As summer cools down and fall springs upon us, our favorite sport season begins: football. The warm night air, the band beating out its drumline, the celebration of a first down, and the thunderous energy of the cheerleaders on the sidelines rallying the crowd and keeping the stands alive help to make the season unlike any other. Without their chants, stunts and spirit, Friday Night Lights wouldn’t shine quite as bright. 

For years, Tenafly cheerleaders have dedicated countless hours perfecting band dances, sharpening stunts, and amplifying their cheers, ensuring the “FNL” experience is unforgettable. 

While most THS cheerleaders were brand-new to the sport when they entered high school, in recent years, the team has grown to include more returning athletes from Tenafly’s recreation program, bringing more experience and dedication that raises the team to a new level. However, what really makes up a team is the leadership in charge of the energy and spirit. This year, THS welcomes a new head coach to the cheer program: Coach Carly Sherman (’11), who has big plans and an even brighter future for Tenafly Cheer. 

Though she does not work in the Tenafly district, Coach Sherman has an extensive background here and as a cheerleader. Cheer has always been a part of her life; like many, she started in first grade with Tenafly rec but found a life-long passion and continued it through all 12 years at Tenafly, eventually becoming the varsity cheer captain her senior year at THS. By day, she’s a full-time nurse, but once her shift ends, she steps into her other role as head coach for Tenafly recreation cheer, leading over 70 kids.

Now, she is expanding her passion by fulfilling her dream of becoming the head coach at THS. As a coach, she is fully dedicated to the team and makes a point to get to know each athlete individually with the aim of understanding their skills and areas of improvement. Her experience as recreation coach gives her an advantage, having worked with the students from a young age and helping prepare them for high school cheer.  “My team and coach meant a lot to me in high school… and when there was an opening in the rec department, I wanted to build a feeder program for the high school to strengthen the team as the years go on,” Coach Sherman said.

In future years, Coach Sherman plans to advance the cheer program, improving  not only sideline cheer but competition as well. While THS cheer is fairly new and still developing, Coach Sherman stays positive, saying, “by the time all the girls I have in rec get here … my goal is to become a winning competitive team … but that takes time.” With many athletes coming from Tenafly’s recreation program, Sherman can gradually introduce more advanced skills, laying a strong foundation for a competitive team.

With Coach Sherman’s guidance, she hopes the team will not only grow in skill but also in confidence and pride. “For cheer, it’s important that you put aside any stereotypes of cheer… there are a lot of thoughts and feelings of what it is, but you don’t really know what it is until you do it.” She emphasizes that the key to a good athlete and team is a strong and confident mentality: “If you take pride in the sport that you are doing, you learn that it is in fact a sport and you feel confident on your own. You don’t need the validation of other people about cheerleading.” With her guidance, the THS cheer team is ready to grow, inspire school spirit, and prove that cheer is serious, challenging, and full of heart.