Castle Rock is a cheer town. Not only did Douglas County High School win the 5A Girls’ Championship, but Castle View High School claimed the 5A Co-Ed Championship this year as well.
For Lauren and Scott Borgmier, coaching cheerleading is a family affair. With Lauren serving as Head Coach and Scott as Co-Head Coach, the husband-and-wife team guides the Douglas County High School Cheerleading Team. Coaching the Huskies for the last 9 years, the Borgmiers have led the team to three state championships in the 5A Girls Division, bringing the school’s overall state wins to 8, including previous wins in the Co-Ed Division.
Castle View accomplished something rare in sports - a three-peat. First-year Head Coach Tatum Reel certainly had her work cut out for her to repeat success, but the team claimed its 9th state championship overall.
The competitive spirit in both teams runs deep. “The girls want to hear their names called last,” explains Scott Borgmier. “They are committed to putting the work in every single day in practice, out of practice, and making smart decisions as teenagers inside the classroom.” Reel agrees. “Our team knew that we had to outwork our competition and execute the routine.”
Both coaching staffs focus on mental toughness and resilience. “Lauren introduced weekly sessions on mental toughness where we would study a book and apply the principles to practice,” says Scott.
At Castle View, Reel wanted to bring the team closer together as they pursued a third consecutive championship. “In cheerleading, teams get two and a half minutes to prove themselves, and we wanted to pull together and know that we were ready for that challenge,” says Reel. “There’s always a target on your back when you have previous success, so I wanted the team to know that they needed to show up every day to put the work in together to be their best.”
“Cheerleading can be intense and stressful, but we wanted the girls to focus on supporting each other and having fun because that is why they come back into the gym each day,” explains Borgmier. That desire to have fun in the high-pressure moments influenced the song choices for the Douglas County routine. Cheering to a 2000s custom pop mix, the coaches selected Natasha Bedingfield's “Unwritten” as one of the tracks. “We noticed that when this song played, the girls loosened up a bit and felt empowered,” Borgmier explains. “Lauren and I wanted to find a way to include this song in the final mix to let the girls make this routine their own.”
The Sabercats cheered a highly difficult routine to a custom mix developed by Spirit Vibe, which allowed the team to tackle and execute hard skills on the mat on their way to the championship win.
Both coaching staffs emphasize that being part of championship teams builds character for life. Teamwork, commitment, and persistence are all skills these student-athletes are learning. “Success builds on and off the mat,” says Borgmier.
The Castle Rock community loudly cheers on these two cheerleading teams. Douglas County had more than 20 local businesses sponsoring the team to help fund the season. Parents, extended family, friends, and the local community all cheer on the cheer squads.
While they compete for different schools, the cheering squads at both high schools want to bring home championships to the Castle Rock community. “The girls see and feel the love of the community behind them. They are wearing more than a logo on their uniform; they are all a part of Castle Rock,” says Borgmier.
“We felt the love from the Douglas County parents and team. They were hyping us up in the state championship meet, and they were the first to congratulate us on our win,” says Reel. “Castle Rock is a community of love and support.” Both teams are thankful to be part of a community that supports cheerleading.
“Castle Rock’s cheerleading support is magical. Family members to businesses pull together to propel these teams to championships.” Scott Borgmier