Get to know Cambridge school district cheer coaches
MILTON, Ga. — We are highlighting a select group of influential young women! “Empowered Women empower women.” These young Cambridge High School Cheerleaders are doing just that! The eight young ladies are coaching the rising generation of high school cheerleaders. They coach the Junior Cheer squad. The Jr. Cheer squad consists of middle school girls who will be attending Cambridge High School in the future. We are pleased to introduce them to our community and recognize their dedication to the younger generation. We see you and we definitely hear you! Let’s get to know our Bears and their cubs!
Callie Brown is the head coach for the 7th and 8th-grade girls. “This will be my third year coaching. I started cheering in 6th grade through the same program I currently coach for. I continued throughout the program and then I moved onto the high school team, where I cheered until my sophomore year.” She believes being consistent is what helps them improve their skills. We asked Callie how she encourages her mentees after a disappointing loss and she says, “I tell them to keep their heads up and that this is how we get better. You can never improve yourself if you don’t overcome challenges.” Callie has coached the same young women through their 7th and 8th-grade year and says, “so far my proudest moment as a coach has been watching them move onto high school as better athletes and seeing them thrive.” We asked Callie what is the biggest life lesson you’ve learned from being a coach? “The most important thing I have learned is how to be friends with the athletes while still being a leader and learning when to be serious.” Callie already knows what it takes to be a good leader! She says, “I hope to leave a good influence on the athletes and when they look back on their time as a middle school cheerleader, they think of the fun times we had.”
Sarah Anderson coaches the 7th grade girls. She has been cheering for seven years, but this is her first-year coaching. When we asked her to name a person who inspired her to cheer, Sarah said, “My older sister, who I grew up watching compete in this sport.” She described her proudest coaching moment as the time they won the cheer- off twice in a row. Sarah says, “I hope I can leave these kids with a sense of confidence as they go into high school.”
Reese Collen, who also coaches the 7th grade cheer squad, says, “I just hope that I can be somebody that they look up to when they need help.” This is her first year in coaching the Junior Cheer squad. Reese hopes to continue coaching and showing these young ladies the ropes.
Bennett McGowan is also the head coach for 8th grade Cambridge Jr Cheer squad. She has been coaching for 4 years now. She says, “I’ve cheered all of my life and did Cambridge varsity cheer.” Bennett encourages the girls by making them laugh. She says, “I try to keep smiles on their faces and tell them that we need to practice hard to come back strong the next practice/game.” One very important life lesson that has come from her coaching experience is to never give up after the first try. “The legacy I hope to leave would be is to be the coach that never gave up on the girls, no matter how frustrating it can get. The harder you work for something, the greater you’ll feel when you achieve it.”
Lauren Kate Young is a Head Junior Coach for the 6th grade girls. This is her 3rd year of coaching. She admits her proudest moment in coaching was when her 6th grade girls begged her to stay and to coach them in their following year. “After a loss, I remind the girls that I’m always proud of them, but next time the more hype they get, the more excited the crowd gets. A happy crowd results in a happy team.” We asked Lauren what kind of legacy you want to be remembered by when coaching, “I want to leave a coaching legacy behind that models productive, fun work. Although I want to get stuff done quick so they can be their best, it’s also important that they get to have fun!! At the end of the day, it’s cheerleading. It’s supposed to be fun and exciting!! No reason to stress over something you live for!”
Maddy Paris is a senior at CHS is the coach for the 8th grade Cheer squad. This is her first year of coaching. Maddy describes the team as very supportive and believes that is what helps the team to be more successful. She says her father is the one who inspired her to cheer. “When I moved to Milton as Cambridge was being built in my 3rd grade year, my dad said he hopes I become a cheerleader there one day. That thought stuck with me for a long time and I did it,” says Maddy. This inspiring young lady strives to encourage her Bear cubs and offers them constructive criticism. “When the team needs encouragement, I try to explain to them that sometimes we need the losses and bad moments to become a stronger team and to learn.” Maddy is determined to show these young ladies what a cheerleader represents and hopes they stick with the sport. “I also hope they take in the little things I tell them about attitude and self-advocating and use that advice during the rest of their life,” she says.
Janie Spiller coaches the 6th grade girls and has been cheering for 10 years now. She says he her proudest coaching moment was when the girls learned their routine within 24 hours!
Kendall Young is in the 10th grade and also coaches the 6th grade girls. This is her first year coaching. She says, “I hope my athletes remember me as a positive and helpful coach!”
These young ladies may or may not already know it, but they are doing more than just coaching. They are role models and mentors for the Junior Cheer Squad. They are building friendships, confidence, and trust for these young ladies. Their dedication and hard work is admirable and certainly does not go unseen or unheard! We are looking forward to hearing more about their success and how they inspire the next generation of CHS cheerleaders!
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