Simpson cheerleaders hope to bring in more numbers, making team competition a must for next year’s squad.

The cheerleading squad had football cheerleader tryouts this past weekend for next year’s football season. “They are judged on their general execution and how they perform the material,” said Head Coach Tara Price.

Schloemer said that they are looking for a lot of things when holding tryouts. She said the team looks for working on motion techniques, if it can get the crowd enthused, personal jumping ability, dancing skills and stunting skills performed by the individual.

“I think it is important for this school to have a group that encourages school spirit,” said Price.

The cheerleading squad cheers for men’s basketball, women’s basketball and football. This past year, the squad had six women and two men for the football season while the basketball season had six women and only one man.

The squad mainly cheers at home football and basketball games. The cheerleaders also do a few away football games that are close to campus, such as Central.

“We are here to maintain that school spirit,” said junior Stephanie Schloemer.

The most important time of the season for the Storm cheerleaders is Homecoming week. Alumni, Simpson faculty, parents and community members all get involved with Homecoming week.

This is the time of year when the cheerleaders can show off their stuff. During Homecoming, the team performs at Yell Like Hell. It combines stunting, dancing and cheers into one routine. It is also involved in the annual bon fire to kick off Homecoming festivities.

Price has been in charge of the team for about a year and a half. She was a cheerleader while attending college at Wartburg and she was also the team captain of the squad.

Currently the team is in the off-season. The cheerleaders do a lot of weightlifting and work on getting more flexible for next year. “We work on just being the best that we can be,” said Schloemer.

In the future, Price says she hopes to start competing as a team. The reason the team has not in the past is because of numbers. She said that the team has had a lot of quality, but not quantity.

The squad will be together a few times during the summer and start practice before school starts up again. It will get together and do some cheerleading camps. This is the way the Storm cheerleaders raise funds for the team.

The squad does various activities, such as cheerleading clinics for elementary schools and tryouts for high schools such as Indianola, Winterset and Carlisle.