Cheerleading Giveaway Entry - South Central Junior-Senior High School

​Hi. My name is Sarah Eyssen and I am the Varsity Cheer Coach at South Central High School. The South Central High School Cheerleaders are a growing group of athletes that have advanced from being a group of sideline cheerleaders to participating in area competitions.

Currently, we have one performance mat to practice tumbling and stunts that we share with another school. Sharing the one mat makes practices difficult because of the needs of both squads. When preparing for competitions we have to move it in and out of the practice area because without the appropriate material to use for stunting it endangers the safety of the squad. The cheer squad needs to be practicing on adequately sized and sufficient mats for the activities we are performing. If we could have the opportunity to practice our skills as they would be performed at games/competitions, our program would improve and in turn would improve the spirit and pride of our school.

If the SC Cheerleaders won this giveaway, our squad would use the money to buy two additional mats and would build our practice area instead of having to bus the cheerleaders to a neighboring all-star gym for practice time. The giveaway would allow us to have more money to spend on uniforms and other equipment since all items, camps, and practice areas outside the school have to be paid out of our pocket.

South Central Jr./Sr. High School is a very small rural school in southern Indiana. Our athletic department spends most of its profits on referees and transportation, thus leaving each sports team responsible for their own needs. These needs include uniforms, the purchase of training equipment, out of league scrimmages, and end of year awards.

Currently, over half of our athletes participate in more than one sport, but that number is dwindling due to the cost the athletes must pay. Parents, coaches, and our small community do their best to hold fundraisers, but families still have to contribute money from their own pockets to help cover team expenses. Participation in athletics is something this rural school has to offer, and South Central wants to do everything they can to help the students continue with these activities.

If South Central High School were blessed enough to be chosen for the award, we could use the money to help many of the teams buy adequate uniforms and necessary training equipment. For example, the IHSAA recently changed the uniform specifications for volleyball requiring new uniform purchases for fall 2016 season. The track team is in dire need of new uniforms as the current uniforms are several years old. These are just a couple examples of how South Central would be able to use this award.

With your help, South Central High School can continue to support our athletic programs and help our student athletes be able to participate with pride. Thank you sincerely for your consideration.

Sarah Eyssen

South Central High School

Elizabeth IN 47117