Star Valley High School’s Cheer Team will have a new head coach for the 2026-27 school year. Sarah Carlson, a Special Education teacher at SVHS, is taking the reigns and is very pleased to continue building the program and molding the athletes that are involved in the Cheer program.
“I am so excited to get back to coaching this sport that I am passionate about,” said Carlson. “My coaching philosophy is that Cheerleading is a building sport.” Her approach stems from a focus on academics first and athletics second, knowing that she is helping her athletes build character and discipline.
“As a coach, I believe it is my responsibility to build the student athlete (in that order), which in turn builds them to be contributing members of society,” said Carlson. “I believe it’s important for kids to learn life lessons in extracurricular activities, including teamwork, unity, hard work, accountability, responsibility, communication skills, leadership skills, and so much more!”
Carlson brings nearly 12 combined years of coaching experience to the program, having coached in Alaska and Idaho before arriving in Star Valley. Though she has not held a coaching position for seven years, she has remained active in supporting private and school cheerleading programs throughout the Valley, assisting with competitions, choreography, routine cleaning, stunting safety and other aspects of the sport.
During her hiatus from coaching, Carlson pursued her career as a Special Education teacher and raised a young family. Now that her children are older, she felt that it was time for her “to get back to it!”
Carlson’s vision and philosophy for cheer align with those of her predecessors and she intends to continue with the team culture and traditions that Coach Faith McNaughton and her staff have established. “I look forward to mentoring these student athletes in these areas of life skills, and hopefully, they will be able to more readily apply these skills in life.”
Carlson is married to her high school sweetheart, Earl, and they have four children. “We have lived in Star Valley for eight years and every day of my life, I am grateful to be blessed to raise my family here and call this place home.”
