February 4, 2015 // Local

Central Catholic cheerleading squads prepare for competition

Todays Catholic

By Michelle Castleman

FORT WAYNE — When preparing for the football season last fall, a group of coaches saw the potential of combining the four Central Catholic school cheerleading squads for the Bishop Dwenger High School cheer competition to be held on March 20.

“I am so lucky to be part of the coaching team. We have been amazed at how these girls have come together to form a squad. There is no rivalry between schools at all. The girls truly care about each other and being a group,” marveled Coach Caprice Ramirez.

So, with the help of Ramirez, Suzie Brinker and Channin Henry (St. John the Baptist, New Haven), Rosie Ramirez, Amanda Naatz and Danielle Gonzalez (Most Precious Blood), Beth Peters (Queen of Angels) and Amber Joley (St. Jude), the Central Catholic Cheer Squad has been busy cheering on their basketball teams this winter and preparing for their upcoming joint competition.

“We do a great job of working together for the good of the girls,” Ramirez added.

And the girls are bonding as well.

Ramirez detailed, “Since all four schools are relatively small, many of our girls do more than one extracurricular activity. Our girls are always the first to greet each other with a hug and hello and show each other respect both during cheer and on the basketball and volleyball courts. It is nothing for a cheerleader from one of the schools to come up and give a hug to a coach from a different school before a game. There are no lines where these girls are concerned.”

She continued, “We have varsity cheerleaders who have volunteered their time to help the fifth graders prepare for their performance in March in addition to hours of their own practice. The fifth graders really look up to the older girls. We even have several girls who aren’t in basketball who go to games for opposing schools to cheer on their fellow cheerleaders.”

An example of the girls’ Christian attitude and amazing spirit was displayed during a recent matchup between the St. Jude and Most Precious Blood junior varsity boys’ basketball game. The Eagles only had one cheerleader, while MPB had three. It took no time before the girls decided to combine and cheer for both teams together. At another game, Queen of Angels cheerleaders were reported cheering for the opposing cheer squad during their half time routine and waving back and forth between quarters.

In her first season as coach of the St. Rose/St. Louis cheerleaders, Brittany Minnich had an exciting opportunity with her squad when they got to cheer for the Twins alumni as they took on the K105 Hoopsters in a recent fundraising event in front of a full house at the St. Rose gym. The former Trine University cheerleader has also taught the girls several new stunts, lifts and ways to build school spirit.