Wendy Coppersmith takes NHS cheerleading reins

When Niwot High Cheerleading Coach Christina Ayers announced she was moving to Castle Rock and could no longer continue coaching the cheer squad, Athletic Director Joe Brown did not have to look far to find her successor.

Wendy Coppersmith, who has a wealth of experience as a cheer coach, had already been assisting Ayers this past season, and stepped into the role with plans to make the Niwot cheer program a centerpiece of Cougar spirit.

Coppersmith, a resident of Platteville, had been a cheer coach at Windsor High School for 12 years, stepping down after the 2022-23 season when she got married. She has also served on the board of directors of the Colorado High School Coaches Association (CHSCA) and is currently the Spirit president of the organization.

A native of Burwell, Nebraska, she moved to Windsor, Colorado, in eighth grade and graduated from Windsor High School, where she was a cheerleader. Coppersmith has two children and one step-daughter, with a total of four grandchildren. She first became involved with the Windsor cheer program as a team mom when her daughter was a cheerleader. When the coach left, the athletic director there recruited her to become the head coach.

At Windsor, Coppersmith had 22 students on the varsity squad and another 16 on the JV squad. During her last year there, the squad raised $64,000 to fund a trip to the Universal Cheer Association Nationals, where they competed in two divisions, making it to the semi-finals in both. Coppersmith explained that a school booster gave them two acres of pumpkins, which team members hoed all summer. They then harvested and sold the pumpkins to raise funds for the cheer program. The hard work was a bonding experience for the squad, and it paid off in the end.

She hopes to create a similar culture at Niwot. "We'll try to grow the program at Niwot," Coppersmith said. "We want to team up with the band, student council." She already has three assistant coaches lined up, each with coaching experience.

"We had quite a few injuries last year," she noted. "My plan is to regroup them, get them back to basics. Safety is a priority. I want to get them to what I think they should look like. I want them to respect each other, respect the school."

Tryouts will be held the last week of April. "We'll start practicing May 1st, which is the first day that eighth-graders can officially practice," she said. "We'll go to a camp or two. I want to see what level we have before we decide where to go. I'd like to have 28, which is the maximum number allowed in Class 4A. We might have a JV team too. It gives more kids the opportunity to be involved. I want them in uniform on the first day of school to welcome students. I also want to do outreach to elementary schools in the area."

One of the returning Niwot cheerleaders, co-captain Fernanda Laguna-Perez, will go to the All-State Spirit Competition, where Coppersmith has twice served as coach. When a sponsor for the rising senior was needed, Coppersmith's company stepped up. In her day job, Coppersmith is one of three co-owners of Telesto Solutions, Inc., an environmental engineering firm based in Loveland. The company focuses on water quality, working in Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona, with Coppersmith serving as Chief Operating Officer, focusing on accounting and human resources.

Coppersmith has ideas about how to fill the stands at Niwot sporting events, including giving prizes to students if they make enough noise, and goody bags for referees.

She is excited for the possibilities at Niwot, saying, "We want to create amazing cheerleaders, and amazing humans."