MHS Hires New Head Cheerleading Coach

By Julie Laakko
julie@heraldpubs.com

Mascoutah High School is excited about their new head cheerleading coach, Ryanne Sirtak. Coach Sirtak is an MHS alumni from the class of 2014. She was a varsity cheerleader all four years, earning a white letter her senior year. While she did not cheer in college, she has always had a passion for the sport.
She said that, even as her career as a cheerleader ended, she has always looked for ways to get involved with cheerleading. She expressed that she loves coaching, especially at her alma mater. “Mascoutah High School is a special place and the community is unlike any other.” she added. This will be her third year coaching at MHS, as she has been the JV coach for the past two years.
Unfortunately, due to coronavirus, her first year is starting out a little differently. All open gyms and tryouts have been postponed. “My main focus is making sure all the athletes are staying healthy, so we are not participating in any in-person group activities.” Coach Sirtak said. However, the team is staying connected through social media and google classroom. Coach Sirtak has the team participating in at-home workouts and activities to stay in shape so they are ready when they start up again, whenever that may be.
Even with a delayed start to the season, Coach Sirtak has high hopes for her team, both on the floor and in the community.
“I believe it’s important to not only perform well for the school but to stay involved within the community and give back in any way we can.” she said. MHS Cheerleading is involved with several volunteer and community events throughout the season, and Coach Sirtak is excited to get involved again.
As far as personal goals, Coach Sirtak expressed, “I had the pleasure of being coached by Laurie Wager and she is everything I aspire to be as a coach.”
The team will get together and set personal and team goals as a group when the season begins. Coach Sirtak knows they can achieve anything they set their minds to. “We have a very talented group of athletes with positive attitudes who are eager to learn, and I can’t wait to see where that takes us this season.”