After a potentially nerve racking few months, PSU’s Varsity Cheerleading team may let out a sigh of relief. Carrie Kiley, PSU’s cheerleading coach for eight years stepped down from her position in June, leaving the team without a coach for several months.
Jen Middlemiss was named head cheerleading coach on Sept. 24.According to a press release from the PSU athletic department, Middlemiss has over twenty years coaching experience in both high schools and private gymnastic and dance acadmemies.
With the start date for winter athletics looming less than a month away, there was some speculation over what would happen to the team, and whether they would continue as a varsity sport.
“Their coach resigned in the spring,” Clark said. Kiley announced she was stepping down from her position at the end of June, “As soon as she resigned, we did an extensive search,” Clark added.
The extensive search included both websites that catered to college level athletic professionals and newspapers, “Unfortunately, it is difficult to find a cheerleading coach that is certified,” Clark said.
All Plymouth State athletic coaches work part time, this, added to the fact that it is often difficult to find a candidate with the correct credentials, made the search extend longer than what was originally estimated.
“We were concerned just as we would have been with other teams,” Clark said. Kiley, along with Clark, was instrumental in the creation of the varsity cheerleading team.
The team was granted varsity status and gained support afforded to varsity programs in 2006. According to a press release written at the time of Kiley’s departure, under her direction, “The Panthers earned a second place at the 2007 Open College Nationals in Myrtle Beach. She took the team to the 2008 College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championships at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in January.”
As a varsity team, the Panther Cheerleaders also performed at all the men’s and women’s basketball games since winter of 2006.
Upon her departure, the cheerleading team also had to work with Clark to figure out the direction the team would be heading in upon the discovery of a replacement coach.
“Cheerleading is evolving so quickly,” Clark said. This is attributed to the exceedingly popular idea of competitive cheerleading at the national level
This was a main source of concern for those involved within in the program during the months in which it was in limbo without a coach.
Clark maintained that despite rumors, there was never concern that the varsity cheerleading team would be disbanded or become a intramural club sport as it had been several seasons ago, “It was never suggested that there be a change,” Clark said.
Prior to becoming a varsity sport, Cheerleading was a club sport. During this time, the team, while it had active members, did not have a specified practice area, nor scheduled practice times. The team also did not have standard uniforms.
“There was never a major concern that he team would be stripped of its varsity ranking,” Clark said. The team was able to maintain funding from the athletic department, regardless of thet team’s lack of coach.
“No funds were taken from the team,” Clark said. Over the summer, despite not having an exact idea of the future of the organization, the team received brand new uniforms.
The team is expected to begin the season on track with the Oct. 15 start date with a new coach, “I’m really excited for the new coach,” Clark said.