Cheer Up

By Serena Simms, Senior at Shadow Ridge High School

When I first decided to volunteer at my old school, Sonoran Heights, I didn’t even really think of it as volunteering. I just really wanted to be there and be a part of something again. I had tried out for Shadow Ridge High School’s freshman cheerleading team just a few months prior to starting at Sonoran Heights. I had worked all summer to get my skills to a high school level, but it was difficult to get myself up there. Needless to say, even with all of my hard work, I didn’t make the squad. But instead of letting that rejection overcome me, I decided to bring the love, drive, and passion for the sport back to my old school. I emailed the coach from the previous year to see if she would still be coaching cheer and be willing to let me help out that season. She told me she would love for me to come back and help out. Unfortunately just a few months after the season had begun, COVID struck, leaving us with no idea if we would be able to continue with the season.

I took all of the time off to focus on myself and get the skills I needed to try out for my high school’s team again sophomore year. I tried out and I made the team, and as much as I loved being there, there was something I realized I had loved even more…coaching! By the time I had realized this though, I went to check Sonoran Heights’s website and realized they already had two coaches. So I waited until junior year to ask again. When my junior year rolled around, I was already in contact with the principal and the new coach. I had spent time creating new cheers and workout routines and figuring out the best techniques to use for stunting.

When tryouts rolled around we had 40 girls come out, it was so overwhelming but in a really good way! I taught them a tryout dance that we would later use in our halftime routine and an additional cheer. On the final day of tryouts we tried them out in groups of six and spent an hour afterwards making our final decision. We did have some disappointed girls after the roster was posted, and I felt really bad that more girls couldn’t be on the team. But my hope was that those girls would come back better and stronger the following year and try out for us again.

The whole season seemed to go by so fast, and we really had to find our flow in the beginning, but the head coach and I did a pretty great job, I thought. The girls got to compete in competition with a routine I created myself and go head to head with other middle school teams. Although we didn’t win, I learned a lot from the scoresheet on the things we needed to work on for next year.

Getting to be there with the girls every day and see them put in the work and continue to do so even in the off season has been one of the most invaluable experiences of my entire life. I’m so grateful that I have the opportunity now to share my story and inspire other teens to make an impact. It was important for me to volunteer because I want to make sure those kids have every opportunity to continue with cheer or whatever it is they want to do in high school. I also think that volunteering in this area is going to provide me with the experience I need in leading kids when I become a teacher. I think other teens should volunteer because you learn so much about who you are and the things you can do when you help others to achieve their goals. The smiles on their faces whenever they hit a new stunt or perfected a routine made every failure before that seem like just a stepping stone to reaching success. I think it would help a lot of teens to get out of their own heads, look at the bigger picture, and broaden their horizons. It’s exactly the kind of experience any teen needs before heading off to college or into the workforce, and it helps the community as well. So many schools in our district are in need of volunteers. Having kids that were raised in this district come to help out would make our community that much stronger. As I head into this next season and my final chapter of my K-12 adventure, I can proudly say that I finally accomplished something a little bigger than myself.

Editor’s Note: Serena Simms was recently accepted into Ottawa University and will be pursuing her Bachelor of Arts degree in Education next fall.

Serena Simms works with a group of students from Sonoran Heights Middle School on a cheer for the upcoming season.