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Cheerleaders have become more and more scarce in Minnesota over the last decade, but the Austin Packer cheerleading team is making a comeback.

The team received a boost in energy when Cassidy Beaujour took over as head coach last season. She has brought an intense approach that includes adding stunts to the routine and making more appearances. The squad, which has usually focused on football sidelines, even appeared at basketball games last season and it has plans to do that again this year.

Senior captain Rose Dieng said that last year was her first year as a cheerleader and she enjoyed bringing the energy to the crowd.

“I liked that I got to make new connections with people while learning with a new coach,” Dieng said. “We were both learning and developing together. We’re bringing back the school spirit.”

Beaujour grew up cheerleading in middle school and high school before eventually coaching in south Florida. When her husband landed a job in Austin, she brought her spirit up north.

“I think the team was a little shocked and confused because cheerleading is not big here, but where I come from, it’s everything. They’ve developed a passion and a love for it and they’re excited for it,” Beaujour said. “I just want to bring positive energy. We have skills and we want to show that, but we want to bring that positivity and heighten the energy of the game.”

The Packer cheerleaders are embracing their role in the community as they’ve appeared at the Freedom Fest parade, the Homecoming parade, and they’ve also been active at pep fests at AHS.

At games, they’ve given the student section life and kept things positive.

“We want to bring that excitement factor and get the students to come to all of the games,” junior captain Zoee Sorenson said. “It’s been interesting working with a new coach and I like that we took it up a notch. Coach has definitely introduced a lot of new things to us and we’re definitely more exposed to the fans.”

Austin senior captain Jazmin Aguilera said that the new stunts have made cheerleading a fun sport to participate in and she’s enjoying her time with the team.

“I like the new stunts that we’ve worked on and it was a bit challenging in the first year, but it was fun getting to know everyone,” Aguilera said.

Beaujour said the team has received a lot of positive input from the community and the school district. She’s expecting the team to be even more active this year.

“We have a lot of chants and cheers to learn, but I’ve also taught them how to throw stunts. That’s kind of the wow and the cool factor. They get excited when they start to hit things,” Beaujour said. “Seeing the girls come back and ask to be involved more, that’s great we push each other.”