Cheer is something most people love to do, whether it is cheering for their team on the couch, cheering for their loved ones or being a cheerleader for their high school. A cheerleaders goal is to try and get the fans up and on their feet cheering. This year SHS is incorporating Sparkle Squad, which is a cheer team that will include the special education students at SHS and general education students.

“Sparkle squad’s goal is to have a team that includes both special needs students and general education students getting together to cheer and create school spirit,” senior captain Alison Matlock said.

Matlock also participated in unified track last year which was a track team that consisted of the same mix of students . In unified track, the team would face other schools in short meets, but in Sparkle Squad the team will cheer on the boys and girls basketball teams at home games, as well as cheering at other winter events.

Coach Sean Schmultz said that the team will learn basic cheers such as, the alligator cheer and the defense cheer. Along with learning basic cheers the team will learn basic movements with the pom poms. However the team will not be lifting each other up in the air and performing stunts because that puts the cheerleaders at a higher risk for injury.

“It will have both athletes and partners like unified track does,” Matlock said, “but we will not be competing against other schools, just cheering for our own school.”

The team will try to infuse as much school spirit as they can by adding additional cheerleaders to the original team. According to Matlock, not only will it help the school spirit but it might show other cheerleaders and students at SHS that anything is possible, by doing sports like unified track and now Sparkle Squad Matlock says she has learned to not take things for granted and that being able to help brighten someone’s day helps you out as well.