Post by Catfish on Mar 21, 2007 20:33:41 GMT -5
From ‘Go Tigers’ to ‘Go Mudcats’
3/21/2007 9:37:22 AM
amory
By BRANDON SPECK
Sports Editor
Former Nettleton cheerleader Mandi Barber spent many hours cheering for her Tigers on the Nettleton sidelines. The 2006 graduate is still cheering, but in a much different environment, and for a much larger audience.
Barber can be seen with the rest of the Mississippi Mudkittens cheering on the state’s newest professional sports venture, Tupelo’s now 6-0 Mississippi Mudcats of the Arena Indoor Football Association.
“I wanted to see what it was all about,” said Barber, also a former member of Nettleton’s cross-country team and captain of the color guard. “I kind of missed cheerleading.”
The team is averaging around 5,000 fans per game thus far, but more than the crowd size has changed for Barber and the Mudkittens.
“It’s very different,” Barber said. “We actually make up our own cheers and we don’t do stunts, which I kind of like. There’s really not any difficult parts.”
Sponsored by Monster Energy Drink, the Monster Mudkittens have become quite an attraction for Mudcats’ fans, drawing just as many autograph and picture requests after the games as the player do.
“I enjoy it. I like the little kids coming up,” said Barber, a current student at Itawamba Community College, who signed everything from shirts to programs following the team’s 63-14 win against Florence Saturday.
The squad, which does appearances for organizations such as Project Hope, an organization providing health care to children and people around the globe, have been an integral part of the Mudcats’ inaugural season, keeping the fans and the team energized.
“We try to get hyper or pepped up for the football team,” said Barber, who plans on trying out for the ICC squad this year. “This is something I want to do next year too.”
Appeared originally in the Amory Advertiser, 3/21/2007, section B , page 1
3/21/2007 9:37:22 AM
amory
By BRANDON SPECK
Sports Editor
Former Nettleton cheerleader Mandi Barber spent many hours cheering for her Tigers on the Nettleton sidelines. The 2006 graduate is still cheering, but in a much different environment, and for a much larger audience.
Barber can be seen with the rest of the Mississippi Mudkittens cheering on the state’s newest professional sports venture, Tupelo’s now 6-0 Mississippi Mudcats of the Arena Indoor Football Association.
“I wanted to see what it was all about,” said Barber, also a former member of Nettleton’s cross-country team and captain of the color guard. “I kind of missed cheerleading.”
The team is averaging around 5,000 fans per game thus far, but more than the crowd size has changed for Barber and the Mudkittens.
“It’s very different,” Barber said. “We actually make up our own cheers and we don’t do stunts, which I kind of like. There’s really not any difficult parts.”
Sponsored by Monster Energy Drink, the Monster Mudkittens have become quite an attraction for Mudcats’ fans, drawing just as many autograph and picture requests after the games as the player do.
“I enjoy it. I like the little kids coming up,” said Barber, a current student at Itawamba Community College, who signed everything from shirts to programs following the team’s 63-14 win against Florence Saturday.
The squad, which does appearances for organizations such as Project Hope, an organization providing health care to children and people around the globe, have been an integral part of the Mudcats’ inaugural season, keeping the fans and the team energized.
“We try to get hyper or pepped up for the football team,” said Barber, who plans on trying out for the ICC squad this year. “This is something I want to do next year too.”
Appeared originally in the Amory Advertiser, 3/21/2007, section B , page 1