Cheerleading was a brand new activity for Great Bend Middle School this year. So, how’s it going? From the sounds of it Wednesday afternoon, it’s going well.
Cheerleaders Audio
Members of the GBMS cheer squad performed for the USD 428 Board of Education at their monthly luncheon.
There were 49 students signed up cheerleading at the Middle School for football and there are 60 involved for basketball and wrestling.
Amber Lucchesi and Lori Tennis are serving as instructors for the program. Tennis says the cheerleaders have stepped up as leaders throughout the school.
Lori Tennis Audio
The students are divided into groups, with typically eight students in their uniforms cheerleading per basketball game. The remaining cheerleaders still attend the games in their warmups and help cheer. The cheerleaders practice Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday for two hours after school with half the time on Friday used as a study hall.
The school board approved the addition of cheerleading at the Middle School this past June in hopes of providing more after-school activities for girls, although boys are allowed to join. Ordering 30 uniforms that get shared cost $7,313 and head coach Lucchesi receives $2,118 a year and assistant coach Tennis receives $1,482 a year.