Outlaw Cheer Club joins SPRD

Back in June the future of the Outlaws Cheerleading Squad was looking shaky. Faced with the loss of their cheer coach and possibly their district funding; the cheerleading squad needed a new coach and a place to call home.

With the very survival of the program in question, concerned parent Merrilee Stavem approached Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) to find out if they'd be willing to partner to start a new club.

"It was unclear at the time if the Sisters School District would have funding available for us," said Stavem.

Together they came up with a plan to absorb cheer into SPRD.

To complete the process, a committee was created and the SPRD board approved the new program.

"We met with the SPRD board of directors to share with them our vision for our club and the opportunities it would create if we could start our club," said Stavem.

SPRD was instrumental in helping get the club started and provided opportunities for fundraising to pay for uniforms and other equipment. They also provided a venue for tryouts in the SPRD building.

With their very existence no longer in question it was time to name a new coach, and Stavem stepped up and took the position. 

Kelly Sheets is assisting Stavem once a week and helping out where needed. A local yoga instructor, dancer and gymnast, Sheets began her training in gymnastics at the age of four. She joined the cheer committee and enjoys the challenge of using her background in dance, diving and yoga, when teaching the team to tumble, back-flip and cheer.

Sheets was very impressed with the squad's safety-conscious attitude.

"They've had great training," she said. Sheets also appreciated the message the team members want to convey. "These girls are athletes, doing difficult moves. They also want to bring the community of Sisters closer together to show support for the athletic teams who work so hard to represent Sisters. They're not just out there to look pretty; they want to get the crowd going and help the teams to win."

As a high school sport, the Outlaw Cheer Club falls under the guidelines of the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA), a non-profit organization that coordinates interscholastic sports and activities for Oregon high schools. Requirements for eligibility like grades, attendance at school, and behavior are taken

seriously.

The cheer squad is committed to mentoring younger students and being good role models. Currently the squad is assisting with the Outlaws cheer program taught through SPRD, which offers elementary-age students the chance to be junior cheerleaders and even join the squad during a game.

The cheer squad will also help Sheets in a class she'll be teaching, called Girl's Leadership and Mentoring for 5th Graders (GLAM 5), at SPRD. Shawn Diez and Sheets created a mentor program that currently targets fifth-grade children. The class is separated by gender and addresses growing up with a healthy self-awareness.

"I will run the girls' group, which will start in mid-October for an hour-and-a-half each week," said Sheets. "It will be a collaboration of self-expression through art, movement and

discussion."

Sheets has incorporated the high school girls (cheerleaders and others) in order to engage the fifth-graders with older youths.

"It's important to have age groups present with viewpoints other than their same-age peers," said

Sheets.

Subjects such as friendship, communication with parents, body awareness, self respect, and leadership will be discussed.

"The general idea is to increase their self-awareness, empower them to ask questions and love who they are as unique individuals," said Sheets.

To learn more about the Outlaws Cheer Squad and classes through SPRD, email Kelly Sheets at [email protected] or visit www.sistersrecreation.com.