Inductees

Stroll by the fieldhouse at Liberty High School and there they are: one state championship trophy after another showcasing the most successful high school cheerleading program in the Show-Me State.

Not that it was always this way. And it wasn’t that long ago.

“When I joined as a varsity assistant in 2003, we were excited just to qualify at the Kansas City Regional competition to attend the state competition,” current coach Brenda Moats said. “We didn’t even place at that event; we just received a ‘bid’ to attend state.”

As Moats explained, a bid is when a team earns a certain percentage of the top score in the competition but does not place in the top five.

Soon, the narrative changed, and now look who holds the most Class 5 state championships in state history, with 11. It’s why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly inducted the Liberty High School Cheerleading Program with the induction Class of 2020.

The state championships cover the years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. Liberty also placed fifth in 2004 and 2006 and was a state runner-up in 2007. The team didn’t attend state in 2011, as it conflicted with Liberty’s homecoming weekend.

More so, Liberty has qualified for nationals eight times and placed in the Top 15 twice.

In other words, the trophy case is running out of real estate. Even better, it’s a wonderful sight for alumni cheerleaders who have been part of a program that dates back to 1942.

The 2003-2004 team was led by Aleta Anthony-Uribe, with Moats and Erin Garvey as assistants.

Moats has guided the program since the fall of 2004 but is quick to say that it’s not all her doing.

First and foremost, the cheerleaders – usually about 25 on the varsity roster, 18 on junior varsity — put in the work from April to the following March. And the frequency of practices picks up as state inches closer.

And they are constantly staying shape, correct?

“Absolutely,” Moats said. “Our weight room is actually lifting each other (stunting). However, conditioning, daily tumbling, cardio is all incorporated into our practices.”

Moats was a cheerleader on a co-ed team at Ottumwa High School in Iowa in the early 1990s, cheering for its co-ed competition team in the Universal Cheerleading Association (UCA) National High School Championships.

Over these past 17 seasons, many have contributed support: Dr. Marty Jacobs, then the high school principal; former athletic director Steve Butler; current athletic director Jason Cahill; former assistants Erin Garvey and Lindsey Dickes; and current assistants Daisy King and Belinda Ambrose.

The coaches have held roles from eighth grade through varsity, with King in the program since 2002 and the varsity assistant since 2006.

Who else did the heavy lifting?

“Definitely the parents,” Moats said. “This program would not be where it is today without them. They have always advocated for the program with administration, fundraised for us and donated things for the program that the school was unable to purchase.”

Of the 40 cheerleaders who have earned college scholarships, some have cheered for the University of Missouri, the University of Kansas, the University of Arkansas, Northwest Missouri State, William Jewell and a number of others. A few have worked for the National Cheerleading Association (NCA) as well as the Universal Cheerleading Association (UCA).

In the Large Varsity Division I for the national competition at the UCA in Florida, the 2013 and 2014 teams’ Top 15 finishes were notable because they competed about 100 teams both years. To qualify for a nationals, a high school team must compete at a regional separate from state competition and then earn a certain score.

Additionally, Liberty Cheer does extensive charitable work.

“Giving back means everything to our program and athletes,” Moats said, noting they have brought awareness to juvenile diabetes and childhood cancer, supported runners for the Dad/Daughter 5K and the Liberty Hospital Run and the Kansas City Marathon. “Athletes volunteer their time in elementary schools helping the PTA’s, reading to students, and assisting teachers in classrooms and with back-to-school events.”

Talk about making an impact.

“This program is truly a family. It might not seem like it to the athletes when they are worn out after practice or beat up after not hitting a skill as it should have been,” Moats said. “But in the end, it’s the family we all didn’t know we needed – until they are right there when we need them.”