This year Etowah cheer started with a clean slate. With a new head coach in charge and two first year coaches, Etowah is continuing its great season. 

“Cheer this year has been fun and exciting with the variety of coaches; we always have new ideas. This season was one of the best,” Brittany Miller, sophomore, said. 

Elizabeth Long, new head coach, accepted the position this year after Cindy Fletcher, former varsity coach, moved. Long has kept many things the same but also added her own ideas this year. 

“I am really enjoying it [being a new coach]. Part of the reason I love teaching is forming relationships with my students, so I think it’s really cool I get to also do that with cheer,” Long said. 

Along with being a new teacher, Maci Zahn also stepped up as a new cheer coach. Leading the freshmen squad, she is working to create bonds that last throughout the four years. 

“I really love it so far,” Zahn said. 

New JV coach, Brittany Chandler, also started her first year while running Dancing Eagles. She is busy, but this gives her opportunities to provide creative ideas for her junior varsity squad. 

“Being in dance my whole life exposed me to a lot of different leadership styles. I had a lot of different teachers and choreographers that I worked with, and I learned what good (and bad) coaching styles look like,” Chandler said. 

Long has tried to be the best leader she can, going from first year freshmen coach to being the head coach of the varsity team. 

“Coach Long has done awesome job this year coaching varsity. I admire her ability to stay patient and calm through all the chaos that comes with game days. I am so proud to be able to call her my coach,” Zoey Zucker, junior, said. 

The coaches come up with new ideas and kept old traditions to make the cheer program the best it can be.