SRS cheerleaders bring spirit, service

Now in its second year, the Swan River School cheerleading program is once again bringing support to the basketball teams and the community, entertainment to the fans and self-confidence to the squad.

Kathleen Gomel, who is a parent at SRS, started the program last year. Gomel was a cheerleader herself for eight years, starting in the fifth grade.

"I like what it's done for the girls," Gomel said. "These are strong, intelligent, contributing young people."

The idea for the program came to her when she realized that without an introduction to cheerleading that many of the girls were intimidated by the idea of tackling an unfamiliar sport in high school.

So, Gomel approached SRS principal Pete Loyda about starting a squad. He agreed to the idea and Gomel took it a step further and not only declined to be paid for her position as advisor, but her family also became the sole sponsor of the team last year. This year, her husband's law firm, Myers and Gomel P.C., is sponsoring the squad. All of the girls' uniforms, accessories, pompoms and shoes are paid for by the sponsor, as well as snacks and supplies for making posters and other spirit materials. Any other funds collected by the squad through fundraising, as well as the stipend Gomel is supposed to receive for coaching, goes to the school's booster club.

"We get what we need through sponsorship," Gomel said. "All of the other money should go to the athletic fund to cover the needs of the other sports. I didn't want to do this to cost the school anything. I did it because I wanted the school to benefit."

Gomel has the girls tryout for the squad, but there are no cuts made. They are simply in place to show the girls what they should expect if they decide to continue on with the sport.

"I have a walk-on squad and I think that's the key to our success," Gomel said. "If you're willing to get through camp, help out in the community and you come to practice, then you can be part of the squad. I think that by taking away the fear part of it it encourages them to step out of their comfort zone. I think when children are not afraid of failure they are more apt to try something new."

By getting a wide-range of girls involved in the program and eliminating financial and personal obstacles, Gomel's squad has helped the girls in more ways than just on the court.

"I have some girls that are really quiet and reserved outside of cheerleading that have gained so much confidence from being a part of this squad," she said. "Some of them are still that way when they aren't cheering, but when they are out there cheerleading, they're totally on and they do a great job."

There are seven girls on this year's squad, which Gomel usually limits to fifth through eighth graders but made a couple of exceptions this year. Megan Rieke and Lauren Jochen are both fourth graders at SRS and are new to the squad this year. This is also sixth grader Tori Guenzler's first year on the squad. Returning to the program this year are sixth-graders Abby Rieke and Cassie Cislo and seventh-graders Hannah Gomel and Kelsey Batin.

Just because there aren't tryouts doesn't mean that there aren't high expectations for the girls.

"I hate to take cheerleading so seriously, but I pick and pick because these girls are doing these motions and doing these routines over and over, and if they're practicing them wrong, then it's only going to get worse," Gomel said. "I told them they are already getting a reputation for being polished and it's because they make those corrections."

All of the girls on the squad are on the SRS honor roll, which Gomel said is important to her.

"That's one of the things that's been a big part of my program," Gomel said. "We spend the last half hour of every practice working on homework."

Another important component to the program is that Gomel has the squad do at least two philanthropy projects each year, beyond the decorating of lockers for the athletes. Last year the squad visited the Lake View Care Center residents with the Bigfork Lady Lions on St. Patrick's Day, and part of the squad attended the Winter Games for the Special Olympics at Whitefish Mountain Resort with Shelley Emslie and Kelly Rieke, who at the time were the reigning Mrs. Montana 2008 and Mrs. Flathead Valley 2008 respectively.

In between everything else, the girls find time to learn and practice their routines, which are all choreographed by Gomel. The squad practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays when a game is not being hosted at the school starting in September. The first half hour of practices she gives the girls a snack and gives them a chance to recharge their batteries after school and talk about their day with one another. Then she teaches them new material for about an hour and fifteen minutes before moving on to homework time.

In addition to the practices, Gomel requires that all prospective cheerleaders attend a summer camp that she hosts. The girls learn basic movements and fundaments of cheerleading at the camp.

Gomel also has a "Game Time" portion of the camp, in which she teaches them about the game of basketball so they know what cheers to do when. The girls also have specific actions they do every time certain events occur during a game, such as a player getting hurt or someone shooting a free throw.

"That's an important part of our camp," Gomel said.

At the games, the girls do sideline cheers, crowd cheers and dance routines that are alternated during the holiday season.

As if Gomel hasn't done enough, her role is expanded on game days as well. She provides snacks for the squad as well as a hospitality room for the coaches and referees. She also curls all of the girls' hair before each game. After the game, she has each of the girls turn every piece of their uniform into her and their shoes and she washes the clothes. Then she has it all put together and waiting for them prior to the next game.

The program has not only helped the girls, but it is bringing spirit to the school as a whole. The girls only cheerlead for the boys basketball season because most of them play on the girls basketball teams. So, when it's their turn to play ball, several boys wear spirit shirts and start cheers during the girls' games.

While Gomel is helping guide the squad to benefit themselves and those around them, she has been impacted as well.

Her time with the squad has helped her decide to return to college to get her Bachelor of Arts in secondary education and a minor in English after being a stay at home mom for 14 years.

"It's what inspired me to want to go back to school to teach," Gomel said. "I love them. I enjoy them. I enjoy school life and I like that kind of atmosphere."

Gomel is earning her degree from the University of Great Falls through a satellite program at Flathead Valley Community College. She already has a bachelor's degree in communication studies from the University of Nevada in Las Vegas.

Upon completion of the program, Gomel will be able to teach English to children in grades 5 through 12. She feels she is well prepared for the task after working with the cheerleaders for two years.

Gomel said her structured practices are laid out similarly to a lesson plan and says she is looking forward to working with a variety of kids rather than just the select group she coaches.

She is on target to be done with her schooling by the end of spring with the exception of her student teaching.

That's not bad timing considering she is due to give birth to her fourth child in May.