Struthers Cheerleading Coach Megan Dubos takes what she has learned from her years as a cheerleader and uses it to build cheer squads and mentor athletes of her own. 

Coach Dubos has been coaching cheerleading for eight years now, simply because of her strong love for the sport. Dubos feels that watching her cheerleaders evolve and get better is what really makes her appreciate being a coach. She loves being able to watch the student athletes grow throughout their four years on the squad or even just a single season. 

The Wildcat staff member makes sure to remind her squad what their role is as a cheerleader and what it means to be one. 

“A cheerleader is someone who leads their crowd and student section to cheer on the team playing. It is their duty to pump everyone up, so that the team can feel the support from the fans and lead them to victory,” says Dubos.

The SHS cheer coach is an alumni of Struthers Cheer and cheered for three years while in school. Her squad competed against other schools and brought home a first place trophy her junior and senior year. 

Coach Dubos reflects on what has changed from the team she cheered on compared to the team she coaches now. 

“When I cheered there weren’t many competition teams or squads. It was primarily just school/sideline cheer–that is how we were able to compete as a squad. Also, we were allowed to stunt more on the sidelines than now. There are many more rules and regulations that we must follow for safety reasons,” says Dubos. 

The Struthers Wildcat feels that the best part of being a cheerleader is experiencing the energy at football or basketball games. She looks back on being a cheerleader fondly and appreciates the fun of cheering her team to victory. 

The former SHS cheerleader tells current cheerleaders to enjoy the moment and privilege of being on the cheer squad. 

“Work as a team and enjoy every minute of this time; it goes quickly,” says Dubos. 

Dubos still applies lessons learned from being on the squad today. She feels being a cheerleader taught her that she doesn’t need to be friends with others to accomplish goals; it’s important to work together as a team.