IN THE CLASSROOM:

Sometimes cheerleaders don’t always get the best shake when it comes to how they are portrayed on TV or the movies. They’re not always saving the world like Hayden Panettiere on “Heroes.”

But Kori Johnson doesn’t care about the stereotypes of the bimbo cheerleader, and the Costa Mesa High School cheer coach makes sure her students don’t get caught up in it either.

“She has put us in a position at the school where we are a little bit more respected,” 17-year-old Karli Bauermeister said. And she’s done that by encouraging the cheerleaders to combine civic duty with their high kicks and back flips.

Johnson considers her job more than just coaching.

“It’s like being a parent to 25 young ladies,” she said.

And that effort has paid off with Johnson being nominated for coach of the year by the Golden State Spirit Assn., a network of cheer and dance coaches across the state. The winner will be announced at a conference May 2 through 4 at Manhattan Beach.

The nomination is an honor, Johnson said, especially considering this is her first year coaching.

When Johnson joined the faculty this school year the cheerleading program was in shambles. The team had six coaches in four years.

“It was basically taking a program that was non-existent and then turning it around,” Johnson said.

But it wasn’t just the stunts, dance and cheers that Johnson had to work on — it was also educating the cheerleaders on what it meant to be students and good community role models.

“I stress the importance of being leaders, good grades and being good examples,” Johnson said.

The results are evident — the varsity team’s cumulative grade point average is 3.5, on a 4.0 scale, and 19 out of the 21 cheerleaders received academic achievement awards from the school.

“When Kori came, she was our little guardian angel,” 17-year-old Maggie Miettinen said. “She had us doing stuff we’ve never done before.”

That “stuff” was an effort to change culture and perception, according to the team.

They now do community service projects and charity as a regular part of their program, working with the Boys and Girls Club, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the Children’s Hospital of Orange County and collecting items for wildfire victims.

“Having them do community service is huge,” Johnson said. “They have to get out there and help other people. They bring back pride for the school.”

While the nomination is an honor, the real reward is in the relationships she has built with her team and the effect she has had on their lives, Johnson said.

“The seniors text me after they got their acceptance letters to college,” she said. “They’re just awesome.”

DANIEL TEDFORD may be reached at (714) 966-4632 or at [email protected].