When Alyssa Beach and Della Gosseen were in elementary school, they participated in the Wellsville-Middletown junior cheerleading clinic that was given by the high school cheerleaders.

Now, it was the W-M seniors’ turn to teach the young girls as they helped give out two young cheerleading clinics this basketball season.

The first one was on Dec. 13 in the Tigers’ season opener against Liberty Christian. The second one was on Jan. 17 against New Haven.

A total of 32 girls from preschool to fifth grade joined the high school team in both games to do performances in front of the W-M fans.

“I remember doing the clinic when I was in elementary school and I absolutely loved it,” Gosseen said. “I’m so happy that I’m now able to be one of the girls who are helping little girls. So that makes me feel really good.”

Beach said the best part about helping out at the clinic is teaching her cousin, Josie Bishop, who is a kindergarten student.

“She likes it,” Beach said. “She knows all of the cheers.”

Beach and Gosseen are the only seniors on the W-M cheerleading squad, which has 10 members.

The other members are junior Brooke Stroup, sophomores Matti Hager, Jenna Collins and Legend Davis and freshmen Tessa Freeman, Marli Yelton, Jade Thompson and Addison Nation.

Besides Gosseen and Beach, Stroup, Hager, Collins and Davis are also back from last year’s squad.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Gosseen said. “It’s different every single night because on some nights, if we have a girl missing, we have to adjust all of our routines, so we have to learn on the fly, which has been a big part of it. It’s really good to be out here with this group of girls.”

Gosseen said even though she and Beach will be graduating, her team will have a bright future ahead.

“I think it will be great,” Gosseen said. “They’re learning all of their stuff now. So next year, all they have to do is keep adding skills and adding skills. By their senior year, it’s going to be one heck of a squad.”

Beach has been with the cheerleading squad all four years. When she was a freshman, she was on a team that competed in the Class 1A small-school division of the Missouri Cheerleading Coaches Association state contest.
She also got to cheer on the boys basketball team while it competed in the Class 1 Show-Me Showdown in Springfield.

“It was a cool experience,” Beach said.

Beach said she enjoyed working with her grandmother, W-M coach Michelle Stroup, all four years.

“It’s nice,” Beach said. “She makes me practice all of the time in the living room.”

Gosseen joined the cheerleading team when was a junior. She said she will miss being part of the cheerleading team when basketball season ends in February.

“I definitely wished I would have started in my freshman year, but I’m glad I had the chance to be with these girls,” said Gosseen, who plans to attend Truman State University next year and major in political science. “It definitely will be different when we leave.”

All of the cheerleaders perform in both boys and girls basketball games. Gosseen said she saw a difference in fan support this year.

“I remember last year our stands were not very full,” the senior said. “We didn’t have the community spirit as we had in the years past. This year, we have done a really good job in bringing people back in. Now, the seats have been packed. So it has been a different experience. I’m glad to be here at basketball games.”

Gosseen, Stroup, Yelton and Davis were the queen candidates on this year’s W-M homecoming court. Davis was crowned the queen during the coronation on Feb. 7 at Roundtree and Johnson Court.