By Matt Browning
Before each school year, Pretty Prairie cheerleading coach Haley Hedrick tells her team that having the best spirit and excitement you can is so important and can really make an impact on the players and game day experience.
“I tell the squad, ‘if it was easy, everyone would be a cheerleader,’” Hedrick said. “The past couple squads I have coached have done a great job with this, and this year’s young squad is no exception and people have definitely noticed.”
Football coach Blake Lee said it’s a great feeling knowing there are a group of students who cheer his team on every game.
“A lot of people take having the cheer team at every sporting event for granted until they aren’t there,” Lee said. “The energy and atmosphere just don’t have the same feeling when there is no cheer squad.”
The summer time is when the Bulldogs really start to hone in on the upcoming seasons.
“It’s the time we really find that team bond, what works and what doesn’t and really making sure the new cheerleaders feel part of the team and not just like ‘newbies,’” Hedrick said. “UCA Summer Camp really helps with that team bonding as well. Some of my past cheerleaders have told me that Summer Camp is where they made some of their most favorite memories. When you decide to be a Bulldog Cheerleader you are expected to be there from Summer all the way through the end of Basketball Season. My philosophy is that just because football season is over, doesn’t mean you stop supporting them. We support all our teams all year. ”
