Dover High School cheerleaders earn national recognition for service

The Dover High School cheerleaders recently received national recognition and will be featured in American Cheerleader Magazine and on ESPN’s coverage of the National Cheer Competition this spring.Four senior members of the Dover High School cheerleading squad — Ally Hale, Hannah Ladrach, Hunter Potts and Abbey Sanda — will travel to Orlando, Florida, with their coaches Feb. 10-12, and they will participate in a feature spot on ESPN as well as on www.Varsity.com and Varsity TV. The Varsity Brands Spirit Leader Awards honor one cheer team annually with an ongoing commitment to community service, outstanding school athletic support, creative spirit-raising activities and strong academics. Under the direction of cheerleading coach and DHS teacher Courtney Rees, the DHS cheerleading squad embodies these characteristics. Rees and assistant coach Samantha Anderson will travel with the squad to Florida.According to officials at Varsity Brands, “At Dover High School in Ohio the cheerleaders are more than athletes on the sidelines. They are staples of their community. The team believes in showing appreciation to all school stakeholders and serving as positive school representatives.” Motivated by Varsity Spirit’s idea of “America Needs Cheerleaders,” the team finds ways to serve the community each year. The Dover cheerleaders’ involvement includes the Little Tornado Reading Program, Dover’s Fill a Bus campaign for their local food pantry, and numerous charity walks and events. The cheerleaders pioneered the school’s first hashtag: #WeAreDover. Athletic director Tim McCrate emphasized another important program the cheerleaders lead under coach Rees’s guidance: The “Sparkle Effect” Cheerleaders. McCrate said, “Perhaps most impactful to our school recently has been our student body’s reaction to our “Sparkle” Cheerleaders. Both our squad and our student body has gained a sense of compassion and respect for students with disabilities through this program. All along their goal has not been recognition for themselves, but instead service for others.” Local business owner and booster Joel McKinnon echoed these sentiments. “They have even taught many adults in the area what the word inclusion means. I am honored to live in a community where the kids attending our schools have the opportunity to make a difference, both on the field and off.”