The Marathon Dolphins cheerleaders are going pro for a weekend.
When their NFL counterparts sent out an invitation earlier this year to the team’s annual summer clinic, MHS cheer coach Michelle Macoskey saw an opportunity years in the making for her small Florida Keys program. This Friday, that opportunity culminates on the field at Hard Rock Stadium, where the squad will perform at halftime of a preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons.
“The Miami Dolphins have always been my team,” said Macoskey. “I’ve always had a love and appreciation for the football team and their cheerleaders.” When she realized her squad’s hard work from fundraising could pay off by fully covering the cost of the clinic, she said, it was “kind of a full send.”
The camp turned into more than a one-time event. Macoskey said it gave her girls a chance to build relationships with Dolphins cheerleaders while she networked with the team’s coaches and event coordinators — including manager KaShara Garrett, a star of the “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders” TV show and one of Macoskey’s idols.
A few weeks later, as Miami began scheduling halftime performers, they reached back out to Marathon.
“I don’t know what went into their decision, but obviously our girls made an impression at that camp,” Macoskey said.
Two weekends ago, the team parlayed a road trip to support the MHS Dolphins at a preseason game into a hotel stay for team bonding and a trip to Miami the following day for a Saturday rehearsal. The team arrived so well-prepared that the Dolphins’ choreographers barely needed to walk them through the routine.
“Getting there, their cheerleaders remembered our girls,” Macoskey said. “I have high expectations because I know what these girls are capable of. When we showed up, we were almost performance-ready. The girls took that and ran with it — we were the oldest of the three schools there, so the younger girls saw them perform to that caliber and it was a little confidence-booster for our girls.”
The Dolphins’ staff was impressed enough to hand the reins back to Marathon, inviting the team to tweak the ending of the assigned choreography and add its own flair. Macoskey said she sent a video of the adjustments to Garrett for approval.
“She said she loved it,” Macoskey said. “I was fangirling on the inside.”
Macoskey said the significance of the opportunity goes far beyond taking the field under the lights. It’s a major step for a growing program — one she hopes could serve as a stepping stone to competitive cheer or spark an interest in a career for the Marathon athletes.
“I think it’s just great exposure, especially for such a small squad, small school,” she said. “This is a cool opportunity for people to come and support something we’re doing on our own.”
As for Friday night, Macoskey said she’s bracing for an emotional rollercoaster alongside her team.
“A little bit of nerves, excitement, emotional, envious,” she said, admitting she’d rather be dancing alongside her team than watching from the stands. “Probably gonna cry. Probably gonna be screaming and jumping up and down. We went out on a limb, and hopefully we’ll kind of make our mark and set a precedent for future teams too.
