Battle Mountain grad a new Broncos cheerleader

Second try's a charm for former Husky
Lauren Glendenning
Vail Correspondent
Post Independent
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado

VAIL VALLEY, Colorado — Megan Brooks has danced ever since she was a little girl, but she never imagined she'd be dancing on the sidelines at Denver Broncos games as a cheerleader.

It's just starting to sink in for Brooks, 21, that she is officially a Broncos cheerleader. The Battle Mountain High School graduate found out Sunday night that she made the team this year after barely losing out for a spot on last year's team.

“A sport like this is something you really have a passion for,” Brooks said.

Brooks said she couldn't have made the Broncos team without her Battle Mountain High School coach, Andrea Glass.

“She made a huge difference,” Brooks said. “I wouldn't be where I am without her.”

Brooks also humbly credits Liz Harris, her dance coach at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where she's been dancing since her freshman year. Brooks is applying to physical therapy schools this summer and would likely begin school next fall. She plans to graduate from University of Colorado in December.

While she has aspirations that go well beyond dancing, Brooks just wasn't ready to say good-bye to her dancing career.

“I don't want to stop,” Brooks said. “It's so hard to pursue an actual career in dance.”

Becoming a Broncos cheerleader is about more than just the dancing, though. Brooks said the cheerleaders participate in a lot of promotional and charity events — something she's especially looking forward to doing.

“I'm excited about interacting with the community,” she said. “It's a pretty neat opportunity.”

The Broncos gig is a part-time, paid job, and it comes at a perfect time in Brooks' life. She has just one more semester at school and said she's ready to make the commitment.

There's a big responsibility that goes with cheering on Colorado's beloved pro football team. She's a role model, now, and she said she is ready to be a leader.

“You're a role model for a lot of people [as a Broncos cheerleader],” Brooks said. “I have to be very conscious of what I'm doing at all times — I'm excited to take on that responsibility. I have the character to take that on.”

Brooks' mother, Muffy Brooks, said she's so proud to see her daughter reach the goals that she has set for herself.

“Parents are excited for their children when they're happy,” Muffy Brooks said. “I think it's truly an opportunity.”

Megan Brooks will have her work cut out for her in the coming months — the new job isn't glamorous all the time. She has two full days of training next weekend, and then the team goes into their practice schedule, which is five hours each on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Megan Brooks is ready to do what it takes, she said. She's just happy when she's dancing, and now she has one of the largest stages in which to do it.