By Chris Cox
Miami cheer coach Lindsey Chism has a fairly big squad with 29 members. It’s also a unique squad in the fact that is it so well balanced between each class.
“I have seven seniors, seven juniors, eight sophomores, and seven freshmen,” she says. “It’s nice because they have different perspectives and different backgrounds. It’s great to have a pretty even balance because not one group is more powerful than the other.”
Having that balance is nice because it gives her plenty of senior leadership and plenty of upperclassmen to help teach the underclassmen.
“Our upperclassmen have to listen to each other to get things done,” she says. “I don’t just have two or three that are in charge. The seven seniors and I work closely together to plan things. They are all very different, but they do a good job of listening to each other and respecting one another. This is the easiest group of seniors, in terms of making decisions, that I’ve had.”
Chism, who is in her 6th year as the Wardogs head cheer coach, says this year’s team has taken on a bit of her own personality.
“They’re goofy,” she says. “They just want to have fun and if they’re having fun, it’s all great. But, I will also say, they are perfectionists. When they are learning stuff, they are very serious.”
Miami cheer competes and because of that they have goals to succeed and perform to the best of their abilities. But Chism also tries to make sure that her squad is knows high school cheer is more than just competitions.
“Our biggest goal is to qualify for state in both competitions,” she says. “But our other goal is just for everyone to make memories and have fun. Of course, competition is important but, at the end of the day, this is someone’s freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior year cheering and I want everyone to walk away happy with memories and loving cheer just like I did.”
The Miami cheer squad includes Seniors Kytilin Callahan, Karlie Draper, Harper Davis, Mercedes Estep, Reinee McClintic, Maddi Reed, Bobbie Riley; Juniors Aubrey Bunch, Mikah Culver, Abby Hughes, Gaby Jaime, Bailey McCarty, Addy Payne, Corinne Wall; Sophomores Gentry Burrow, Holly Christman, Brylee Engle, Kyla Glenn, Karsyn Sundberg, Kensley Thompson, Yesenia Vazques, Avery Walther; And freshmen Carolina Antonio, Raychel Cook, Kinzington Cooper, Dylan Douthit, Lexie Gilmartin, Hanna Noel, Jada Willimas.
