Sports Digest: Not Your Typical Cheerleaders

Welcome to Patch's snapshot of sports in Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow.

Here's a rundown of Friday's Cheer Clinic for younger girls at the SHHS from coach Wendy (Brand) Yancey:

There was a lot of yelling, jumping, shouting, moving and dancing in the Sleepy Hollow High School Gymnasium on Friday, October 5. It was not your Sleepy Hollow Varsity Football Cheerleaders. The noise was coming from the “Future Sleepy Hollow Cheerleaders."

The Sleepy Hollow Varsity Football Cheerleaders coached by sisters and former cheerleaders themselves, held their second annual Cheerleading clinic. Sister coaches, Cindy and Wendy (Brand) were excited and very proud of the performances showcased by the young girls. The future cheerleaders ranging from grades second through eighth were able to learn some of the famous Horsemen cheers as well as get a sneak preview of the choreographed dance performed by the Varsity, which is set to be performed in front of the high school students at their pep rally next week. Each girl learned cheers from the Varsity cheerleaders whose captains are Essence Bronner, Thalia Sanchez, Ashly Richie, and Samantha Dorazio.

“It was outstanding. We had more girls participate this year than we did last year," Yancey writes. "We even recognized some girls who participated in last year's clinic. It is our goal to keep feeding the cheerleading program and to hopefully bring back the Wolfpack Cheerleading program. The young girls had a lot of fun and the Varsity cheerleaders enjoyed showing off their stuff as well as getting to know the young girls in the community. Both of us were cheerleaders for the Wolfpack program when we were very young. Our coaches were Sleepy Hollow High School Cheerleading captains when we were members of Wolfpack. We then became Varsity Cheerleaders once in high school. We can still remember who our coaches were when we were young. It was exciting and cool being ten years old, going to a Varsity football game, and watching our coaches cheer on the Horsemen. It was like they were famous. That was something we looked forward to doing once we arrived to Sleepy Hollow High School. We enjoyed it so much, we are still here as adults, and can’t give it up.”

The Sleepy Hollow Cheerleaders are not your typical cheerleading squad. Most high schools have squads who participate in cheerleading competitions. The duo sisters say they are not that squad. They have a unique style.  A lot of the cheers consist of stomping, stepping and dancing. They enjoy the way the crowd gets involved in the cheers. Though, this year they have made up a lot of newer cheers, which look like your “ESPN” style of cheering. They say they have been trying to mix it up. It is not their goal to stray away from what everyone expects them to do, but they love the new and different mix of cheers.

The Sleepy Hollow Varsity Cheerleaders had an outstanding turn out at Friday’s event. The participants were all invited to join the Varsity girls at the Sleepy Hollow Varsity Homecoming game scheduled for Saturday, October 13 at Sleepy Hollow High School at 1:30 PM, where they will also perform on the track.

If anyone is interested in helping bring back the Wolfpack Cheerleading program, you can contact the Sleepy Hollow High School Cheerleading Coaches. Wendy can be reached at tamia1117@aol.com. They will be happy to assist you in restarting the program.

Let's go Hollow. Hollow Hit!

Yancey shared the photos here as well; the old photo is of her sister Cindy, baby sister Brittany, and Wendy when they were in high school in 1999. Thanks to Wendy Yancey and congrats to these girls for a great night!

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The Sports Digest is designed for you to add your best photo and/or video to share. If you'd like to send in an update, please email krista.madsen@patch.com. Thanks! 

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