Candice Brewer is back at the helm of the Van Buren Eagles cheer program, marking her second stint as head coach and her seventh year overall leading the team.
Brewer, who first coached the Eagles cheer squad in the early 2000s, knows firsthand the thrill and camaraderie of cheerleading, having been a standout cheerleader herself during high school.
“It was fun and exciting,” Brewer said. “We [loved] the sisterhood of being part of the cheer team and the community that we built there, and I also loved how hard we worked and how proud we were of what we accomplished.”
Brewer’s passion for cheer started early. She took gymnastics as a child, cheered alongside her cousin, and quickly fell in love with the sport. Brewer said she particularly enjoyed stunts growing up that lifted teammates into the air, like basket tosses.
“That work ethic that I learned as a cheerleader is what helped me through college,” Brewer said. “It’s helped me through my career. it’s helped me as a wife and a mother, so I think cheerleading gave a lot to me and that’s one reason I wanted to give back to young athletes so that they can gain what I gained from cheerleading.”
Brewer said her team is coachable, focused, and committed to success.
“Those are just all the components for success, not only in cheer, but in life,” Brewer said. “They’re accomplishing really good things. They’ve accomplished some new things we haven’t done before so we’re really excited to show that off and show off their skills and their talents.”
The Van Buren cheer season kicks off Tuesday alongside the basketball team’s opening tip-off. Brewer said the team has spent the offseason perfecting crowd cheers, dance routines, and advanced stunts. Beyond local performances, the squad has also showcased their skills at summer events at colleges including Vanderbilt. Brewer said those events help gain experience that will pay off during the school year.