Glass said one of their favorite times of the year is coming in October when they host their cheerleading kids camp. Glass said the kids love it and the coaches and cheerleaders love it even more. Each camp participant will receive a t-shirt. The young cheerleaders will learn a sideline cheer, a dance, do a little tumbling and practice a routine during the two afternoons of the clinic. They will perform what they learn at halftime of a varsity football game on Friday night.

“We want them to have fun but also get a feel for what cheering is all about,” Coach Glass said. “The cheerleaders remember when they were little and what they felt at those ages. They want to teach them enough to peak their interest. Who knows how many of them will one day be wearing a Metcalfe County cheerleading uniform?”

“It is such a great experience for all of us,” added Glass.

Glass is in her third-year coaching and is pleased this year with something she implemented. She assigned a senior for the upper-class and a sophomore for the tenth graders and freshmen to help her with communicating various details and instructions from her. Glass says this helps teach responsibility and other skills of leadership while building team unity too.

“Cheerleading is a year-long sport. We don’t stop,” she added.

“We have seen a lot of improvement,” Glass said. “That is something I stress—the team constantly striving to get better and always trying to improve. It is not about the strength of the individual, but it is about the strengths of the entire group…the team. When one cheerleader improves, the team improves and that’s what it is all about.”

Glass has three children in the Metcalfe County school system and says she is actively involved in the lives of her children and with the schools. “I enjoy this opportunity to teach and coach, and to just be around these girls,” concluded Glass. “This is a great group that works hard and enjoys what they do at the games and in competition. They are proud of our school, love to cheer on Friday nights…love to see the fans get behind and support the football team.”

“And they have fun with each other too,” Glass added. “They really do have fun.”