Zeeland East High School

Zeeland East is excited to announce that Kelsey Matzat has been selected as the new Head Coach of both our sideline and competitive cheer programs. Coach Matzat brings experience, enthusiasm, and a genuine passion for developing student-athletes. She is eager to begin building relationships with our athletes and families. For the past five years, Coach Matzat has served as the Head Coach at Coopersville Middle School. During her tenure, she established the school's sideline cheer program, helped set new participation records, achieved record team scores, and developed athletes for continued success at the varsity level. Beyond coaching, she is actively involved in the cheer community through her role as an Account Manager with Rebel Athletic. Prior to her time in Coopersville, Coach Matzat coached with Champion Force Athletics, where she led teams to multiple national finals appearances, including four National Championships. Throughout the interview process and in conversations with those who have worked alongside her, Coach Matzat's passion for cheerleading, commitment to excellence, and dedication to positively impacting young people were evident. We are excited for her to build upon the positive momentum of our program and lead Zeeland East Cheer into its next chapter. Coach Matzat shared the following about joining Zeeland East: "I am incredibly honored and excited to lead the Zeeland East Cheerleading Program. I can't wait to build meaningful relationships with our athletes while fostering a culture of hard work, accountability, and positivity. Together, we will continue growing a program that our school and community can be proud of. Let's go, CHIX!" Coach Matzat will host an introductory meeting for student-athletes and families on Tuesday, July 21st at 5:00pm in the Zeeland East Cafeteria. She will officially begin her coaching responsibilities the week of July 20 but will start to get to know our student-athletes this weekend at their camp. Please look for more detailed information coming from Coach later this week via FinalForms. As we are still in the process of finalizing the remainder of our coaching staff, I would also like to extend a sincere thank you to Coach Mindy Vork for her leadership and commitment over the past month. Her willingness to step in and provide stability, guidance, and support for our athletes during this transition has been invaluable, and we are incredibly grateful for her work. Please join Zeeland East Athletics in welcoming Coach Matzat to the Zeeland East athletic family. We look forward to the exciting future ahead for our cheer program. GO CHIX!