Squad loses coach, chance to compete

Andrew Edwards

After months of hard work, cheerleaders at Huntington Beach High

missed a national cheerleading competition last weekend when the

school district fired its coach.

It would have been the first time the Oilers sent a squad to the

United Spirit Assn. Nationals competition, according to former Coach

Sarah Ettinger, who was fired on March 11 after working at the school

for more than three years. She was not given a reason for being let

go, Ettinger said.

Ettinger was sure the team could have taken home a trophy.

“They could have placed first or second at the nationals, and now

they [didn’t] get to go,” Ettinger said.

Ettinger was hired as a walk-on, part-time coach. She coached the

varsity team and the 12-girl competition squad about 15 to 20 hours a week, she said, and up to 20 hours during football season. Chris

Cumberland, the school’s vice principal for activities, said he could

not discuss why Ettinger was fired, or why she was let go just before

the competition, except that she could not have been retained until

after the competition.

The reasons were confidential, he said.

Cumberland said the school is planning to hire a replacement, and

that the decision was not the result of any friction between Ettinger

and the school.

“There’s no personality issues,” he said.

Since Ettinger is an at-will employee of the school, she can be

fired without cause, district Asst. Supt. for educational services

Carol Osbrink said. The district is upholding the high school’s

decision.

“We found no basis to overturn,” Osbrink said.

Cheerleaders could have gone on to the competition without

Ettinger, but chose not to, since the squad felt Ettinger was the

only person who knew their routine well enough for them to perform.

“It’s like gymnastics -- you need your coach there,” cheerleader

Chrystal Black said