2015-16 Squad Won National Title

Katelyn Amico was at the right place at the right time.
A math major at UMass-Dartmouth, she was hoping to eventually land a teaching job as a math instructor. Two years ago, she found a good fit at Natick High, which also was seeking to fill a coaching vacancy in cheerleading.
Not a problem for the newly-hired Amico, who just happened to be a very successful cheerleader during her high school days at Whitman-Hanson and also in college at UMass-Dartmouth.
“At Whitman-Hanson, we won the state championship once and we were two-time national champs at UMass-Dartmouth,’’ Amico noted. “I coached cheerleaders who were in grades 3-8 when I was in high school and later coached the junior varsity cheerleaders for two years at Whitman-Hanson as well as assisting the varsity coach during those two years. I loved coaching and liked the opportunity to help out in my hometown.’’
So, after her first varsity experience at Natick during the 2014-15 school year, Amico’s second campaign last year turned out to be ultra dynamic. And, very memorable.
Her squad won both the fall and winter championships in the Bay State League (BSL), believed to be the first time a BSL school has won back-to-back titles. What followed were a third-place finish in the regional competition and a fourth-place finish at the state level. Natick’s score at the states enabled it to advance to the nationals at Myrtle Beach, S.C. (March, 2016).
“All Amico and her cast of cheerleaders did was to take the lead on Day One and preserve the margin on Day Two. “We had beaten teams that were from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and North Carolina,’’ Amico noted. “Most of the teams were from the East and South. It was a tremendous honor. The girls all received medals and we brought home a banner and trophy for the school.’’
Back-to-back national crowns no doubt would be a magnificent achievement. And, Amico is acutely aware of how difficult a repeat would be but she’s bullish on her current team that numbers 17 and has 10 returnees who experienced the national championship. “Our girls know the ropes but we realize it’s a new year,’’ Amico said. “They’re determined and when they were at camp in August, they displayed an eagerness to return. We’ll have some new girls, we’re excited, and we’re aiming for another successful season.’’
This year’s contingent is led by senior captains Allie Pfahler and Paige Mosher. Both are highly regarded by Amico and her assistant — jayvee coach Christina Cacia. “They’ve been unsung heroes,’’ Amico said. “Both are athletic, talented, versatile and able to perform their stunts and routines well.’’
The rest of the squad includes seniors Caitlin Kelly, Izzy Pagliazzo and Jillian Reynolds; juniors Cooper Browning, Reagan Finnegan, Amanda Colassaco, and Gabby Bratcher; sophomores Lily Schlesinger, Kassidy Gallagher and Kerri Johnson; and freshmen Sage Sherman, Caroline Haswell, Elizabeth Haswell, Gina Ghilani and Cecilia Chouinard.
“Our remaining 15 girls are a talented group that’s very positive,’’ Amico emphasized. “That positive approach helps drive their passion for cheerleading. They’re very strong in their stunting and tumbling routines.’’
The 28-year-old Amico may be a young varsity coach but she knows what attributes lead to a successful team. She’s always on the lookout for girls who are athletic and possess good techniques across the board.
“The techniques includes tumbling, jumping, motion placement, dancing and stunting (acrobatic moves in air),’’ she emphasized. “I also want girls who are coachable. Even if a candidate has great talent, they have to be willing to soak up instruction. Sometimes I’ll lean towards a candidate with raw talent but is eager to adapt and learn.’’
Natick’s fall and winter teams, which cheer at football and basketball games, will basically be the same contingent, except for one or two girls who may opt to play a fall or winter sport. There will be four invitational events on tap, which will serve as tune-ups for the Redhawks before they attempt to defend their BSL crown in November.
Amico, who has begun work on a master’s degree in math education at Framingham State, enjoys seeing her girls learn valuable life lessons from competitive cheerleading. She knows that a competition leads to girls setting goals, building relationships, learning sportsmanship, strengthening leadership abilities, working as a team, overcoming adversity, adjusting and being flexible.
“I want cheering to help our kids to interact and to develop a welcoming spirit,’’ Amico said. “We want our girls to adjust their individual style to others, so everyone is on the same page and can enjoy success. We want our kids to be pillars of society.’’
Do the math. Natick’s cheerleading team should add up to more success in 2016-17.