Pair of AU graduates love coaching Club STUNT together at the Kroc Center
Ashland University graduates Shila (Hartzler, ’23) Shreve and Joy (Boone, ’19) Downing appear to be a perfect pairing as co-coaches for the Ashland Salvation Army Kroc Center’s new Club STUNT program for girls.
“We couldn’t have found better coaches,” said Dan Lawson, the Kroc Center’s director of community relations and development. “They really put their heart into getting our team ready for competition.
“They inspire, motivate and encourage the girls on our team to set their sights high and aspire to achieve more," added Lawson, who recently retired from AU as associate vice president of Corporate Relations. “They are more than just coaches, they are mentors. They have and will have a life-long impact on these girls.”
Club STUNT began Sept. 10 and will run through Dec. 3 on Tuesday evenings at the Kroc Center with a short holiday hiatus before starting up again in January with some possible competitions in 2025.
As a new form of competitive cheerleading, STUNT is performed in a four-quarter format. Each quarter is a head-to-head game between two teams that execute skills-based routines in various categories − partner stunts, jumps and tumbling, pyramids and tosses, and team routines.
Lawson proposed the new club to the directors at the Kroc Center after hearing AU STUNT Coach Denise Farnsworth talk about the fast-growing sport at an Ashland Noon Lions Club meeting in February.
AU STUNT coach recommended Downing and Shreve
When the Kroc Center asked her to suggest some people to coach, Farnsworth said she almost immediately thought of Shreve and Downing.
“Shila and Joy are both in the area and that fit the bill,” said Farnsworth, who is also the head cheer and dance coach at AU. “Shila actually played STUNT for us here at AU and she is currently a college STUNT official, so she knows the game inside and out. Joy has coached both tumbling and stunting at both the youth and high school level, and both ladies have a heart for the Lord.
“I knew they would be amazing leaders for this new program,” Farnsworth added.
While Farnsworth coached Shreve in STUNT, she just missed doing the same for Downing.
“They were just starting STUNT when I was graduating, and I had the option to join but it was my senior year and I was student teaching, so I decided, sadly, not to,” said Downing, an intervention specialist at Pioneer Career and Technology Center in Shelby, Ohio. “It was a missed opportunity, but it was still fun being on the cheer and dance team.”
Downing and Shreve were both on AU’s cheer and dance team for one year when Downing was a senior and Shreve a freshman.
“Joy introduced me to my husband,” said Shreve, who is married to former AU linebacker, Clay Shreve (’20).
Downing’s husband also is a former AU football player, Trevor Downing (’19). They both are Kenton High School graduates.
Shreve is a Mapleton High School graduate who works in marketing and communications for Lowe & Young, an agricultural equipment dealership in Wooster, while her husband grew up in Hartville, a small town in the Canton/Akron area of Ohio.
“We’re all Eagles through and through,” Shreve said with a big smile before one of their Club STUNT practices.
“We go to church (Park Street Brethren) together and, because our husbands are both obsessed with football we like to get together to watch football,” added Downing.
All four also belonged to FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) while at AU.
So, when Downing was asked to coach Club STUNT and was told Shreve had already agreed to do it, she didn’t hesitate to say yes.
“It helps to coach with someone you already have a relationship with,” Downing said. “It makes coaching a lot better.”
Because it is only once a week, Downing has been able to co-coach Club STUNT with a full-time job and 9-month old child.
“I used to coach high school sideline cheering with some stunting in Marysville, which was a big commitment," said Downing, who moved back to Ashland in May with her husband and child. “But, knowing this is just once a week, I thought, ‘This is perfect to still coach, while being a mom.’”
Shreve and Downing really enjoy coaching the girls
The two have enjoyed coaching together, teaching the basics of STUNT technique and safety and getting to know the girls.
“They always ask us, ‘Can’t we practice longer?’ or ‘We should have this two times a week,’ which is awesome for us because we will never get burned out because they always want to do more and because of their willingness to do it,” Downing said.
The plan was to have two teams – one for ages 8-11 and another for ages 11-14. But, with all the girls 11 years old or younger, Downing and Shreve decided they could handle the 16 girls who signed up on one team.
“The biggest challenge is all the different experience levels,” Downing said. “So, it’s nice that there are two of us, so we can break off into two groups to work on different things.”
Some of the girls have a little cheerleading experience, but no previous STUNT participation. All girls ages 8-14 are welcome to join Club STUNT whether or not they have experience in cheer, dance or gymnastics.
“Hopefully, we can get some new girls interested in it and start putting some routines together and go to a couple of events and perform some stunts,” Shreve said. “There is a college in Michigan and a place in Pittsburgh that hosts STUNT competitions and some teams actually do virtual tournaments. We will have to get more information about those kinds of things.
“It is a learning experience,” Shreve added.
“We are hoping to perform at halftime of Kroc Center soccer games,” Downing added.
On the evening of Monday, Nov. 11, Shreve and Downing had a free clinic at Ashland University in the hopes of getting more girls interested in STUNT that Farnsworth, Brandy Marquette, assistant coach for STUNT and cheer and dance at AU; and STUNT student-athletes helped run.
The AU STUNT team hopes Club STUNT members will attend some of their contests during their 2025 season that begins in February.
“We can’t wait to cheer them on and show them how proud we are of them,” Farnsworth said. “We plan to make the day super special for them and we will include them in our gameday traditions.”
Farnsworth also helped Shreve and Downing get Club STUNT started, and continues to help with any advice and feedback they seek from her.
“I am always on call for Shila and Joy, and beyond excited to help them in any way that I can,” Farnsworth said. “I enjoy getting texts from Shila picking my brain about different situations.
“They are doing great getting the word out and spreading the love of the new sport,” Farnsworth added. “It’s going to take time, but they are helping prepare these young athletes for potential college scholarships.”
Sponsorships and scholarships available for Club STUNT
Until that time, scholarships are available for girls whose families can’t afford the $175 fee for Kroc Center members and $250 for non-members to belong to Club STUNT, said Lawson.
Lawson said sponsorship opportunities of Club STUNT from local businesses, service organizations and individuals to help with scholarships are available by calling him at 419-281-8001.
“Nearly everything we do at the Kroc Center has a scholarship component,” Lawson said. “In addition to the startup costs, purchasing mats, paying the coaches, getting uniforms and covering travel expenses, we try to raise additional funds to provide scholarships for girls from low-income families.
“Any financial support to our Club STUNT program is welcome,” Lawson added. “Our highest goal is to see them succeed, not only in athletics and college, but also in life.”
Any families interested in having their girls join Club STUNT can call the Kroc Center at 419-281-8001 for more information.
