Franci McClenathan, far left, back row, is pictured with part of the team of the board of directors of the ICCA at the 2026 annual meeting in Johnston. McClenathan was honored for her 25 years of service to the cheer profession.

​By J.O. Parker
 
     A former cheerleader and long-time cheer coach at BGM has been elected to serve as the ICCA Special Olympics Director. 
      Franci McClenathan, who was recently recognized for her 25 years of coaching by the Iowa Cheer Coaches Association, will oversee a squad of approximately 50 cheerleaders from across Iowa who will perform at the Special Olympics Summer Games Opening Ceremonies at Hilton Coliseum in Ames on May 21.
“At this year’s annual membership meeting, held during the conference on April 10 and 11 in Johnston, I was elected to serve as the ICCA Special Olympics Director,” said McClenathan.
      McClenathan’s love for cheerleading started at a young age when she began the sport in junior high and she has continued to share her passion to this day.
      “I cheered all throughout junior high and high school. When my oldest was in 7th grade at BGM, I started going to games as a parent watching her cheer and occasionally, I would help supervise when the coach couldn’t be there,” said McClenathan. “Then in 2001, I was asked to co-coach. I took over as head coach when the other coach resigned. I coached both of my daughters during their junior high and high school years. Over my 25 years, I have coached varsity football, basketball and wrestling cheer; junior high football and basketball cheer, YSF youth cheer and all-star cheer.”
     Early in her coaching career, McClenathan joined the Iowa Cheer Coaches Association and started attending their annual spring conference so she could become AACCA (now USA Cheer) safety certified and to continue educating herself on all things related to cheer. ICCA also gave her cheerleaders opportunities outside of sideline cheer.
     “I’ve had cheerleaders participate in the State Cheer Championships, All-State Cheer Squad and Iowa Cheer Honor Squad,” said McClenathan.
    She served several years on the ICCA Rep Council before being elected to serve as an at-large representative on the ICCA Board of Directors in 2023. 
       “Being recognized for my 25 years of coaching just puts value on the commitment I’ve made to an athletic program I feel passionate about,” McClenathan said.

​        Meredith Schnebbe, a 2020 HLV graduate, is shown working in the Savannah Banana merchandise tent at a recent game. She was hired in January as a merchandise stand lead for the organization. Submitted photo.

​by J.O. Parker
 
       An HLV graduate is having the time of her life at her new job. 
    Meredith Schnebbe, daughter of A.J. and Randy Schnebbe of rural Victor, was hired in January as a merchandise stand lead for the Savannah Bananas organization. 
      The Savannah Bananas are a popular, circus-style exhibition baseball team based in Savannah, Ga.often called the "Harlem Globetrotters of Baseball." They play a fast-paced, high-energy version of the game called "Banana Ball," featuring choreography, fan interaction, and unique rules—like recording an out if a fan catches a foul ball—designed to maximize fun.
        Schnebbe’s journey started a couple years ago when she was attending Kansas State University. 
       “I was looking for a summer internship in tour logistics and the Savannah Bananas organization ads kept popping up on my social media feeds,” said Schnebbe. “I thought that was cool, so I applied.”
        The internship required four rounds of interviews.
      “I learned a lot from the interview process,” said Schnebbe. “There were so many steps including test drives and little assignments to see if you were prepared for the internship. It was a very cool experience. I made it to the last round but didn’t make the final cut.”
        “I applied again last fall and this time they said that they weren’t going to give me the internshipbecause they thought I would be good for the merchandise stand lead job,” added Schnebbe.
        Schnebbe, who graduated from Kansas State in December 2024 with a degree in marketing, specializing in sports and entertainment with a minor in hospitality management, was officially offered the job in January 2026. She attended orientation in Savannah in February where she learned about the Fans First mission.
      The Savannah Bananas' mission is Fans First. Entertain Always. This philosophy centers on making baseball fun, prioritizing fan experience over short-term profits, and creating unforgettable, inclusive moments for everyone.
         “I worked my first game on March 13 in Round Rock, Texas,” said Schnebbe, who now resides in Kansas City. “I have also traveled to Sacramento, Calif. They schedule based on availability. They do everything. They have a whole travel logistics team who takes care of housing and most of our food. They take really good care of us.” 
         Banana Ball has six teams. Each game has two teams playing each other. In 2026, the season started at the end of February and will go until the end of September. They will play a 50-game regular season plus the championship games in 75 different stadiums. They also maintain over 30 home games in Savannah totaling dozens of high exhibition games across the country. The tour will span 45 states and include 14 MLB stadiums.
        “Wherever we go, I will be selling merchandise for one of the teams,” said Schnebbe. “We have gameday teammates who are people from the local community who sign up to work. I lead the stand and help train gameday staff for working POS, inventory and managing the flow of people traffic.”
        The organization was founded in 2016 by Jesse and Emily Cole after they acquired the rights to a coastal plain league summer collegiate team. They unveiled the Savannah Bananas name in February 2016 and played their first game at Grayson Stadium in Savannah in June 2016.
       When asked what her favorite part of her job is, Schnebbe said, “My favorite parts are the culture, the people and the community. Everyone is welcoming and caring. It’s truly fans first. The whole company makes sure every fan has an amazing experience, and everyone is taken care of. They focus on the little things like saying each other’s names and addressing you by first name. It’s a great atmosphere to be in. It makes my heart happy because it’s very heartwarming.”
Bananas Coming to Iowa
        The Savannah Bananas will play the Firefighters in Iowa City at Kinnick Stadium on July 3 and 4 starting at 7 p.m. both days. With their Fans First mission, the Bananas want to keep their tickets affordable. The biggest misconception is that their tickets are “so expensive” but official Banana Ball tickets won’t be more than $60. Secondary markets will hike up the prices to make their own profits and many are scams. The Bananas created their own secondary ticket marketplace this year to try to avoid these issues. Tickets are available exclusively at gobananas.fansfirsttickets.com.

       The cast of The Trials of Job: A Comedy has been working hard rehearsing to bring the Biblical story of Job to the stage. The one act play was written by Josh Gerard of Brooklyn who will also be directing. The play runs April 24-26. Submitted photo.

by J.O. Parker
 
       An upcoming Brooklyn Theater production takes guests back to the Biblical time of Job. 
     The Brooklyn Opera House will be showing The Trials of Job: A Comedy from April 24-26th. This one act play was written by Josh Gerard of Brooklyn. It is a comedic adaptation of the entire book of Job which is the story of a man who endures a series of tragic events, but through it all, refuses to curse God. 
       “This is the first play I ever wrote,” said Gerard. “I enjoyed taking a book that has some dark moments but make them funny. The message remains the same throughout. God is in control, and we are not, and everything He does is to help us know Him.” 
       Cast in order of appearance: Job, Travis Williams; Mrs. Job, Kim Hawkins; God, Jeff Britts; Satan, Abby Smith; Fred, Mike McKenna; Sarah, Alli McCammant; Barb, Alleeah Eichhorn; Jane, Traci Williams; Children , Gracie Gerard, Sylvie Emerson, Malachi Emerson, Silas Gerard, Isabella Wadhams, Gwen McClenathan; Eli, Rob Hanlon; Bill, Isaiah Williams; Zophar, Tristan Taylor; Ellyhu, Alaina Holmes; Writer/Director, Josh Gerard; Props/Customes, Kim Hawkins; Set Design, Laura Emerson.
        Abby Smith, who is playing Satan in the production, has acted in all but two of the plays at the Brooklyn Opera House. “The reason I love performing in community theater is for the people. I love the people I get to work with and I love getting to see all the people who enjoy our shows.”
        “I enjoy the positive feeling I get when people say they’ve enjoyed my performance,” said Mike McKenna, who is playing Fred. “Between Brooklyn, Newton and Grinnell, I have been in over 40 shows.”
        “I’m excited to see Josh’s ideas come to life and make people laugh,” said Alli McCammant, who is playing Sarah. “This will be my 6th time being a part of a play in the community theater.” 
        When asked what she enjoys the most about acting in community theater, Alli said, “The answer for me is in the question. Community. It’s the people that make putting on these productions so worthwhile.”
        “I am proud to be playing Job’s “wise” friend, Eli – a man whose primary goal is to help Job figure out what he did to upset God so that life can return to normal for everyone…preferably sooner rather than later,” said Robert Hanlon. “It has been my pleasure to be involved in most of the productions at the Brooklyn Opera House since its first show, The Odd Couple, in 2021. Before that, my last time on stage was back at good ol’ North Polk High School in the early ‘90s when my joints were less cranky and memorizing lines was slightly less of an adventure. When the opportunity came up to give theater another shot, I figured, ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’ (A question I may or may not have regretted asking).”
         Hanlon said, “Getting back on stage has been a fun challenge. It’s one thing to remember where to stand and what to say, and another thing entirely to avoid looking like a guy who is clearly just trying to remember where to stand and what to say. I do my best to give the audience something worth watching – something a little more natural and a little less wooden statue reciting dialogue. As someone who grew up watching Monty Python, Robin Williams and Phil Hartman, I’ve always appreciated great comedy. With theater, I get the chance to step outside myself and play someone I would never be in real life – which, depending on the role, is probably a good thing. It’s a real blessing that a small community like Brooklyn can support something like this. Who would have thought live theater would thrive in our little corner of the world?”