The Manual cheerleading team of 2011-2012 made many changes for the new season, including changing some cheers and dances to fit the songs played by the band.

“This year I would like to take a different approach as the new coach. I would like to make things fun for everyone but still maintain a winning streak,” Coach Valerie Tackett said.

Other changes included more discipline (running is now the main requirement for being off task, as it keeps the cheerleaders focused and fit), the abolition of fines for not being prepared on game days, getting rid of three old uniforms, putting in better-quality gear for the team, and holding more fundraisers.

The cheerleaders hoped that the changes would positively affect their performance. “We expect many wins in our upcoming competitions,” Brittany Perry (10) said. “Even though we don’t know when our first competition is, we are constantly preparing for it now by conditioning extra hard, doing the routines countless times until perfected, and, as the competition date gets nearer, we will add in extra practice time,” she said.

“[The changes are] great! I like the new coaches because they are more involved and more compatible with the team. And they really make us work hard to get where we want to be and push us when we fall short of our expectations,” Allie Thrailkil (10) said.

The team’s ambition is to win National Cheerleaders Association, where Cheerleaders from all over the nation compete, for the second time in a row.