The Milford Department of Athletics is pleased to announce the hiring of Nia’ Brightwell as the new head coach of the Milford Competition Cheerleading Program. Brightwell comes to Milford after a long stint within the schools and community in Lawrenceburg, IN. Her hiring is pending approval by the Milford Exempted Village School District Board of Education.

Since May 2017, Brightwell has served as the Head Varsity Cheerleading Coch and Program Director of the Lawrenceburg High School program. She added the role of Dance Director to her resume in April 2022. Since August 2023, Brightwell has been the Regional Student and Family Services Manager within the IDEA Public Schools. Also a licensed social worker, Brightwell has been the CEO/Owner of Mind Elevation Counseling and Coaching for the past two years.

“We are ecstatic to introduce the next leader of our award-winning competitive cheer program, Coach Nia’ Brightwell,” Milford Director of Athletics Aaron Zupka stated. “Coach Brightwell brings extensive experience in choreography, including as an OASSA judge, and has more than seven years of experience running a competitive cheer program. In addition, her background as a Sports Mental Health Therapist and Licensed Social Worker will be beneficial in helping our athletes grow in all aspects of becoming well-rounded young adults. The pride, prestige, and history of Milford Cheer is unmatched in Southwest Ohio and I'm excited to have Coach Brightwell on board to bring the fire!”

“I am honored to be selected as the head coach of Milford High School’s prestigious three-time national winning competition cheerleading team,” Brightwell added. “I look forward to building on the existing legacy, creating new accomplishments, and achieving new goals with this iconic team, while also focusing on the all-around athlete, sports performance, mental health, team cohesiveness, positivity, and elevation. This is our year Milford Competition Cheer!”

Brightwell also brings extensive experience as a choreographer and judge to her new role. In addition to the experience garnered at Lawrenceburg High, she’s served in coaching roles at Greendale Middle School, Woodlands Elite and Wildfire Elite Cheer Academy.

Brightwell is a graduate of Lawrenceburg High School, Ivy Tech Community College and a two-time graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University where she earned both Bachelors and Master’s degrees in Social Work.

The Milford Department of Athletics is pleased to announce the hiring of Stacie Vorhees as the new head coach of the Milford Sideline Cheerleading Program. Vorhees is a former assistant coach for the Eagles program and is a second-grade teacher at McCormick Elementary in Milford. Her hiring is pending approval by the Milford Exempted Village School District Board of Education.

Vorhees returns to the Milford program after coaching three seasons from 2020-2023. During her previous tenure, she held the titles of freshman coach and junior varsity head coach and was also an assistant for the competition squad. She helped the Eagles to the 2021 Traditional Cheer National, ran the 2022 Youth Camp and served as the interim head coach for the full program in the Summer of 2022.

During her collegiate days, Vorhees was a sideline and competition cheerleader at the University of Cincinnati. While there, she was the recipient of the Bearcat Award three times for being the squad’s most valuable teammate. She also helped UC to a Game Day Championship. Vorhees also competed previously for the United Allstars Tumbling Academy.

"I am thrilled to have Coach Vorhees leading our Milford Sideline Cheer Program,” stated Milford Director of Athletics Aaron Zupka. “Stacie is a kids-first, relationship-building coach that will pour positivity and excitement into our athletes. She has a tremendous background in the sport including experience in All-Star Cheer and participating in cheering at the Division I level at the University of Cincinnati. She is very familiar with our kids and has coached within MHS for three years recently. Coach Vorhees will bring stability, credibility, strong organizational skills with a clear vision of the future, and immediately rejuvenate our program back to standards that we've all been previously accustomed to. This is a proud day at MHS and rings loudly that our cheer program is back and better than ever!”

“I am overjoyed to step into and embrace the role of head coach at Milford High School,” Coach Vorhees added. “The opportunity to lead and inspire this team, implement strategic game plans, and foster a supportive team spirit is exhilarating. I look forward to bringing my enthusiasm for cheerleading into play, creating memorable experiences, and fostering a sense of unity and achievement. Here’s to the exciting journey ahead and achieving success together on and off the sideline!”