Sideline Spirit: Lafayette cheerleading team
By Kirsten Stokes
This week’s Sideline Spirit features the Lafayette, fighting Irish cheerleading team.
Through creating a new culture and helping the younger generation understand the sport, the team is lead by head coach Shatarra McDonald and Assistant coach Brooklyn Jones. On Wednesday, the team started their youth clinic, welcoming girls 6-13 years old and prepared them to cheer for the game of the week on Friday vs. Benton.
“My thought for them is to always come prepared, always show your spirit in and out of the school and always make sure that you’re on your best behavior while making sure that they represent Lafayette as they should,” McDonald said.
Assistant coach Jones mentioned the specific goals for the team this year.
“We’re starting out at the basic level, kind of starting out with the level one, so we are working on preps and hoping that we’re able to start doing extensions, switch ups, and ball ups,” Jones said.
With their Northside pride, captains on the team talked about the family aspect of being apart of Lafayette cheer and how encouraging one another pushes them to be better. Especially when it comes to teaching the next generation.
“We’ve come back so strong and so loud. I’m just proud of this year and this team and everything that we’ve put together this far. It’s just been so good this year,” said Senior captain, Sadie Sanders.
After their clinic, they practiced for an hour working on a routine and stunt sequence for the game on Friday. Senior captain Mariah Lankford attributes their growth this year to the family mentality they’ve set.
“We’re all such a family. And if one of us shows up with a sad face…I mean, that sad face is automatically gone because we’re with each other. It’s just one big family,” Lankford said.
One thing head coach McDonald can focus on is the Northside pride that is here to stay.
“To highlight this team, remember, the north side always brings it. It doesn’t matter who we play know that when you’re on the north side, you’re on the right side,” McDonald said.
