Gimme a K!

When Mallory Cogen became head coach of the Kennedy High School varsity cheerleading squad two years ago, she was determined to restore the program to the level of success it enjoyed when she was a Kennedy cheerleader.

It didn’t take long.

The Kennedy squad took first place in the Valley Stream North High School County Cheerleading Competition in December, competing against eight other schools from across Nassau County.

“The girls have wanted to win this competition for a while, and they were finally able to do it,” said Cogen, 23, a Bellmore resident and a 2005 Kennedy graduate. “They had stuff that other teams didn't. They shined.”

Kennedy won the Valley Stream competition three straight years when Cogen was on the squad, from 2003 to 2005. “We were pretty good, and it was all because of my coaches,” she said.

After graduating from Kennedy, Cogen attended SUNY Cortland, where she cheered all four years and earned a degree in phys. ed. She has since returned to Kennedy as a permanent substitute teacher as well as cheerleading coach.

It didn’t take long for Cogen to gain the respect of her squad. “She makes up all the routine by herself,” said Ashley Brocco, a senior. “She does everything for us. I can't ask for a better coach. She's great.”

Drawing on her experience and winning background, Cogen quickly began to transform the team. In her first year, the squad finished second in the Valley Stream competition. And of winning it all this year, Brocco said, “As a senior, it was amazing. I can't even give you a real feeling.”

Unlike most high school sports, which are confined to a season, cheerleading is year-round. Cogen selected the squad members last June, and the team began practicing in earnest at the end of August. The cheerleaders have been working together nearly every day since, and according to Cogen, they have experienced many ups and downs.

“There's progression, there's downfalls; there's everything that a team goes through,” she said. “But when they need to, they come together.”

At one point, the team practiced 19 days straight, preparing for the Long Island Cheerleading Coaches Association tournament on Dec. 5. “That was rough,” said Cogen.