Mariner cheerleading assistant coach Belle Merritt, left, and head coach Amber Jones show off their award after winning the Class D state title in 2013. Courtesy of Amber Jones
Deer Isle—A 2013 Deer Isle-Stonington graduate and captain of the cheerleading squad that took home the Class D state title that year, Amber Jones returned this year as coach.
She is quick to give credit to her own high school coach, Kim Larsen, who led the program for 30 years.
“I don’t think I’d be a coach if Mrs. Larson didn’t coach us,” Jones said. “Cheering was a huge part of me and my teammates’ high school years.”
She also believes that joining a sports team in general made an impact on her future, in part by requiring she keep her grades up: “Like a lot of kids, I wouldn’t have done as well in school if it wasn’t for the athletic program,” she said.
Jones graduated from Southern Maine Community College with an associate degree in sports management, looking forward to a possible position as a school athletic director, despite first enrolling in culinary arts. “I always knew I’d be a coach, I just thought it would be part-time,” she said.
Last year, Jones began coaching the middle school squad and leading tumbling and general cheering classes at the Island Community Center. Then, this past fall, she was asked to lead the high school squad, with assistant coach Belle Merritt, “who is a huge part of it,” Jones said.
Now her days revolve around cheerleading: “I leave my house at noon after planning the day’s practices and don’t get back until 8:30 at night.”
The Mariners practice their stunts and routine before a live crowd at home games, preparing themselves for upcoming competitions. ”And while teams usually hire a choreographer, Jones said she wanted to create their routine herself.
“I listen to the music over and over all day, every day, and it comes to me,” she said. “You have to look at the strengths of the team and form [the routine] to showcase your team.”
The team last competed in 2016. Now, two years later, Jones and Merritt will bring the Mariners to the Class D North competition on January 27 and, if they qualify, to the state championship on February 10. Both will be held at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.
“We’re really excited,” she said. “The kids are working hard.”
And Jones hopes to see that excitement continue.
“I think the interest comes in waves. When I was a senior, it was a wave. Now I hope we’re on a rise. … I hope to be in it for the long term.”
By Amber Jones
The Deer Isle-Stonington cheerleading team practices a routine ahead of the Class D North regional championships January 27 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. In front, from left, are Mason Plummer and Drew Wendell. In back, from left, are Tori Eaton, Arial Larrabee, Aja Quintal, Emma Plummer, Delaney Billings, Rachel Shepard and Eden Dunham. Not pictured is Grace Morey. The competition begins at 11:30 a.m., with the top six or eight teams, depending on the number of entrants, advancing to the state competition February 10, at the same venue.