Miami Wardogs Cheer Spotlight – Presented by Northeast Tech

By Derrick Smith

In her first year as head coach of the Miami High School cheer team, Lindsey Bearden expected to hit a few bumps in the road. But instead, what happened was the exact opposite.

“Taking over a program and changing things always meets resistance,” she said. “However, this squad has been so accepting of the changes I have made. I love the direction we are going and I plan to stay a part of the program for a while. The future for Miami Cheer is bright. Also, I’d really like to brag on my cheer parents. They are seriously amazing.”

Sierra Burrow, a senior at Miami, says she enjoys the support that the team receives.

“I love cheering for Miami because no matter if our team is winning or losing, our community is always right behind us cheering us on.”

Bearden says that while her team all has their eyes on the prize, they also like to have fun.

“When we went to cheer camp, we stayed in a hotel together and had an absolute blast,” Bearden stated. “We even had to evacuate for a false fire alarm for a while. We practiced Monday through Thursday all summer so we have spent a lot of time together. The squad is full of comedians that keep the entire squad laughing.”

This year, at camp, the squad won an award for squad jumps and tumbling. Bearden says that she has a great outlook for the upcoming season.

“The majority of our squad competed last year when we placed fourth at state. We are expecting to place even higher this year.”

Senior Emie Haile says that the team reaps the rewards because they put in the work. “My team is dedicated,” she said.

“We all work towards one goal, we all stay focused, and we all love each other. There’s nothing more rewarding than reaching a goal with the people you work hard with every single day, and that’s what we strive to do at every practice.”